IT COULD be the best thing to happen to Rose Hill in a lifetime. That is the view of one resident who has been given a glimpse of plans for a new £1m community centre hub ahead of Saturday’s crunch vote on the proposals. From 10am to 8pm, residents
A SUSPECTED drug dealer who supplied cannabis and ketamine, has been spared jail. Angela Foster, 26, had admitted two charges of possession with intent to supply both drugs. She was given a community order at Oxford Crown Court on Monday.
SPOOKY tales about ghosts roaming Henry Box School in Witney were told during an evening of storytelling. The event aimed to encourage the 40 youngsters to enjoy storytelling and literature. Bill Spectre, who runs ghost tours in Oxford, gave
EXTRA signs may be put up warning park users about parking charges after motorists received more than £17,000 in fines. In September last year, Oxford City Council started charging users of attractions such as Cutteslowe Park and Alexandra Court
PEOPLE in Bicester are being given the chance to leave their mark on the future. Over three days residents will be able to write a message for future generations which will then be put in a box and buried under St Edburg’s Church’s new floor.
Talented photographer Stephen Colbrook sought to achieve an air of mystery in this shot of Oxford’s Brasenose Lane on a foggy winter’s night. The 16-year-old Magdalen College School pupil succeeded so well that it won him a £1,000 prize in the Landscape
It is a near-inflexible rule in journalism that when a writer makes a mistake she or he usually does it in a way that serves to exaggerate the scope of the error. I supplied an instance of this last week in wrongly identifying Simon Callow as the reciter
It was like being on a stage set of a Spanish tapas joint, rather than somewhere real. I kept expecting Antonio Banderas to burst through the doors clutching Catherine Zeta Jones in a passionate embrace, but sadly he never materialised. La Tasca
What happens when you take 20 wine experts, put them into a historic hotel with hundreds of thirsty (for drink and knowledge) Oxonians, and add 69 wines of assorted variety? “Pleasurable organised chaos” was the best description by a taster from the
Oxfordshire’s link with coffee is historic going right back to the 17th century when the UK’s first coffee house opened its doors in Oxford’s famous High Street. It’s no wonder, therefore, that the Witney-based Ue Coffee Roasters Company have named
Despite the old wives’ tale, which says that peonies cannot be moved, October and November are the perfect months to divide or move your tuberous rooted herbaceous peonies. It’s also the best time to order bare-root peonies from specialists like Kelways
Every week throughout the year skilled and enthusiastic volunteers are out in all weathers helping to care for Oxfordshire’s wild places. And in the last few days several of them have been recognised for their significant achievements. Last Saturday
If you like unusual and interactive theatre with food, then your luck is in, because the latest offering in the Playhouse Plays Out programme Dim Sum Nights, ticks all the boxes. Set at Koi Chinese Restaurant in George Street, this tasty combination
Will Gompertz, pictured, is well used to asking probing questions in his high-profile role as BBC arts editor. On Sunday, he will find himself on the receiving end of the same when he joins three other notables on the stage of the Oxford Playhouse
The dense richness of its language and high-octane emotional content made Howard Brenton’s Bloody Poetry compelling viewing at Keble College’s O’Reilly Theatre last week. Student company Heart Sleeve Productions (director James Fennemore) offered a
A to-die-for cast including Walter Matthau, Oscar-winning Maggie Smith, Jane Fonda and Michael Caine guaranteed enduring popularity for California Suite in the 1978 film version directed by Herbert Ross. Neil Simon’s original play of two years earlier
Possibly the most amazing man you have never heard of, Dr Ludwig Guttmann, founder of the Paralympic games and pioneer of the treatment of patients with spinal injuries, has been brought vividly to life in a new touring production by Karen Simpson
Comedy PAPPY’S LAST SHOW EVER The Cornerstone, Didcot November 30, 8pm Box office: 01235 515144 Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award nominees and five-star sketch-comedy act Pappy’s visit Didcot with Last Show Ever, which parades the hilarious trio intertwining
From the moment a huge distorted drum intro leads into chunky opener ‘I Will Break You’, right through to penultimate smutty riff-fest ‘Sticky Fingers in Your Honey’, it’s starkly obvious that the reunited, rejuvenated Skunk Anansie are back and taking
AN ADVICE centre which helps thousands of people each year is doubling its size to help accommodate those queueing up for debt advice. The Independent Advice Centre in Wantage is planning to spend £50,000 on moving into the upper storey of its
SUPERMARKET bosses have threatened to withdraw plans to open a town centre store in Wallingford if a competitor decides to go ahead with another new development in the area. In September, the Co-operative Group submitted a £1.5m plan to South Oxfordshire
