A SEA of yellow and blue stalls, Gloucester Green market is now over-subscribed for the first time in decades after two private firms took control. Oxford City Council has handed over responsibility for the market to Geraud and LSD, two companies
There is a time, somewhere in your mid-teens, when contraception talk is fairly frequent. Trading stories with friends, blushing through sex education classes at school, assuring your mother that, yes, you are being sensible. But later the topic
There’s a nip in the air, leaves are falling off trees and the Westgate shops are slowly filling with tinsel. I hate to mention it but the countdown has started, with only 12 weeks to go until C-Day. Most of us emerge from the season of goodwill
I had a nasty shock the other day when I sat down and added up exactly how much I spend on petrol in a month. And I bet I’m not alone. The cost of fuel has shot up by 22 per cent during the past five years, according to the AA. In other words
I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for anyone who can do something amazing, especially if there is a physical aspect to their challenge. I watched in awe as Ellen MacArthur won the round the world sailing and, more recently, Diana Nyad, the 65-
We are all trying to do our bit to save the planet. But life is hectic and fitting all the recyclables sorting, solar power grants, cycling to work and reusable nappies in can been mind-blowingly difficult. What we need is more planet-saving tactics
Today’s article is all about supplementing your diet to help you feel better and give you more energy. I’m not talking protein shakes and you really don’t have to be a gym fanatic before you consider taking supplements – this is a guide for everyone
Dr Neil Hawkes has started a “quiet revolution” – to see more UK schools embrace core morals and values, like kindness and honesty, and place as much importance on them as maths, English and science. Most parents want their children to grow up
When I first started as a GP, one of the big differences from hospital work was the experience of visiting patients at home. As junior doctors in hospitals, we tended to see patients in a totally different way to people at home. It wasn’t until
It was a visit to the Cotswold Farm Park more than 20 years ago that kickstarted my interest in rare breeds in all their myriad variety. Opened in 1971 by Joe Henson, one of the founders of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, the Cotswold Farm Park was
LEAFY landscapes are among the lino prints on show at Oxford’s Jam Factory. Artists Rosie Fairfax-Cholmeley and Robin Wilson, of the Wytham Woods Studio, are displaying their work in the free exhibition at the restaurant and bar in Park End Street
PLANS for a solar farm near Bicester could provide the energy to power 2,146 homes. The 31,000 solar panels would cover a 39-acre field known as Wootton Baulk in Tackley Estate if plans are approved. The power would be fed into the National
A SCHOOL judged inadequate less than 18 months ago has again failed to impress inspectors, with concerns over “racist” pupil behaviour. In March 2012 Orchard Fields Primary School, in Edmunds Road, Banbury, was issued by Ofsted with a notice to
VAUXHALL’S Mokka is the answer to a prayer that, until relatively recently, no one had ever uttered. Even a decade ago, anyone looking to buy a 4x4 knew that they would probably have to settle for something pretty large, pretty functional and sporting
DIDCOT'S own baking superstar Christine Wallace is one of five contestants left in the Great British Bake-Off competition. With just two episodes left until the final showdown on October 22, the 66-year-old grandmother will be putting her skills
THE dynamics of shopping have undergone a huge change. Gone are the days when I used to charge round a high street scooping up my “tat” of choice. These days I value shopping trips with my husband and daughter, it’s more of an experience, more
According to a recent study commissioned by Avon we make snap judgments based on the colour of a woman’s lipstick – and we are judged similarly in return. Apparently, your lip colour choice is subliminally linked to how you feel – if you feel confident
I bet that the following scenario is familiar from your youth. You wake with a mouth that’s chewed sandpaper all night, a head that’s throbbing and a churning stomach. Yep, stupidly you’ve gone and had one too many on a night out on the town
If any one ever asked me to do Strictly’ I announced gazing hopefully at the TV screen ‘I’d be all over it in a heartbeat’. There are some who believe that a thought like that is a cause set in motion, maybe they’re right? Just a few months
