Archive

THE mother of a two-year-old girl found dead at a home in Bicester today is thought to have left the country. Detectives said they were trying to trace the woman as they attempt to discover how the little girl died. Police were called to the

Tim Hughes talks to Robin Bennett ahead of this weekend’s Wood festival To a generation of festival-goers raised on mud, litter, warm lager and dubious burgers, Wood comes as a revelation. A gathering for 800 people held deep in the woods of

OXFORD’S Olympic hero praised some of the world’s best medical researchers yesterday. Double gold medal-winning rower Andrew Triggs Hodge, from East Oxford, was speaking as the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre opened its doors to the public at

NEIGHBOURS have spoken of their shock after the “unexplained" death of a two-year-old girl. Police were called to an address in Herald Way, Glory Farm, Bicester, this morning over concerns for welfare of a child. A little girl’s body was found

Our weekly guide to some of the hottest gigs Rock and roll The Severed Limb The Cellar, Oxford Tomorrow (Friday) Tickets £5 from wegottickets.com Horrible name, great band; no-one gets a party started

Tim Hughes is taken back to the 90s by a new package of goodies for Inspiral Carpets fans Inspiral Carpets Life Mute You can’t beat a bit of nostalgia – and few bands shout ‘1990’ like Inspiral Carpets. Emerging

Do you think Min Quan, the owner of Oxford’s new Korean restaurant, can be found sobbing at his desk, shouting “why now?” every time Kim Jong-un flexes his muscles? Because having waited 10 years for the right moment to introduce Korean cuisine to

Tim Hughes need a time machine to catch the wealth of talent on offer at The Oxford Punt There are so many great things about living in Oxford it is all too easy to get a bit smug – or, worse, take it for granted. A prime example is the Oxford

There is a mid-17th century adage that says “if you would be happy for a week take wife; if you would happy for a month kill a pig; but if you would be happy all your life plant a garden” and I couldn’t agree more. Having your own garden is delight

Get set for a fantastic evening for cinema lovers (and film buffs) in Chipping Norton. Following last year’s hugely popular event, The Theatre is bringing together some of the best, funniest, most eye-catching short films around into an evening celebrating

The Oh F**k Moment was always going to be a brave idea, not just because of its title, but because it involves audience participation, and as we Brits are rather backward about coming forward, let alone spilling the beans, it seems an occupation more

‘High Art? High arse more like!” That’s how the more self-regarding aspects of the theatrical profession are described in a new version of Chekhov’s The Seagull commissioned by Headlong and the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton. “It’s lovely to spit that

The phenomenal three weeks that comprise Oxfordshire’s Artweeks finishes with a final triumphant flourish of creativity in North Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds. Here as everywhere else in the county there is a huge range of work on show, all created

He has been credited with making folk music cool. The energetic Devon lad whose adrenaline-fuelled virtuoso guitar and fiddle-playing and captivating songs have the power to enthral audiences everywhere from his local pub to the fields of Glastonbury

Beer and bands: what's new on the festival front... THE start of Wood festival tomorrow marks the traditional start of the festival year. And while our minds turn to matters of music (and whether we need to patch-up the tent and buy new wellies

CONGRATULATIONS to Melinda Tilley for having her cabinet brief extended (Meet the New County Cabinet, May 15). No doubt all children in care in Oxfordshire will be delighted to learn that “every county councillor is a corporate parent to all the

* This Saturday marks the first Witney Festival of Food and Drink. Taking place around the iconic St Mary’s Church and Church Green, a variety of stalls will demonstrate the amazing abundance of quality food and drink produced in Oxfordshire in this

Sweet ending to a lovely meal left the table with a taste of summer in spite of the rain, writes KATHERINE MacALISTER It lay in a pool of blood like a serial murderer’s last supper, a delicacy we were told, all 60 euros of it, the slice of rabbit

Former Westlife member Brian McFadden tells KATHERINE MACALISTER how much things have changed – and for the better – since they last talked Brian McFadden was late, an hour late that drifted into two then three. What he was up to is anyone’

FAST & FURIOUS 6 (12A) Action/Thriller/Romance. Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Luke Evans, Gina Carano, Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Jordana Brewster. Director: Justin Lin.