A WITNEY woman has called for repairs to the town’s paving after she was badly injured falling on an uneven stone. Ann Madden, 75, was shopping in Witney on October 6 when she fell on paving outside the Woolgate Shopping Centre. She was left
RESIDENTS in a West Oxfordshire village are “chuffed to bits” the Queen has thanked them for their Jubilee messages. Her Majesty wrote to residents in Bradwell near Burford to thank them for wishing her well during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations
The number of people out of work and claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance in Oxfordshire fell in October for the seventh month in a row. Figures from the Office of National Statistics reveal there were 6,526 claimants in the county, down 174 on the previous
THE cars were not the only stars when a garage from Oxfordshire made its TV debut. Solo Italia dealership in Eynsham features in the National Geographic programme Strippers: Cars for Cash tonight, following filming earlier this year. The second-hand
STREET pastors in Wallingford are seeking new volunteers so they can offer help to night-time drinkers twice a week – and perhaps even save someone’s life. The town’s team of street pastors launched a year ago and 20 volunteers have been offering
ELEMENTS of the whole Police and Crime Commissioner election campaign have been farcical and now, just 24 hours before you’re asked to vote, there is still confusion about who you’ll actually be putting in power. Along with the Commissioner, there
Simon Godfrey took his season’s tally to 19 goals with a double in Chalgrove’s 4-1 home win at Benson in the Oxfordshire Intermediate Cup second round. Nick Skiller and Jonny Cox completed their tally, with William Clements replying. Kidlington
A GROUP of Abingdon residents have applied for planning permission to generate electricity by building two Archimedes screws in the River Thames. The plant at the Abbey Meadow weir would cost about £1m to build, and the energy could be sold to
AFC Blackbirds made it six wins in a row with a 4-1 success against Fairview in the Oxford City FA, thanks to a double from Ben Curtis. Jack Munt and new signing Machias Harry got their others, Mike Medlland replying. other scorers The George
CARTERTON: RAF Brize Norton has committed just under £1.6m to reduce noise levels at the air base. Noise complaints have risen from 23 a year to 958 since Hercules aircraft were transferred to RAF Brize Norton from RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire last
FRIENDS of an Oxford woman who took her own life have described her as “a happy, lovely person”. An inquest heard yesterday how those who knew Felicity Roberts, of Sycamore Road, Botley, were left devastated by her suicide. The 30-year-old
GILES SPORTS WITNEY YOUTH LEAGUE OLLIE Crossley hammered a hat-trick as Bampton Town fought back to win 4-1 at home to Yarnton Blues in the Under 12 B League. Ryan Harrison put Yarnton ahead, before Crossley’s treble and a Jacob Money goal
Garsington’s Ryan Taylor scored a spectacular equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Kennington in the Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division. Shaun Augustine cancelled out Rob Andrew’s opener for Kennington and Rob Cattell’s penalty put the hosts ahead
OXON: A 21-year-old woman has been killed on the A40. Police are appealing for witnesses after a Ford Ka hit the woman, from Cheltenham, on the Oxford-bound carriageway of the A40 between Forest Hill and Thornhill Park-and-Ride at about 10.30pm
ELITE trees are being bred in south Oxfordshire to survive the contagious disease which could threaten 95 per cent of Britain’s ash population. Hundreds of trees at the Kingsmere development in Bicester were destroyed last week after they were
Kaylem Patterson’s hat-trick gave holders Oxfordshire a 3-2 win over Staffordshire in the ESFA Under 16 Inter County Trophy first round at Stafford Town. Patterson raced clear in the third minute to round the keeper and fire Oxon ahead, only for
Rav Shamsi hit his second successive hat-trick in the ESFA Under 15 Trophy as Oxford City powered to a 5-3 win over South London in the third round at Oxford Academy. The visitors opened the scoring, but James McCarthy levelled with a powerful
A MAN was stabbed in the neck during a large brawl after hundreds of people turned out for a gipsy funeral in Oxford. The 31-year-old from Oxford was injured at about 11.20am yesterday during a funeral service being held at the Grey-friars Church
‘Closing down’ signs have gone up in the window of shoe shop Stead and Simpson in Bicester. Staff at the Sheep Street store were told on Monday morning the store was to close, but have not yet been given a date. A spokesman for the firm’s parent
OFA GIRLS COUNTY CUPS JESSICA Byles and Ella Burt starred as Summertown Stars reached round two of the under 14 competition with a 10-1 home win over Chinnor. Byles smashed five goals and Burt four, Flora Kempton grabbing the other. Beth