We’d been floating in our hotel’s outdoor vitality pool for almost an hour and had completely lost track of time. Officially, we’d signed up to a weekend of culture, visiting Shakespeare’s birth place Stratford–upon-Avon, including tickets for
Generation SEX and the city We’ve never had it so easy, but should sex be so free? You may have seen the Generation Y Yuppies blog post that went viral a week or so ago. In it, the author argues that the current generation of twenty-and-thirty-somethings
As a garden designer I spend a lot of time in other people’s gardens. This year, it strikes me that the gardens of Oxfordshire are laden with fruit – especially apples. There’s no doubt in my mind, English apples are the best in the world and I
I have FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Tucked away in a beach bungalow in Mauritius, with limited internet access rendering most personal gadgets useless, I feel a pang whenever I visit the wifi café to tap into the rest of the world. A mounting stack
I don’t want mum and dad as friends I’ve spent this week tearing out my hair whilst trying to develop some internet protocol for my parents. They’ve just become Facebook users, but they’re not easing their way into the waters of technology cautiously
Bands, actors and all manner of educational fun and silliness keep 3,000 people entertained at Oxford Times-backed museum spectacular IT’s a Friday night and beside an oversized statue of a Roman god a steady stream of bands and solo musicians
Folk flavoured delights for gig-goers * It’s looking like a good week for lovers of all things folky and acoustic.Sunday sees four of the county’s best low-fi artists — Rowan Coupland, Samuel Zasada, Freada and Julia Meijer — uniting for a singer-songwriter
Our tips for the week's best gigging action Acoustic Rowan Coupland Albion Beatnik Bookshop, Oxford Sunday, 7.30pm Tickets £5 on the door Tickets are £17.50 (subject to booking fee) from themillartscentre.co.uk Tickets
Since his teens, Professor Lord John Krebs has been quietly and determinedly digging his heels in. When it came to applying to university, it was assumed he would be studying medicine. His father, Hans Krebs, a ground-breaking physiologist, had
Be kind to freshers, pleads NICK HILTON, they’re actually terrified Arriving in Oxford as a fresher was one of the most singularly terrifying experiences of my life (I’m aware that I’m saying that from the privileged position of never having been
ANNETTE CUNNINGHAM on the trend for facial hair I’ve lost count of how many good looking men I’ve known in Oxford that have been lost to beards. And it has to be said, I’ve spotted a regular pattern: Good looking, freshly-shaven man tells you he
THE family of the woman whose body was found yesterday in a lay-by in Burford have been informed of her death. Police were yesterday still trying to trace relatives in the wake of the discovery. A post-mortem is due to be carried out later
Marc West joins the stylish people at a fiesta of retro cool Oxford’s ab fab fashionistas were queuing round the block even before the Town Hall doors swung open at midday to reveal an Aladdin’s Cave of vintage delights to tempt even the most frugal
BBC Oxford's James Luxford's life in movies.... As you read this, I will be doing something that’s nothing to do with cinema at all. Most likely I will be at Cotswold Wildlife Park having some close encounters with, well, wildlife. Why the
A regular slice of theatrical life by Emma Dolman, director of Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot Well, our Cornerstone fifth birhday celebrations were absolutely amazing! Hundreds and hundreds of people through our doors over the weekend, happy faces
* Want to get Shakespeare over and done with in one fell swoop? Then get down to Didcot’s Cornerstone on Saturday to catch The Reduced Shakespeare Company’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, the longest running comedy in the West End. Thirty-seven
Following a tip-off about a less than satisfying afternoon tea at Bignell Park Hotel, I went undercover to investigate. I found good reports on Trip Advisor, and the hotel’s website all looked very nice, but there was no mention of afternoon tea
Safal Gurung: 'try my deep fried beef momo' I am Safal Gurung. I am 18 and studying for a Level 3 NVQ in Professional Cookery at Oxford & Cherwell Valley College. My mum inspired me to cook and I wanted to become a chef from the age of about
CAMPAIGNERS want to derail plans for 500 homes in Bicester by having the land designated as a nature reserve. They say the move would scupper Gallagher Estates’ plans for land at Gavray Drive, one of the last green spaces inside the ring-road.
