A NUMBER of head teachers in Oxfordshire have expressed ‘disappointment’ over the ruling that this summer’s English Language GCSE papers will not be remarked. We would respectfully suggest that disappointment is not the right emotion in this case
WE are grateful to Prime Minister David Cameron for his good wishes today as this newspaper celebrates its 150th anniversary. The fact that Witney’s MP found time amid the blood and gore of his Cabinet reshuffle to do so says a lot about his continued
Sir – A letter calling for the support of our farmers (August 30) unfortunately fails to raise some key issues about modern farming. Firstly, farmers have for many years used their animals as the means to maximise profit by industrialising the
Sir – Martin Sheldon (Letters, August 30) is quite right to expose “one of the iniquities of the academy system” in that they and free schools “are solely accountable to the Secretary of State” and so are under no obligation to release information
Sir – I live bang opposite the newly completed student hostel buildings on the site of former Dorset House, London Road, Headington — a project by Berkeley Homes, to house 300-plus students. As an architect, now retired, my working life was closely
Sir – I was delighted to see that Freiburg is being held up as a possible example for future development in Oxford. May I suggest that there are other ways in which Freiburg — and many other German, Swiss and French cities — could be looked at
Sir – Thanks to Bev Clack for pointing out that she and I represent St Clements on the city council, not the Greens (Letters, Aug 30). The vote to refuse the revised plans for student flats on St Clements car park was 5-4, the five being two
Sir – May I respond to last week’s letter by Labour’s chairman of the west area planning committee, Mr Oscar Van Nooijen? He accused me of being “hot and bothered”, “inaccurate”, “ill-informed”, and “inhabiting a parallel universe” in urging the
Sir – Dr Emlyn-Jones (Letters, August 23), claims that unemployment is unaffected by immigration. The National Institute for Economic and Social Research helps to set governmental policy and as such is neither entirely independent nor guaranteed
Sir – Your correspondent, Daniel Scharf, (Letters, August 23) misrepresents my views: I query the proposition that the adoption of a continental road crossing system should entail a ‘continental’ system of housing development. I sought to establish
Sir – It makes sense for the county council to charge motorists for parking at park-and-ride sites (Report, August 23). But let’s do the job properly. The proposed £3 for more than 11 hours at Thornhill and Water Eaton will still mean many London
Sir – I refer to my recent letter to your esteemed organ and Mr Gray’s previous insulting reference to Lord Coe — I was so pleased, albeit amazed, to read Gray Matter (August 16) which described Lord Coe, rightly, as “admirable” — what could have
Sir – Your critic is pleasingly complimentary to Sandi Toksvig in his review of her current serious success Bully Boy, but surely misses the point. Just because this is about an older and younger man does not mean it is a gay play. Just because
Sir – I am writing regarding my play Bully Boy which was reviewed (Weekend, August 30) by Chris Gray who I am appalled to discover is actually your arts editor. In his review, Mr Gray declares: “Confined to a wheelchair through injuries received
Sir – Further to your front page article (August 23) about the inadequacies of the sewage system in Northway, I can add Stoke Place, in Old Headington, as another victim. We had sewage pouring out of our ground-floor lavatory during the storm
Saturday also boasts the return of superb Classic Clapton. Way more than a tribute band, the rock institution, also established in the 1960s, has sold out Banbury’s Mill twice. They perform their first gig at The Theatre, Chipping Norton. “It’s
Sir – Oxford Preservation Trust has concerns about the impact on the streetscape of the current proposals for a lecture theatre and kitchen buildings at Worcester College (Report, August 23). The impact on heritage assets, setting and conservation
Sir – Apropos the controversy which has been chronicled by your paper concerning the St Clements development, it seems to me that the local community in Summertown is sleepwalking towards a similar situation in Diamond Place. The council
BICESTER Community College could face “external intervention” if results do not improve. That’s the warning from Oxfordshire county councillor Michael Waine , a former headteacher who is also an associate governor of the school. While the proportion
