People convicted of offences at magistrates courts around the county recently: Patrick McLaughlin, 47, of Bretch Hill, Banbury, admitted supplying amphetamine (Class B), possessing cannabis (Class B) and possessing amphetamine (Class B) in
Lead thieves stripped metal from the roof of St Mary’s Church, in Bicester Road, Launton. The lead, which was security marked with SmartWater, was stolen on Sunday night. Anyone with information should call the police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously
A DRUG addict robbed an Oxford betting shop at knifepoint just hours after appearing in court. Timothy Stern wore a disguise and concealed his face as he took £407.60 from Ladbrokes in Iffley Road on March 13. The 29-year-old father-of-three was sentenced
YOUNGSTERS got a chance to get up close to creatures that normally hide in trees and long grass. As part of an Oxfordshire Goes Wild event, creatures including slow worms, newts, snakes, bats and owls were at the city’s Natural History Museum giving
A NEW application has been made to the Attorney General calling for a full inquest into the death of Government weapons inspector Dr David Kelly. On July 21, 2003, Coroner Nicholas Gardiner opened an inquest into Dr Kelly’s death, three days after his
When Adam Smith laces up his shoes to pound the streets of Oxford in the annual Town & Gown race, several people will be on his mind. Mr Smith, 39, a lawyer from Oxford, has seen not just one but four family members affected by a form of muscular
A FORMER Oxfordshire teacher has reached a birthday milestone and she puts it all down to eating lots of vegetables and having a tot of whisky. Hilda Wallington celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday at her home in High Street, Ludgershall, near Bicester
Youngsters got a chance to get up close to creatures that normally hide in trees and long grass. As part of an Oxfordshire Goes Wild event, creatures including slow worms, newts, snakes, bats and owls were at the city’s Natural History Museum giving
THOUSANDS of literature lovers flocked to the first Chipping Norton Literary Festival, and organisers are confident that the event will return next year. Writer and broadcaster Sue Cook was among more than 50 authors who took part in a weekend
AN ABINGDON man’s bikes have been stolen two months before he is due to take part in a 100-kilometre charity cycle ride. Charles New was training for the London Nightrider charity ride to raise money for prostate cancer research. His father Ken was
A new application has been made to the Attorney General calling for a full inquest into the death of Government weapons inspector Dr David Kelly. On July 21, 2003, Coroner Nicholas Gardiner opened an inquest into Dr Kelly’s death, three days after his
THERE will be no return to paradise for Oxford’s biggest LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) event. Oxford Pride had hoped to take its party back to Paradise Street this year, where the original Pride was held, to celebrate the event’s 10th
Bomb disposal experts were called to a building site in Banbury this afternoon for the second time in a week. The Army team from 11 EOD Regiment was called to the site off Middleton Road, Grimsbury, shortly after 2pm. They first attended the site on
We weren’t expecting much. Not only was EatMyBox a brand new production company, but Lord Of The Flies, right, was its first play, and this was opening night. Choosing the al fresco setting of the Oxford Castle Mound in April, surprise, surprise
RAILWAY lovers are being asked to help compile a history of some of the Great Western Railway’s architectural gems. English Heritage is consulting on the history and architectural significance of a number of historic railway buildings, bridges
AEA Technology 0.27 BMW 5534 Electrocomponents 225.3 Nationwide Accident Repair 68 Oxford Biomedica 4.22 Oxford Catalysts 48 Oxford Instruments 1262 Reed Elsevier 525.5 RM 78 RPS Group 233.4 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
Oxford motorsport writer Roger Smith, who has attended countless Formula 1 races across five continents, has distilled his knowledge into his latest book. Formula 1: All the Races (Haynes, £30) details all 858 World Championship races since the
Wilkie Collins by Peter Ackroyd This is a good, clear, short guide to the life and work of Wilkie Collins (1824-89), Bohemian, friend of Dickens and creator of the modern detective novel. Born into a family of artists (his brother Charles was the
A SELF-EMPLOYED builder has been handed a £3,000 fine for fly-tipping. Marcus Shirley, 44, of Bryony Gardens in Carterton, dumped building waste and bathroom fittings in White Hill Quarry, near Burford, in September 2011. West Oxfordshire District Council
THREE young ladies were treated like Hollywood actresses for a day as they prepared for a big step in their lives. Beatrice Carr, 16, from Oxford, Charlotte Walter, 17, of Northampton, and Helen Oakley, 16, of Milton Keynes, are all regulars
FORMER Oxford United captain Les Robinson, who now works as a PE teacher at a school that caters for children with complex learning needs, ran to raise funds for the Injury Minimisation Programme for Schools (Imps), a charity which helps his pupils
Dad-of-two Dave Bracher from Didcot was one of five people to take part in the marathon in ordinary wheelchairs, rather than three-wheeled, specially adapted racing chairs. Mr Bracher was taken to hospital in 2008 and ended up in a coma for
ONE runner running for a cause close to his heart was 48-year-old gardener Nick Waite, from Blackbird Leys who was inspired by his job at St John’s Home. He raised £4,500 for the charitable trust which runs the home in St Mary’s Road, East Oxford. “