Thousands of people joined Princess Anne on the streets of Didcot this morning to welcome home Army bomb disposal experts. Families and friends were reunited with their loved ones from 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, who returned from
Enormous congratulations to the team at The Killingworth Castle in Wootton after receiving a top Michelin award for their food – a Bib Gourmand which celebrates establishments that provide food of great quality where three courses are available for
A traumatic past fails to dim the beauty of Derry-Londonderry as Tim Hughes discovers a city of culture and peace John McNulty grins as he surveys the scene from atop the imposing city walls which encircle his home city. “It’s beautiful isn
HE may be best known as the guitarist with Jethro Tull, but Martin Barre is more than just another 1970s prog rock survivor. A talented artist in his own right, Barre is about to release his fourth solo album, and he is celebrating a UK tour which
A NEW road could be built to link Bicester’s new 5,000-home eco-town with the town centre, prompting concern from residents about heavy traffic. The latest plans have revealed that the new route could be built to replace Howes Lane. The proposal
COUNCIL chiefs are seeking legal advice after four major planning applications were given the go-ahead on appeal. Cherwell District Council has hit out at the decision to approve almost 400 homes it had thrown out. Developers have won appeals
TEENAGERS from Oxford won a war of words yesterday to be named young poets of the year in a worldwide competition . Esme Partridge, 16, from Oxford Spires Academy, and Dominic Hand, 18, from Magdalen College School, were named Foyle Young Poets
AN ASPIRING Oxford fashion designer hopes to follow in the footsteps of Victoria Beckham and Donatella Versace after her designs were picked for a regional competition. Danielle Warren, 21, from Kennington, has been selected for the final six in
AN independent funeral director showed off an unusual mode of transport at the official opening of his Headington office. Director Darren Hancock, 40, who set up the service 19 years ago, said at the launch on Wednesday: “I was very pleased with
A FRAUDSTER and his wife who went on a spending spree ahead of their wedding have been ordered to repay around £19,000. A proceeds of crime hearing was held at Oxford Crown Court yesterday in the case of one-time couple – from Coopers Lane, Abingdon
Reg Little talks to Dame Fiona Caldicott about her major National Health Service review To many people it would have seemed a poisoned chalice from the hands of the Secretary of State for Health. For who, with any knowledge of the NHS, would
NOT one to let the grass grow beneath his feet, Sebastian Reynolds is at it again this weekend – not with his band Flights of Helios (Click here for details), but as a promoter. And, once again, he’s heading to an unlikely spot. This Sunday
HAVING spent a lifetime serving the NHS, Dame Fiona Caldicott knows all too well the pitfalls of different health professionals failing to share information. Now her concerns have won support from the highest possible authority as recommendations
FREE wifi hotspots will be created in parts of Oxford under a £4.83m broadband boost. Cowley Road and Summertown will be among areas to benefit from the scheme being overseen by Oxford City Council. Some £1.5m of the Government cash will go
KAI Egan was singing in the rain yesterday. The five-year-old West Oxford Community Primary School pupil got out his brolly out on the way home from school, as the county was expecting a downpour overnight. Kai, who lives in Earl Street, West
A would-be burglar left empty-handed after being disturbed searching a Cutteslowe house, in Oxford. The break-in happened in Aldrich Road on Wednesday between 4pm and 10pm. Call police on 101.