LIZ NICHOLLS looks ahead to this  weekend’s Wood Festival in Ipsden, near Wallingford If you go down to the Wood this weekend, you’re sure of a big surprise. Several, in fact. After joining forces with award-winning children’s publisher Barefoot

TIM HUGHES talks to a folk-pop singer with a jet-setting second job – Sarah Howells from the band Paper Aeroplanes Sarah Howells leads a double life. Most of the time the engaging Welsh musician with the hypnotic gaze can be found playing lilting

Tim Hughes talks to Julia Sophie Heslop about exchanging raucous rock for chic pop Few people know more about life in the rock and roll fast lane as Julia Sophie Heslop. As frontwoman with sky-scraping rock band Little Fish ‘Juju’ became one

* An innovative evening of philanthropic spirit takes place at the Old Fire Station this evening. For £5, be a part of the Funding Network, a chance to meet people on the front lines of innovative social change. Four charities each have six minutes

After the success of the recent Hollywood version of Les Miserables, how do you go back to a small-stage production? Katherine MacAlister asks Adrian Preater to explain Nothing less than epic, the Hollywood blockbuster brought Les Miserables firmly

THE GREAT GATSBY 3D (12A) Romance/Drama. Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Elizabeth Debicki, Joel Edgerton. Director: Baz Luhrmann In 1992, visionary Australian theatre director Baz Luhrmann made a seamless transition to the

The Communication Workers Union’s Trish Lavelle looks ahead to Levellers’ Day Each year in May people gather in West Oxfordshire from all over the country to celebrate and commemorate the legacy and the ideas of the Levellers. This is all because

WILLIAM POOLE on errr...actually I am not sure. Just read it yourself Now and then I find things in books that are not really supposed to be there. The most common sight in Oxford is the forgotten order slip in a book from the stacks of the

It doesn’t seem long since Creation Theatre was in serious financial trouble, with the 16-year-old company facing almost certain closure. Now, though, things are looking much rosier. Arriving at Creation’s office in St Clements, I find the place

TWO award-winning chefs have launched an online campaign to raise £10,000 to boost their flourishing business. Ross Bearman and Ross Whitmill are looking to use crowd funding – a scheme where small investors pool their money into a project – to

PROFESSOR Geza Vermes, who survived the Holocaust to become the world’s greatest scholar of Jesus Christ, has died aged 88. Prof Vermes, who lived in Oxford for more than 40 years, went on to become the first professor of Jewish studies at the

HUNDREDS of staff at British Gas Business have completed their move to a brand new headquarters. More than 600 workers have uprooted from three other buildings on the Oxford Business Park and elsewhere in the country into the state-of-the-art building

THIRTEEN years ago, Appleton’s village shop was under threat. But members of the community, who live in the village off the A420, rallied to save it and it has gone from strength to strength. Now their efforts have been recognised by the Plunkett

FORMER Cowley car worker Raymond Parsons has shared his memories of the four decades he worked at the car plant. The 81-year-old who lives in Crescent Road, Cowley, worked at the factory for more than 40 years. He was among former workers who

MANY people have a skeleton or two in their cupboards. But Sue Roberts may have a whole cemetery of them in her garden. Builders unearthed a skull during building work at her home in Wallingford, prompting the arrival of police who were fearful

THE discovery of a skeleton in the back garden of a home in Wallingford has revealed the location of a lost Saxon church. Detectives were called to Sue Roberts’ home in Reading Road after builders dug up the bones as part of work to make her house

Mohammed Taj, 53, of Queensway, Banbury, admitted driving without due care and attention in Bloxham Road, Banbury, on December 21. Fined £100 with £20 victims’ surcharge and £40 costs. Banned from driving until new driving test passed. Andrew

JOURNEYS for patients being taken for hospital appointments could be cut if bus lane rules were relaxed to allow non-emergency ambulances. Calls for the second-grade ambulances known as Patient Transport Vehicles (PTVs) to be allowed to use bus

Max Crocombe has made the cut for New Zealand's FIFA U-20 World Cup squad next month. The Oxford United goalkeeper was named in a provisional 26-man squad earlier this month and has now been included in the final group of 21. The Auckland-born