Shoppers were left stunned as Chinese acrobats brought their show to Oxford’s Bonn Square on Tuesday. Performers from Cirque De Ciel, including 16-year-old Yang Yang, wowed the Tuesday afternoon crowds as they performed a small taster of their
Benjamin Clark, 20, of no fixed address, admitted possessing cannabis (Class B) and causing £78 damage to a cell wall at Abingdon Police Station on May 13. Also admitted failing to surrender to court bail on July 13. Fined £105, a £15 victims’ surcharge
DEMOLISHING Rose Hill’s ageing community centre and replacing it with a new one is not a done deal, according to Oxford City Council ’s deputy leader Ed Turner. He spoke out after the council started consulting residents about the possibility
Nasser Soud Al-Farhan, 22, of Stonebridge Road, Steventon, admitted neglecting or refusing to stop a vehicle when directed to do so by a policed constable in High Street, Steventon, on December 23. Fined £60 and a £15 victims’ surcharge. Banned from
Caretaker boss Gary Elkins, who takes charge of Didcot Town’s first qualifying round trip to Windsor tomorrow, has indicated he would like the job on a permanent basis. The former Swindon, Fulham and Wimbledon defender was one of a three-man team
FOR a brief, glorious phase, Banbury throbbed with the Blues, thanks to The Swan in South Bar Street. For 18 months from 1968-69 the pub was the hub of a lively Blues scene with live shows attracting crowds of punters. And now, one of the musicians
RESIDENTS will be able to visit exhibitions in the next month on controversial plans for more than 3,500 new homes around Banbury. Cherwell District Council has launched its final round of consultation on where it thinks major new developments
ANOTHER rollover means the jackpot in the free Loyalty Cardholder draw this week is a whopping £500. And that isn’t the only ‘sweet treat’ on offer. Saturday’s Oxford Mail features the Loyalty Card Page, with an exclusive offer and a voucher for
Jack Dee has been away from stand-up for six years, so why is he so eager to return to touring now? “Because I want to spend less time with my family,” he says in that familiar, deadpan tone. “I think that’s a very good reason for touring. Everyone
LAWLESS (18) Western/Thriller/Romance/Action. Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain, Dane DeHaan, Mia Wasikowska, Gary Oldman, Tim Tolin. Director: John Hillcoat. Based on a true story, Lawless knocks back a drink
Tim Hughes learns about one of Oxford’s grisliest chapters courtesy of blues rockers Swindlestock ALMOST 750 years ago, an incident took place in an Oxford pub which was to rip the city apart and lead to one of the darkest episodes in its history
When it comes to support, Secret Rivals know who to rely on, as the band’s Reece Chapman tells TIM HUGHES SECRET RIVALS are a band who make things happen. So when they decided to record their debut album, they didn’t let a little thing like money
THE Wheeler family were devastated when they found out they could not afford to take their beloved dog Molly with them for their new life in Australia. So when the community behind the rare cross breed found out, they sprang into action to raise
Comic and actor Gareth Hale tells KATHERINE MACALISTER about his latest foray into the world of theatre It takes a while for Gareth Hale to warm up when we speak. Whether that’s because it’s such an early start, he’s fed up with doing interviews
ANNA KARENINA (12A) Romance/Drama. Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Olivia Williams, Emily Watson. Director: Joe Wright. One man can make a difference and
DREDD 3D (18) Sci-Fi/Action/Thriller. Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Wood Harris, Warren Grier, Domhnall Gleeson, Rakie Ayola, Jason Cope. Director: Pete Travis. If you were thrilled by Gareth Evans’s bone-crunching action romp The
The murky streets of Victorian London come to life for ANDREW FFRENCH in our Book of the Month Historical fiction can be utterly absorbing and I am a big fan of CJ Sansom’s series about the troubled life of Matthew Shardlake, the hunchback
OPERA superstar Alfie Boe had fans singing his praises when he turned up to sign copies of his new autobiography in Oxford. About 200 fans of the English tenor queued up at Waterstones in Cornmarket Street to pick up copies of his new book Alfie
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Paralympic fervour has gripped the nation, putting the name of its founder, Sir Ludwig Guttmann, into the spotlight. But were it not for a charity that helped refugee academics flee Nazi Germany and a welcome from the people of Oxford, he might
AN empty restaurant in George Street could be open again by Christmas after Oxford City Council agreed to grant a new lease. The former Brasserie Gerard unit has been empty since the company behind the restaurant ceased trading in December.