Two teenagers will be sentenced today for robbing a runner. Tony Nichols, 18, of Valentia Road, Headington, and Callum Ochiela, 19, of Chatham Road, stole the victim’s BlackBerry Bold mobile phone on Headington Hill last year. The victim, who
TAXPAYERS could be left waiting until Christmas to hear how the axe will fall on £61m of council services. Oxfordshire County Council leader Ian Hudspeth fears the Government may wait until mid- to late-December to announce its funding for County
Didcot Town boss Andy Wallbridge says the emergence of teenage keeper Kieran Beesley shows that young talent will be given a chance at the Calor League club. Since he took over from regular No 1 Gareth Tucker, Beesley has put on a number of fine
Banbury United’s pacy forward Kynan Isaac could sign for Luton Town, if he impresses at the Skrill Premier side. Isaac, 20, who last season had an unsuccessful trial at Ipswich, has spent the week at the Bedfordshire club and played for their development
OXFORDSHIRE teams found it tough in the first regional knock-out rounds of the AEGON schools tournaments. Oxford High’s year 10 girls lost 8-4 to lower-rated St Mary’s Calne, despite top player Asha Badiani winning both her singles matches and
THE Heythrop Hunt will move to a new home at Cocklebarrow, near Aldsworth, in Gloucestershire, for next year’s meeting. Mollington, near Banbury, hosted the fixture last season following the closure of Dunthrop, near Chipping Norton. But now
A FIVE-STOREY building of 78 student rooms for Mansfield College in Mansfield Road should be approved, a planning officer has said. Oxford City Council’s Matthew Parry said the plan “preserves the special character and appearance” of the area and
THE achievements of people from across Oxfordshire have been recognised at Windsor Castle. A college leader, a community leader and an Olympic hero are among those to have been honoured. Now the nine people have been awarded with either the
OXFORD: A fire in a bin prompted an emergency response at a multi-storey car park yesterday. Two fire engines were sent to the car park at the Westgate Shopping Centre at 1.51pm. The fire in the bin was dealt with within 15 minutes.
THE trial of five men accused of attempting to conceal, disguise or convert criminal property at a scrapyard continued yesterday at Oxford Crown Court. The defendants, from TR Rogers and Sons, in Nuneham Courtenay, deny accepting “suspicious” cables
A HAULIER who suffered serious injuries after being crushed under straw bales is suing a farmer for millions of pounds in damages. London’s High Court heard Darren Griffin, 37, is now paraplegic and had to have a leg amputated above the knee after
OXFORDSHIRE Under 13s are all smiles after opening their season with an emphatic 17-3 home victory over Middlesex. Sixteen of the successful matches at St Helen & St Katharine School, Abingdon were taken in just two sets. Oxfordshire’s
KIDLINGTON: A lorry fire closed part of the A34 yesterday morning. Motorists experienced delays following the blaze on the southbound carriageway just before the Kidlington turn-off. Two crews from Bicester fire station attended the incident
PART of a road is blocked today after a lorry spilt its load of rubble. The blockage is on the flyover above the A34 at the B4027 Islip turn off. Police were called at 8.57am but have handed the incident over to the Highways Agency. Updates
OXFORD: A prestigious competition for young poets was launched yesterday. Now in its 14th year the Christopher Tower poetry competition, based at Christ Church College, offers £3,000 to the winner. It is open to students aged 16 to 18 across
WOOTTON-BY-WOODSTOCK: Lord Blair, former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, is to give a talk tonight at the village hall. Lord Blair was Commissioner between 2005 and 2008, having been Deputy Commissioner for the previous five years, and
TALKING on mobile phones, texting and putting on make-up. These are the kinds of things motorists have been snapped getting up to while in slow moving traffic in Botley Road. The Oxford Mail conducted a survey of passing drivers yesterday morning
The numbers are in and the figures are good. Key Stage 1 statistics unveiled yesterday show an impressive increase in reading data for seven-year-olds in the county. Moreover, it shows a big increase in figures in Oxford itself. That, after
RUNNING a Government is not an easy task. But the news that Whitehall bosses are believed to be behind a delay in confirming how much cash our county will get next year is causing deep concern in the corridors of power in Oxfordshire. As we reveal
Oxford City boss Mike Ford could hand former Burton Albion midfielder Chris Palmer a debut when his side host Stalybridge Celtic in Skrill North at Marsh Lane tomorrow. Palmer, 29, who was released by the Brewers in March, has joined City on a
WHEN you read this I should have been home for about a dozen hours – that’s if India Airways repeats its excellent Kathmandu service on the home flight. If you expect that lump in my throat to have gone and the threat of tears to have subsided
IT IS interesting to see that John Tanner is now an expert on climate change. In his letter (Climate must be taken seriously, Letters, October 2), he again sings his praises for wind turbines but he failed to mention wind turbines, like politicians
I SAW highlights of each of the party conferences and listened intently to all three party leader’s speeches. Now that the conference season is over, and the general election battle lines have been drawn, one man has stood out – Labour Party leader
IS NOT Jeremy Smith’s Man About Town column increasingly becoming “Man’s Tedious Mid-Life Crisis”? Is there any possibility of having a little less “man” and a little more “town”? He has twice recently referred to his “sagging jowls” (he thinks
CHINNOR head coach Matt Goode is expecting October to prove far tougher than September for his unbeaten side. The Thame-based club visit Canterbury in National 2 South tomorrow in what will be centre Goode’s last match before having a thumb operation
Saturday FOOTBALL SKY BET LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd v Southend. SKRILL NORTH Oxford City v Stalybridge Celtic. FA TROPHY Prelim round: Didcot Tn v Cirencester Tn. CALOR LEAGUE Premier Div: AFC Totton v Banbury Utd.