Police are appealing for witnesses following a brawl in Oxford city centre on Sunday. A group of nine men were seen at about 2.38am fighting in Park End Street outside La Croissanterie. The men were white and aged between 18 and 21. No
PUPILS at a primary school that has more than doubled in size in the past three years are celebrating the opening of their new classroom. The Bishop of Dorchester Colin Fletcher conducted a dedication and official opening of the new building at
Banbury United succumbed to a 3-2 defeat away to fellow strugglers Gosport Borough in a thrilling Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division encounter on Tuesday night. The visitors trailed to a goal by Justin Bennett in first-half injury time,
Banbury trainer Paul Webber landed a 24-1 double at Lingfield yesterday courtesy of Dunlough Bay and Pepelina. Denis O’Regan powered Dunlough Bay (13-2) home by five lengths for the Mollington handler in the novices’ hurdle over an extended two
ON Saturday, November 10, I was in Oxford city centre on a friend’s stag do. We were all in costume (Where’s Wally) and were looking forward to a good afternoon and evening. We had already tried contacting a few bars and pubs to ask if it was
Holders Highfield Social Club were given a mighty fright by visitors Sporting Headington Academicals before scraping home 4-3 in a thrilling Oxfordshire FA Sam Waters Sunday Cup second-round tie, writes TIM SIRET. Murray Nicholls and Dan Sweeney
WITH reference to the NHS cutting back due to costs – last week my GP informed me one of my regular medications (which I derive benefit from) was no longer available on prescription because of cuts. In a few weeks’ time I have an outpatient hospital
I REFER to the correspondence regarding the Botley skate bowl. At the last election for North Hinksey Parish Council members, quite a few new councillors were elected who promised to listen to the needs of the people of the parish. It would
We’ve lost a fish. I say lost, but I mean vanished. Vanished from his tank. Mangetout is no more and what happened to him will remain a mystery in our household. Forget X Factor and Playstation, Mangetout’s mysterious disappearance takes up all
WHAT I AM CALLED: Bill, or Bill Spectre, when I’m performing. This was a play on words that went wrong when Phil Spector the record producer was convicted of murder – by then I was stuck with the name. MY AGE: Old enough to know it’s wiser to keep
OXFORD MAIL GIRLS LEAGUE CHARLOTTE Guppy produced a five-star display as Didcot Casuals Under 14s won 5-0 at Kingham. Guppy scored all five goals in the victory, while Shauna Hawtin made some great saves in the Kingham goal to keep the score
JOE Watson smashed six goals for the second time this season as Garsington Youth beat Summertown Stars 14-2. Watson, who scored six at the start of October, starred in a terrific team display in the Under 11 Saturday C League clash. Liam Harper
Chris Wilder has been nominated for npower League Two’s manager of the month award for October. The Oxford United boss, who was also shortlisted for the August prize, guided the U’s to ten points last month, including a 5-0 win against Accrington Stanley
A place in the FA Youth Cup third round is the prize for in-form Oxford United Under 18s on Wednesday night as they host Plymouth Argyle. They go into the tie on a ten-game winning streak which includes a 4-2 victory against Yeovil Town in the
VISITORS to the Ashmolean Museum were introduced to the art of Japanese tea making yesterday. Demonstrations took place with Yumiko Takano and a tour was offered of the Beaumont Street museum’s Japanese tea house. The Japanese tea ceremony,
UP TO 100 new jobs are set to be created at Harwell thanks to a major investment in a new telecoms satellite monitoring headquarters for the whole of Europe. The European Space Agency (ESA) will set up the centre after Chancellor George Osborne
Alan Reading scored twice as Bodicote Sports edged to a 2-1 win at home to KEA in the Jersey Cup second-round. Reading put the hosts ahead, minutes after KEA’s Jason Bedford had a goal ruled out by a referee assistant’s flag. After the break
IN REPLY to Ian Cummings (ViewPoints, November 5) and his support for “worldwide democratic, prosperous, peaceful, principles”. Even for the most ardent observer of God’s wonderful regime, things are not what they used to be. Parliament has
IT TOOK me by surprise to find the city council acting so swiftly to lop branches and prune hedges that spread over the cycle and pedestrian way, which runs adjacent to the southern bypass. The issue of the overgrowth was raised at the tenants’
Oxford Sports & Social Club trounced visitors Dorchester United 6-1 to maintain their 100 per cent record at the top of the Critchleys Upper Thames Valley League's Premier League. Andrew McMahon scored twice, while his brother, Jonny, found
PLANS for a new community facility in Rose Hill must go ahead! Our current centre is shoddy and no longer fit for purpose, whereas investing in a new space would be an investment in the future of our estate and the young people who live there.