Blood found by Magdalen Bridge, Oxford, is thought to be human, police say. A trail of bloody footprints and two large pools of blood leading up High Street were spotted on Tuesday. The area was cordened off for two hours from 8.04am as police

ONE of the young victims of the Oxford child sex ring has accused Oxfordshire County Council of “ignoring” her and her family. Girl 3 was abused by Akhtar and Anjum Dogar and Mohammed and Bassam Karrar between the ages of 13 and 15. But she

WHITE Hart Marauders were crowned OURFC Invitational Sevens champions after defeating hosts Oxford University in the cup final. Marauders, an experienced national outfit, bagged a late try to run out 24-10 winners in the rain at Iffley Road.

GROVE RFC will mark their 40th anniversary with an action-packed President’s Day on Saturday. Three matches will take place at the club’s Cane Lane ground to cap a season where their first, second, third and under 15 teams have all achieved promotion

THE bravery of the victims who testified against the child sex gang was praised in the House of Commons by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg yesterday. Mr Clegg, pictured, called for the “evil” criminals to be given the severest possible sentences

THE chief executive in one of the first towns to uncover a gang grooming girls yesterday offered to help Oxfordshire sort out its failings. A gang that preyed on young girls in Rochdale was one of the first cases that revealed abuse by predominantly

FAMILIES of the defendants yesterday remained tight lipped when asked to comment by the Oxford Mail. A young man at the Horspath Road, Cowley home of acquitted Mohammed Hussain said he did not wish to comment. A woman at the Kames Close, Cowley

Nothing less than epic, the Hollywood blockbuster brought Les Miserables firmly back into the public domain to such an extent that many are now unaware that it was based on the novel written by Victor Hugo. Yet it is the novel alone which Adrian

Banbury Cross Players’ production of Anthony Shaffer’s Whodunnit? is set in the grand library of Orcas Champflower Manor. This tongue-in-cheek pastiche of a 1930s murder mystery opens with the voice of the murderer inviting the audience to follow

THE first step towards building the next generation of Banbury’s housing estates is set to be approved tonight. Persimmon Homes’ bid for 350 homes at land north of the Hardwick estate has been recommended to get the go-ahead by Cherwell District

OXFORD Harlequins Under 10s are celebrating after victory in the Banbury Mini Tournament. Quins beat Banbury 5-0 in the cup final and enjoyed a double at the annual event, where they also collected the under 10 plate. Oxford matched that feat

JAMES Heywood was named Banbury’s first-team player of the year at their dinner and awards night. Heywood collected his trophy from RFU president and guest speaker Paul Murphy, who lives in Abingdon. Nick Pratt received the players’ player

AN investigation has been launched by conservation chiefs after a building was partly demolished in a Banbury parade of shops. Cherwell District Council is investigating after work was carried out at 11-12 Church Lane, in Banbury’s conservation

Soldier turned Carterton businessman is celebrating success after taking a leap of faith out of the military. Damion Pointin, 29, has just started to break after starting his own company. The father-of-one, who is expecting another baby in June

A search for a second-hand chest of drawers ended up inspiring Carolyn Baxter to set up her own business, supplying vintage pedal cars for children's parties. She said: "We were looking for a chest of drawers and we happened to walk past a shop

When the economic weather changes, businesses, like plants, need to react fast. And when the real weather changes the same applies — particularly if your business happens to be concerned with swimming pools. At Certikin International, of Witney

ANDY Wallbridge has spoken of his shock after being replaced as manager of Uhlsport Hellenic League club Wantage Town by former Thatcham Town boss Gary Ackling. Wallbridge, who was appointed three years ago, won the Premier Division title in his first

POLICE and crime commissioner Anthony Stansfeld yesterday backed his Chief Constable, claiming other forces across the country had also failed victims of child sex gangs. Mr Stansfeld said he would not call on Sara Thornton to resign as child sex

CHIEF constable Sara Thornton yesterday refused to say whether she had considered resigning over the failure of her police force to protect girls from a child sex gang. But Ms Thornton told the Oxford Mail a serious case review would “get to the

AN INVESTIGATION into how Oxfordshire’s authorities failed to spot a child sex abuse ring could spark resignations, the county council leader warned last night. Ian Hudspeth spoke out as a serious case review was launched to investigate whether