A THOROUGH survey of drains is needed to stop homes in Wantage being flooded, it was warned last night. The calls came after a Stockham Park couple won a £12,000 insurance payout after their kitchen was wrecked by flooding caused by a blocked drain
RESIDENTS fed up of late-night drunken behaviour say they hope a turning point has been reached in the licensing policy for bars in Cowley Road. Oxford City Council has just turned down an application from the Milano Bar for longer opening hours
CAPTAIN Lawrence Edwin Arthur Holt-Kentwell MBE, a veteran of the North African and Italian campaigns in the Second World War, has died aged 97 following a short illness. Larry Holt-Kentwell, the youngest of six children, and the only son of Lawrence
PLANS are being put in place for this year’s Thame September Fair. The funfair will be held in the centre of the town between Thursday, September 20, and Saturday, September 22. It will include rides, refreshments and stalls. Temporary
THE new owners of a restaurant are looking to banish the problems of the previous management and cook up the right sort of reputation. Arzoo Oxford last night opened on the site formerly occupied by Jamals in Walton Street, Jericho, which was closed
A TOUCH of glamour has found its way to an Oxford bathroom store. The new showroom manager at City Plumbing Supplies on the Horspath Industrial Estate in Cowley is none other than former Miss England Eleanor Glynn. Ms Glynn, 26, who lives in
AEA Technology 0.075 BMW 4461 Electrocomponents 221.35 Nationwide Accident Repair 60.5 Oxford Biomedica 2.1 Oxford Catalysts 58 Oxford Instruments 1368.5 Reed Elsevier 604.75 RM 79.5 RPS Group 241.6 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley
The fastest production Mini ever built is due to go on sale in November. But anyone wanting to get their hands on a John Cooper Works GP which can reach a top speed of 150mph will have to move quickly as there are just 2,000 models being made at
Oxfordshire Ladies won 130-114 against Cambridgeshire in the Middle England League at Irchester BC in a match which survived a heavy rainstorm. Cambridgeshire 114 (3pts), Oxfordshire 130 (13) (Cambs skips first): V Hughes 13, S Rogers 18; E Hollingsworth
RADLEY’S ladies had to settle for second place in the Southern Counties Veterans Athletic Club (SCVAC) final at Ashford. They put in a consistent performance, but finished 47 points behind champions Epsom & Ewell. Jacqui Cherry won the
OXFORD Ladies have won the OLCGA President’s Inter-Club Championship for the first time in 32 years. A thrilling final against Henley at Burford saw the title come down to the final green in the final match. Tracy Roberts and Maggie Edwards
SHAW GIBBS OXFORDSHIRE FOURSOMES LEAGUE Section 1 Frilford Heath 2½ (3½pts), Chipping Norton ½ (½) (Frilford Heath first): A Walton & J Rusk bt G Kay & C Dyer 6 & 4; D Miller & J Davies bt C Denton & W Pearce 1 hole; D Newbold
CAMERAS that recognise number plates have helped contribute to a huge fall in petrol thefts, it has been claimed. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are one of the tools used to tackle the offence of “bilking”, where motorists drive
FOUR years ago, Michael Treadwell was 27 stone and was told by doctors that within ten years he would be dead. His weight put him in the morbidly obese category, meaning he was so fat that his life was at risk. But now the 49-year-old is looking
STEVE Naylor produced one of his best performances yet to finish fourth at the BUPA Great Yorkshire Run in Sheffield. The 33-year-old, from Woodstock, completed the hilly 10km course in 30mins 57secs, edging out Great Britain international Andi
RADLEY secured promotion after winning Division 2 Central of the Southern Athletics League. Victory in the final round at Parliament Hill completed an unbeaten season for Radley, who will compete in Division 1 next season. Osman Muskwe won
THE first primary to become a Diocese of Oxford Academy has opened. John Henry Newman Academy, in Littlemore, is Oxford’s first primary academy, moving to the status just months after coming out of special measures. While the Diocese already