AEA Technology 0.28 BMW 5546 Electrocomponents 226.3 Nationwide Accident Repair 68 Oxford Biomedica 4.15 Oxford Catalysts 48 Oxford Instruments 1267.5 Reed Elsevier 529.25 RM 79.9 RPS Group 228.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
AN American mother-of-three yesterday finally lost her battle in the UK courts against extradition back to the US. Eileen Clark, 54, is wanted on charges of “international parental kidnapping” after fleeing with her children from an unhappy marriage
Bicester Ladies 2nd finished the Trysports 3-Counties Division 3 season in style by winning 4-0 at home to Banbury 2nd. The victory pushed Bicester, who started the day three points behind Banbury, above their opponents on goal difference and into fourth
FOR 15 years Banbury resident Steven Berry has woken at 4.30am, three times a week to travel to Oxford for renal dialysis. The 60-mile round trip to the city’s Churchill Hospital meant he was out the door at 5.45am and back home at 2.30pm. But yesterday
BB&O Championship CHAMPIONS Harwell completed their season with a 100 per cent record after winning 31-7 at Kingsclere. Kingsclere were in no mood to make it easy for them, showing committed defence in early exchanges. Eventually
Was I naive in thinking that the Cogges Link Road in Witney could not go ahead until the decision of the public inquiry was made? If the decision has not yet been made, how can the county council decide to start work on the link road (last Tuesday’s
A fire that damaged Swinbrook House on Saturday evening was not started deliberately. Fire investigators are still trying to discover the cause, but police said they were satisified it was not arson.
Two men stole charity cash collecting tins from the Conservative Club in Windmill Road, Headington. One of the men called at the club at 11.15am on Saturday and asked an employee to look at work he was doing outside. A second man then went inside and
So the UK’s data watchdog is taking formal action over plans to record all conversations in Oxford’s taxis, in a move that could stop the scheme in its tracks. It says the scheme may not comply with the Data Protection Act and has given the council a
The plan to spend £100,000 on Witney town centre (Oxford Mail, April 11) completely leaves out the High Street, where the paving slabs are very uneven. Money is wasted on places that are not as bad. The majority of people walk up and down High Street
The chairman of the new NHS Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group is expected to be paid £40,000 a year for two to three days’ work a week. The group will see GPs instead of primary care trust managers deciding how to spend NHS funds on care. Two
A WOLVERINE at the Cotswold Wildlife Park near Burford has given birth to the first cubs of the species ever to be born in the UK. The three cubs produced by Sharapova and her mate Sarka at the end of January, join just 80 thought to exist in captivity
OXFORD City Council has been told to justify its plan for recording conversations in taxis in a move that may take the controversial scheme closer to being ruled a breach of privacy. The Information Commissioner’s Office has served a preliminary enforcement
National 2 South HENLEY Hawks relegated Barnes with a six-try 41-11 bashing at the west London club. Hawks stay fifth in the table, but can leapfrog Hartpury College if results go their way on the final day. Henley took time to break down Barnes’
South West 1 East HENRY Lamb scored two tries as Witney secured a fifth-placed finish with a 37-17 victory at Olney. The fly half bagged a brace of individual efforts, but could not match his form from the kicking tee. Olney laid siege to the Witney
DONNINGTON Community Centre B provided the major shock of the men’s seven-a-side cup matches. The Greene King ODDA Section 3 side pulled off a stunning 4-3 home victory against Premier Division outfit Star Inn. The tie looked to be going to form when
April 24 marks World Day for Animals in Laboratories – a day recognised by the United Nations to remember the millions of animals that have been used and killed in animal experiments around the world. Every year inside British laboratories more than
A REAL Cinderella moment couldn’t stand in the way of determined Dawn Williams who was aiming for a time of three hours 40 minutes in the marathon. Minutes into the race, the Banbury Crematorium gardener lost a shoe as another runner stepped
The Food and Drink page (Thursday’s The Guide), with Katherine Macalister again amazed me. The Grapes, in George Street, Bath Ales’ first outlet in our area, is surely going to make interesting reading. Wrong. The new owners did get the briefest of
I visited my GP in November last year to investigate a reoccurrence of an inflammation last attended to by means of minor surgery in 2007. I attended what was said to be an “urgent appointment” in January, since when I have waited for a further
Oxford City slipped out of the Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division play-off places with a 2-0 defeat at relegation candidates Hemel Hempstead Town last night. However, City’s fate remains in their own hands as they have a game in hand
It was with great interest that I sat down to read ‘Vine Dining’ by your correspondent Katherine MacAlister, but what a disappointing article. Yes, the changes to the Grapes pub were well described, as was the food in great detail, but hang on a minute