REAL Madrid are coming to Oxford this summer for a series of training camps. In a first for the UK, coaches from the Spanish giants’ foundation will lead courses for boys and girls of all abilities aged 11-17. There will be three residential camps

Oxfordshire were able to take some positives from a 125-106 defeat against Northamptonshire in their Middleton Cup trial match at Kingsthorpe. Various previously untried player combinations were selected, which on the whole proved to be a worthwhile

Oxfordshire Under 25s made a winning start to their Junior Home Counties League programme with an 80-78 victory over Berkshire at Kidlington. In a tense finish, two massive bowls from Oxon skips Chris Gilkes and Shane Cooper on their rinks made

Oxfordshire Ladies overcame wet and cold conditions to beat Gloucestershire 102-88 in the Middle England League at Pineholt BC, Hucclecote. Oxon won on four of the six rinks with Jeanette Berry’s side leading the way with a resounding 28-4 victory

Husband and wife David and Jess Bruce completed a victory double at the rain-soaked Cottiswood 5K. Oxford City’s David Bruce was first on the new course, clocking 15mins 46secs. He saw off Woodstock Harriers’ James Bolton, who was also top

Abingdon Amblers’ Paul Fernandez showed his versatility by finishing third in the Marlow 5. The England ultra-marathon international completed the five-mile course, which was comparatively short for him, in 26mins 11secs. Fernandez’s time matched

ARASH Fatemian has at least one reason to be pleased with his appointment as cabinet member for finance at County Hall. But that reason won’t be because the job is an easy one. Mr Fatemian told the press at a recent meeting that he was pleased

I WAS a patient in the John Warin Ward, Churchill Hospital, recently. I could not fault the treatment I received. The food was excellent and the nursing staff certainly looked after me well. The NHS may be understaffed but my ward was kept lovely

I KNOW this is a real long shot, I’m trying to find a picture of my dad, Michael Patrick Little, of 6 Brookside, East Hanney. He did a lot for Michael Sobell House and there is a picture of him handing over a cheque to them back in the early ’80s

I was taken back to being 18 years old when I saw the poster in your photograph of Carfax Tower advertising the events at the New Theatre in the Rewind feature of 1963. As a fan of Edmund Hockridge I went to the show and asked for a photograph

I refer to David Williams’s letter (Viewpoints, May 10) in which he states that UKIP talks to the people and clearly listens to them. How poignant this becomes when readers look at and read Reg Little’s article (Angling to protect) on how the Angling

How council spokesman, Marcus Mabberley, can say: ‘The county council remains committed to ensuring that Bury Knowle Library, Headington, is as accessible as possible to all users’, when it is not, is beyond understanding. Many Headington people

TONY Benson said Oxford RL’s narrow defeat to North Wales Crusaders showed how far his players have come in a short time. Oxford climbed to second in Kinsgtone Press Championship One after collecting a losing bonus point from Sunday’s 12-4 reverse

Why should I bother getting an injunction – my ex won’t take any notice of a bit of paper? It’s true that a non-molestation order (usually called an injunction) is ‘just a bit of paper’ but once it has been properly served on your ex and

OXFORD City Council leader Bob Price said he does not know enough about what is being done following Operation Bullfinch to comment on it. After repeated requests from the Oxford Mail, Mr Price finally accepted an interview yesterday only to say

Banbury Borough’s Mark Sykes, last year’s inaugural winner of the Oxfordshire Two Wood Championship, has booked his place along with Headington’s Gary May, in this season’s National Championships finals. The pair won through in the semi-finals

Reigning Division 1 champions Headington A suffered a shock 4½-1½ defeat at Oxford City & County A on the opening night of the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries. Ray Gaskin’s rink the led the way in the home team’

That's Rhythm produced a sizzling show at the Kimblewick Hunt meeting to become the first horse to break the six-minute barrier for the three-mile course in Kingston Blount’s 42-year history. The 13-year-old, trained by Sally Duckett at Compton

I WOULD like to thank the people who elected me in St Clement and Cowley Marsh Division. I am delighted and honoured to serve you as a county councillor in Oxford City. I will be a strong voice on the county, listening to local people and fighting

THERE are hundreds of cases of surgical negligence in this country each year regarding interventions involving the wrong organ – or even person – foreign objects remaining inside patients, feeding tubes being inserted into lungs, and the like.