A woman who drifted into an oncoming vehicle on Stanford Road has admitted driving without due care and attention. Penelope Eastman, 61, of Molesey Road in Hersham, Surrey, was driving her Volkswagen Golf towards Faringdon on May 19 when the incident
BANBURY United boss Ady Fuller insists that he and his assistant manager Paul Lamb have not resigned their posts, even though the club have anounced a new management team of Edwin Stein and Paul West. Jed McCrory, who is part of the club
BICESTER’S only nightclub could close over concerns about fights and disorder. Thames Valley Police says Cherwell District Council must next week revoke the premises licence for G’s nightclub in Market Square. There have been 298 incidents
Didcot captured the Berkshire Ladies Top Club title with a 87-61 win over Tilehurst at Thatcham. Didcot won on three of the four rinks.
Unbelievable! We have just returned from a stroll through St Giles’ Fair and I am left thinking ‘did I really have that conversation or not!’ Our daughter, who is now in her 30s and has her own little girl, was saying what a shame the stalls don’
THIS Coalition is going nowhere. All they are doing is giving money away that this country cannot afford. They have put thousands of people on the dole and now they call them ‘something-for-nothing-culture’. That’s easy to say when you’
DARRELL Bellinger celebrated his Mota-Vation Series title in style by breaking the course record in the final round at Oxford. The 27-year-old Oxford City athlete had already been crowned men’s champion after round four, but was not content with
A man was found unconscious with a serious head injury in Catte Street, Oxford, on Tuesday morning. He was discovered on the pavement near St Mary the Virgin Church at about 7am and taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital where he remains in a serious
A 22-YEAR-OLD could face jail over driving offences that saw a police officer pulled along an Oxford city centre road. Faisal Shaukat, of Normandy Crescent, Oxford, admitted drink- driving and driving without insurance at Oxford Crown Court yesterday
No arrests have yet been made following a break-in at the People’s Supermarket in Cowley Road. Thieves stole a safe containing £2,500 on Monday after climbing over a gate and removing the safe from an unlocked office. Store manager Chris Waites
While PM David Cameron is moving the furniture at 10 Downing Street, it appears there will be a spot of redecoration at Oxford Town Hall. The Lib Dems at Oxford City Council will be walking with an extra strut in their step after the council top
Do you receive so few letters for your View Points pages that you feel it necessary to print a letter from Chris Boswell virtually every night, or does he pay for regular space on these pages? I am sure that I am not alone in finding his letters
MR Siret’s letter (View Points, August 27) is a pack of nonsense. Assange is being extradited to Sweden (not America), to answer charges of rape which, for all Mr Siret knows, are genuine and should be proved or refuted in open court. If Mr
Abingdon were crowned the Berkshire men’s double fours champions with a thrilling 36-35 extra end victory over Wokingham at Morland BC, East Hendred. Roy Pyniger’s side of Alan Douglas, Brian Salsbury and Peter Rogers won 18-13. At the time
IN high street newsagents and on supermarket shelves across the country, children have easy access to gun magazines which encourage, and even celebrate, the killing of animals for ‘sport'. These publications feature shooters posing boastfully alongside
We continue to take exams without much meditation about whether the, say, Oxford University three-hour paper is the best form of assessment. I have to say I would prefer a radical alternative, one in which students frame the questions, subject
Dumbing-down aside, our public examination system is an administrative and political mess. Exam boards compete against each other for school ‘customers’ and so multiplying the resources required to administer the national examination system.