PARENTS of pupils at Didcot Girls’ School are being consulted on whether the school should become an academy. The girls’ school is following in the footsteps of the town’s boys’ school St Birinus, which decided to consult parents on becoming an academy
GOSFORD Hill School in Kidlington is the latest Oxfordshire school to consult on academy status. The school, which has nearly 900 pupils, launched a consultation last Tuesday, holding its first public meeting on Thursday. Headteacher
Chinnor 40, Chippenham 28 A SURPRISINGLY sloppy display could not stop Chinnor finishing second in National 3 South West to earn a home promotion play-off with Tonbridge Juddians. Chinnor simply needed to win to ensure they had a shot at reaching
CHINNOR head coach Jason Bowers was pleased to reach the play-off, although he admitted his side had not been at their best. Bowers said: “I thought Chippenham played really well. “Their back row were excellent and caused us some problems. But overall
Lucky little me got whisked off to Paris for the weekend and although much time was spent gorging on French cuisine and drinking a little too much vin rouge, I did manage to get some cycling in, despite the excessive grazing activities. My friend and
I am glad that councillor John Tanner has raised in his letter (Oxford Mail ViewPoints, April 13) one of the points I was prevented from making at the Oxfordshire County Council meeting on April 3. Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, who proposed the
WHAT I’M CALLED: Weimin He (He Weimin in China). MY AGE IN YEARS: 48. I’m not feeling good to be getting old but often comfort myself by thinking “today I am younger than tomorrow”. WHAT I DO: I am artist-in-residence in
Jérôme D’Ambrosio will have his first taste of the Enstone-built Lotus F1 car at the Mugello test session next week. D'Ambrosio will drive the podium-finishing E20 on May 1, the first day of the test, followed by team race drivers Kimi Räikkönen
National 3 South West OXFORD Harlequins ended their campaign with a disappointing 57-5 home defeat to champions Bournemouth. Quins had avoided relegation the previous week, so the pressure was off them, while Bournemouth showed their scoring power
Transparency is important in today’s world, whether it concerns politics, business or our children’s schools. So it is so reassuring to see Gosford Hill School in Kidlington ensuring it abides by the very definition of the word in its initial consultation
A TOP-three finish provides a major incentive for Oxfordshire this weekend in their final BDO Inter Counties Championship Premier Division fixture. The squad go into the game in sixth, but the congested mid-table means a win against fourth-placed
The Oxontime bus stop and online departure information system is fixed after being cripppled by a telecoms fault last week. The system had been out of action since last Tuesday due to a BT cable fault. Oxontime provides service information at bus stops
Oxfordshire County Council has been forced to resend emails notifying parents if their children received a place at their preferred primary school. Many of those who applied online and expected to find out where their child would go in September on Friday
TWELVE-year-old pianist Michael Ng has been given the thumbs up by television’s toughest judge, Simon Cowell. And the talented musician was also labelled “so cute” by Amanda Holden as he won over the judges on Britain’s Got Talent during auditions at
Oxford United are calling on supporters to produce one more big push for their must-win final home game of the season on Saturday. The U’s are still in contention for a place in the play-offs, but a slump in form means they realistically must win their
A 25-year-old man from Cowley has been arrested on suspicion of trying to burgle a house in Kingston Road, North Oxford. Nothing was stolen but the house was broken into at 9.30pm on Saturday. The suspect was bailed until May 18.
A 47-YEAR-OLD driver from West Oxfordshire has died following a road crash on the A40 near Witney. A seven-year-old girl had to be taken to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital suffering abdominal injuries after the accident by Barnard Gate between a blue
MORE than 300 people attended the funeral of Summertown Second World War veteran Kazimierz Michalski in his hometown in Poland. A procession including an orchestra, military representatives and local schoolchildren, followed the 104-year-old’s coffin
A PARAMEDIC was more than three times the drink-drive limit when he crashed his ambulance into an Oxford shop, a judge was told yesterday. The Volvo V70 response car was left embedded in the shop front in Woodstock Road on November 30, 2010, and police
TWO men have been charged with more offences in connection with an alleged child prostitution ring. The men, aged 37 and 32, were charged as part of Operation Bullfinch. The 37-year-old man, who had previously been charged with one count of conspiracy
BRAIN-injury sufferers were taken on a visit to Oxford Castle and the old Oxford Prison as part of a partnership between the castle and a local charity. Headway Oxfordshire provides support to those who have acquired brain injury, and their families.
DOWNTON Abbey actress Joanne Froggatt, who plays Anna in the hit TV series, passed on the secrets of stardom to Oxfordshire youngsters. The star joined in workshops with four- and five year-olds and also helped older children as they began rehearsals
THE new county councillor for Watlington already has a big political decision to make – choosing the new leader at County Hall in Oxford. With Keith Mitchell stepping down as leader, members of the Conservative group will vote for a replacement on Thursday