IN REGARDS to Alan Spence’s letter (Viewpoints, May 10), having been born in the village of Old Marston many moons ago, I can remember when we were under control of the Bullingdon Rural District Council before it later became South Oxfordshire DC.

SO, Anthony Stansfeld thinks that, at £85,000 per annum plus expenses, he’s “extremely good value for money”. “If I could hire myself I would charge a lot more”, he says. Very few people in the Thames Valley Police area can boast so brazenly, simply

LONDON Welsh’s Tom Voyce has announced his retirement from rugby with immediate effect. The 32-year-old former England wing/full back joined London Welsh this season after previously appearing for Bath, Wasps and Gloucester. Voyce will now

The violins of the 17th-century master Antonio Stradivarius will be the focus of an exhibition at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum this summer, in a display of instruments universally regarded as the height of the musical craftsman’s art. At periods during

PRIME minister and Witney MP David Cameron has described the Oxford sex exploitation case as "absolutely appalling" and said “searching questions” would now be asked. Seven men were convicted at Old Bailey of crimes including arranging child prostitution

A HUSBAND who allegedly stabbed his wife to death became “clingy and obsessive” when he felt their relationship was ending, a jury heard. Andrew Parsons denies murdering his wife Janee in the home the couple shared in Lucerne Avenue, Bicester,

The man who died after falling from the top of Carfax Tower on Monday has been identified as Kris Scott, 39, of Jeune Street, East Oxford. Police closed the junction of Queen Street with Cornmarket for an hour while they investigated his death which

THREE men from Abingdon were arrested after an alleged bout of “road rage” in which a motorist was assaulted. Police said a driver and two passengers travelling in a grey Citroen Saxo got into an argument with the driver of a silver Audi A4 in

LORD Lieutenant Tim Stevenson called in at Icolyn ‘Ma’ Smith’s soup kitchen, put on an apron and served roast dinners to the homeless. Mr Stevenson OBE, the Queen’s representative in Oxfordshire, dropped in at the soup kitchen at the Asian Cultural

RECRUITING a goalscorer is Chris Wilder’s priority this summer – and he has made room in Oxford United’s budget to attract one. Converting chances has been the side’s Achilles’ heel since returning to the Football League three seasons ago. James Constable

A 22-year-old man was taken to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital with an arm injury after falling off his bike yesterday. An ambulance was called at 7.18am to the canal tow path path off Donnington Bridge, South Oxford.

The number of jobless signing on in Oxfordshire has fallen to its lowest level this year. According to figures produced by the Office of National Statistics, 6,828 people were claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance in the county in April, a drop of 262

THE long-awaited deal for Oxford’s new £400m Westgate Centre – including a John Lewis store and a multi-screen cinema – was signed yesterday. John Lewis’ three-storey store will provide the centrepiece of the new shopping centre, which will create

PINCH yourselves. It’s actually happening. After years of big promises and dashed hopes, John Lewis is to open in Oxford within four years. The city is getting a top-class, blue-chip retailer, arguably the best in the business. So it’s good

The debate over the effectiveness of homeopathy that has rumbled on for decades is as strong today as it has ever been. Last month, amidst headlines surrounding the measles outbreak, alternative remedies business Neal’s Yard was criticised for promoting

This week is Footsteps Cerebral Palsy Awareness Week (May 11–18) and local charity Footsteps Foundation has been celebrating the achievements of the children who receive intensive physiotherapy at the Footsteps Centre in Dorchester-on-Thames. One

One of Banbury’s most significant office buildings has come on the market. Blenheim Court, situated in the centre of Banbury, comprises about 37,000 sq ft of modern quality office space with suites ranging from 3,000 to 26,000 sq ft. These will be

Chipping Norton usually finds itself in the news because a few celebrity residents live nearby. But as well as Prime Minister David Cameron and TV celebrity Jeremy Clarkson et al, the town is clearly host to a vibrant business community too, with businesses

JAMES Ferrigno scored a touchdown as Oxford Saints opened their league campaign with a 9-7 home win over Bournemouth Bobcats. The young side went ahead midway through the second quarter, when Ferrigno broke through. Defensive lineman Toby Durant

BURFORD continued their solid start to the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League with a 3-0 whitewash at home to Chipping Norton. John Wilks and Joe Simpson got them on the board with a 2 & 1 victory against Shaun Kench and Will Preece.