Once upon a time there was something called democracy. One selected the party one felt would best represent one’s feelings and opinions. The party receiving most votes took power and endeavoured to run the country on behalf of those who had voted
Oxford City & County’s Katherine Hawes notched up a record 12th Oxfordshire ladies singles title on her home green at finals weekend. The England international beat the record of 11 she shared with Irene Molyneux with a 21-18 win over Banbury
OXFORD’S Hannah England will run her final track race of the season at the IAAF World Challenge in Rieti, Italy, on Sunday. The 25-year-old Oxford City athlete competes in the 1,500m, looking to end her campaign on a positive note. England,
OXON: Today marks the 150th birthday of our sister paper, The Oxford Times . The paper was launched on Saturday, September 6, 1862, as The Oxford Times and Midland Counties Advertiser. To mark the anniversary the paper has been redesigned and
A 25-year-old has denied stealing £680 of lead from an Oxford care home. Robert Newitt, 25, of the Southern Bypass, Oxford, is accused of stealing the lead from Jack Howarth House, Hilltop Road, on May 5. He appeared at Oxford Magistrates’
A CHILD’S first day of school is among the proudest moments in any parent’s life. But for Jenny Daniels, waving daughter Charlotte Nott through the gates of her new school was all the more poignant, because two years ago the little girl’s life
Sources in Coventry have suggested Chris Wilder is not among the front runners for the vacant Sky Blues job. Oxford United boss Wilder has been the overwhelming favourite with bookmakers since the weekend. The Oxford Mail understands he is
Chris Wilder was thrilled with a “first class” display from his players as Oxford United again got the better of rivals Swindon Town. Alfie Potter came off the bench to score the only goal of the derby three minutes from time in Wednesday night's
DOZENS of people were evacuated from shops on Oxford High Street yesterday following a blaze. Four fire engines were called to Reed employment agency in the city centre at about 10.50am after retail staff next door in clothing store Whistles spotted
If you want to reassure yourself that now is a good time to be alive, take a look at the 1769 illustrations in the Bodleian Library ’s new edition of William Buchan’s Domestic Medicine, which suggested its 18th-century readers should drink broths
For Oxfordshire players, the end of summer heralds the new chess season. The first league matches take place on October 8. Before that, on September 16, there’s a 25 board simultaneous display by Nigel Short at the Best Western Hotel in Banbury
Racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks, husband of Rebekah Brooks (née Wade), lives in Churchill, near Chipping Norton. His new thriller Switch (Harper Collins, £7.99), is published on September 13, and endorsed by fellow Chipping Norton residents
The UK economy was in poor shape, with unemployment rates at an all-time high. England’s youth were rioting and out of work. Then punk arrived on the scene. It changed the life of Tom Hingley, born in 1965, as the seventh and youngest son of an
Kuumba Nia Arts brings to life diverse stories from the black experience, promoting culture, inclusion, education and fun through theatre and film. Actress, storyteller and dramatherapist, Amantha Edmead, founded the not-for-profit theatre company
Despite the continued excellence of 103 year-old Manoel De Oliveira (who is keen to get back to work on his 60th feature, The Church of the Devil, after a short spell in hospital), Portuguese cinema has little reputation in this country. Directors
It makes perfect sense to reissue Winter's Bone in the same week that The Hunger Games debuts on DVD. The former serves as a timely reminder of the talent of Jennifer Lawrence, who received an Oscar nomination for her performance. But there is also
OXFAM’S chief executive has said it will “not be easy” for her to hand over the reins of the charity she had led for more than a decade. Dame Barbara Stocking, 61, will be stepping down from her position in February after 12 years in charge of