IT looks like the city council’s unreasonable demands of payment for the release of restrictive covenants may have been severely curtailed (Jean Fooks, Liberal Democrats leader, Viewpoints, November 6). I thank her for the information. I am not
OXFORD MAIL BOYS LEAGUE RESULTS Under 9 Red League: Goring Robins 1, Didcot Tn Yth 14; Hinksey Park 4, Horspath Yth Lions 5; Oxford City Blues 2, Bure Park Jun 10. White League: Kennington Ath 0, Cumnor Minors 0; Abingdon Yth Yellows 0, Oxford
TWO young women have escaped jail after lying about which of them was to blame for a drunken crash. Emily Cooper, 20, of Warwick Road, Beaconsfield, and Lucia Karacsonyova, 24, of Mayfield Close, Chalgrove, were sentenced yesterday for perverting
IAN Peedell scored a hat-trick to spare Premier Division side Ducklington’s blushes as they squeezed past Division 4’s Bampton United 3-2 in the Fred Ford Cup. The third round tie went to extra time after Peedell’s brace was cancelled out by Nathan
POP legend Lionel Richie spoke about his long musical career at the Oxford Union last night. The American singer-songwriter, whose hits include Hello, addressed hundreds of students in the packed debating chamber. His talk came after Korean rapper
Hi-tech engineering firm Oxford Instruments in Tubney Woods has reported a major rise in its fortunes. The firm, which employs more than 240 staff at its headquarters and is the current Oxfordshire Business of the Year, made a pre-tax profit of
A family escaped from a kitchen fire in the early hours of the morning. At around 1.20am yesterday, Oxfordshire’s fire and rescue service was called to a kitchen fire in Welford Gardens, Abingdon. Having been alerted by a smoke alarm, the occupier
AN Oxfordshire charity is to receive at least 10 years’ worth of funding in one pledge following the tragic death of a fundraiser. It has been announced that Banbury Samaritans, the town branch of the emotional support charity, will receive a slice
SEXUAL exploitation of children in the UK was debated in Parliament after being brought to the House by an Oxfordshire MP. Oxford West and Abingdon’s Tory MP Nicola Blackwood secured the debate, which happened yesterday. She said girls were
CHILDREN at Oxford High School joined with thousands over the country in a bid to get a world record. The 28 girls took part in a massed experiment to set a record for the world’s biggest practical science lesson. Gravity was the subject of
A soldier who was killed in Afghanistan on Remembrance Sunday will be repatriated tomorrow. Captain Walter Barrie, from 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, was shot at close range by a member of the Afghan Army. He had been taking
DIWALI, the Hindu festival of lights, went off with a bang in Oxford last night with an Indian banquet and fireworks display. More than 80 people packed the Tree Hotel, in Iffley, to celebrate the start of the festival. Kavita Pal, managing
AN Oxfordshire healthcare provider faces questioning by councillors after it was revealed an employee was disciplined following an incident involving a victim of the Winterbourne View scandal. A BBC Panorama programme last month revealed Simone
KYLE Allsworth and Adam Greenaway bagged a hat-trick each as Saxton Rovers thrashed Faringdon Town 6-2 at home in Division 1, writes PHIL ANNETS. Only goal difference now separates them from leaders Berinsfield. Robert Owen replied with a double
A 21-YEAR-OLD woman has died following a collision on the A40. Police are appealing for witnesses after a Ford KA collided with the woman from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, on the Oxford-bound carriageway of the A40 between Forrest Hill and Thornhill
Oxford star Bradley Smith’s first morning as a MotoGP rider on Tuesday turned into something of a damp squib. The 21-year-old from Forest Hill was due to have his first ride on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha, but the test never got off the ground because
A HOMELESS man was beaten, kicked and punched to death in a “revenge attack”, a court has heard. Denis Witney, pictured, died almost exactly a year ago this week after suffering 26 injuries in an assault at a house in St Clement’s, East Oxford.
CONCERNS have been raised about what could become one of the tallest buildings in Jericho. Oxford University is currently consulting on plans for the next building in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter scheme. An application for the Blavatnik
THREE Oxford schoolchildren saw their artwork blown up to huge proportions after winning a history poster competition. Eight-year-olds Hannah Perry, Laura Wilkinson and Maya Finlayson, of St Ebbe’s School – pictured with competition organiser Emily
TWO Oxfordshire schools in special measures have been told they are failing to make enough progress. Berinsfield Primary School went into special measures following an inspection in May this year, when it was told it needed to raise achievement