PROMISING talent Alex Rawle finished strongly to claim a place at the Ian Poulter Junior Invitational Tournament. The 16-year-old won a qualifying event at Prince’s Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent, by three shots. Rawle, who is a year 11 pupil

ABIGAIL Laker will play 36 holes today after making the cut at the English Women’s Amateur Championship. The Frilford Heath member shot rounds of 79 and 78 to reach the halfway stage on 13-over-par. The 157 total was 14 shots off the lead,

One response to the horrors inflicted on young girls in this city by a predatory child sex gang has been ‘if it could happen in Oxford, it could happen anywhere.’ But the abuse and torture happened here, repeatedly, again and again over a period

Some readers will greet this week’s story about the redevelopment of the Westgate with knowing smiles. John Lewis, transformed city centres and new bus routes, we have read them before, with so many false dawns, forgotten masterplans and abandoned

The final three matches of this season’s Four Nations Chess League — which took place over the recent Bank Holiday weekend — were always going to be nervy affairs. Before the weekend, Oxford’s first team was well placed to claim one of the four

NORTH OXFORD Tournament of champions – Men: 1 J Mazey, 2 C Varney. Ladies: 1 J Northover, 2 I Dachtler. Juniors: 1 M Henderson 79-10=69, 2 S Willoughby 80-11=69. Midweek Stableford: 1 C Caffel 41pts, 2 J Tompkins 39, 3 D Fitchett 37. Pro

PAULINE Withey retained her British Isles Ladies’ Singles title after a thrilling final against Jean Brackenridge from Sussex. The Oxford player beat Lynne Moyer, Bella Stoner (both Sussex), Caroline Jones and Anita Blackman (both Surrey) to book

At the end of the last century, Alexei Balabanov earned himself a reputation as a rampant Russian nationalist. His collaborations with Sergei Bodrov, Jr. on Brother (1997) and Brother 2 (2000) shocked as much with their political stridency as their

There is only one place to start this week and that is with the sublime animation, Ernest and Celestine. Prior to her death in 2000, children's author Gabrielle Vincent had resisted all attempts to bring her 25 charming books about a musical bear and

SIGNED works by surrealist Salvador Dali are on display in Oxford in the first exhibition in the city dedicated to the artist. Aidan Meller, director of Meller Merceux gallery in High Street, is curating the show featuring 30 works of art by the

PLANS for a multi-million pound business park on the edge of a Bicester housing estate are set to be thrown out tonight. Council officers claim the scale of the buildings will “dwarf” nearby houses and any future development at North West Bicester

A FLORIST from Oxford is flexing her fingers to compete in the finals of a contest at the world’s biggest flower show. Samantha Evans, who works at Jemini flower shop in Oxford’s Covered Market, is preparing her design to take to the judges at

With Spring well established and the new season’s lamb readily available, what better wine to choose than Rioja? These lovely elegant yet rich wines are the perfect match for lamb roasted with rosemary when the aromatics of both the wine and the

POLICE have confirmed that the body discovered in Bicester this morning was that of a two-year-old girl. Police were called to an address in Herald Way, Glory Farm, with a concern for welfare of a child. The girl’s body was found at the address

A MAN who launched a cyber attack on Oxford University's website has been jailed for two years.  Lewys Martin, 21, attempted to disrupt the site by overwhelming it with requests for information between January 29 and February 1 this year. 

There are probably few villages more quintessentially English than Dorchester-on-Thames with its ancient abbey and narrow, twisting main street lined with olde worlde houses and pubs. So it makes the perfect setting for the English Music Festival,

TWO people managed to get themselves out of their vehicle after it crashed into a tree off the A40 tonight.  The ambulance service said it was called to the scene between Cutteslowe and Marston just after 7.30pm to a report of a car colliding with