HAS the milk gone off? (Cash cow or lifesaver?, Oxford Mail, September 30). A total of 33,613 speeding tickets, £728,760 to the Treasury. Where did the remaining £2,632,540 go? John Ward, York Avenue, Headington, Oxford
HAVING read about the many local people and clubs who’ve been rewarded for making a wonderful contribution to local football, I’m saddened to note that an unwelcome ‘part’ of football has crept back into the game – the use of offensive, insulting or
WELL done to the Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock for their carefully thought-out dinosaur fun room for children (and for adults too). I took my three-year-old grandson there on Wednesday and he was thrilled. After a short time he became the
A MAN charged with raping a 15-year-old girl last month in Carterton will appear at Oxford Crown Court today. Perry Griffith, of Newland, Witney, was charged last Friday and appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday. The 22-year-old
OXFORD: A homeless man has pleaded guilty to an assault which caused grievous bodily harm. Artur Reluga, of no fixed address, yesterday appeared at Oxford Crown Court and admitted attacking Grzegorz Stadnicki in Roger Bacon Lane, in Oxford, on
OXON: Drivers faced delays across the county yesterday morning following a series of rush-hour collisions. Delays were reported on the A420 between Faringdon and Littleworth and on the B4027 Bletchingdon Road at Islip following crashes. Another
RAILWAY groups in Oxfordshire have welcomed the news that FirstGroup will run First Great Western for the next two years, but have concerns about the long-term future of the company. It was announced yesterday that the Department of Transport had
THE true impact of the Oxford Mail-backed Oxfordshire Reading Campaign can be revealed today. Key Stage 1 results for seven year olds — the age group targeted in the campaign — show the proportion of children achieving expected levels has exceeded
James Constable will happily do what it takes to play for Oxford United tomorrow, saying it is less painful than watching from the sidelines. The striker, who turns 29 today, made a surprise return to the squad last weekend, just three weeks after
Michael Duberry should stay in football after calling time on his playing career this week, according to former teammate James Constable. The ex-Chelsea and Leeds defender announced his retirement on Wednesday, aged 37. Constable spent the
CHRIS Wilder has been at Oxford United for long enough to know that even after the best start to a Football League season for a decade, it does not mean everyone is satisfied. Last weekend after watching his side win 3-1 at Hartlepool United, making
SOLDIERS had a heroes’ return to their Dalton Barracks base last night. The 130 personnel from 3 Logistic Support Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, were reunited with their families in Abingdon after a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. Red,
SMOKING shelters will be built at three hospital sites in Oxford. Councillors on Oxford City Council’s east area planning committee have approved an application to build five shelters for smokers at the John Radcliffe, three at the Churchill and
DEANE Smalley is not satisfied with an encouraging start to the season and the striker is keen to take on extra work to improve his fitness. The 25-year-old scored just seven goals in the previous two seasons at Oxford United, but he has four from
DETECTIVES are trying to piece together how the body of a woman in her 70s was found yesterday in a layby next to a golf club. Her remains were discovered by a motorist near the entrance to Burford Golf Club at around 7am prompting police to close
JAKE Wright could return to the Oxford United side as early as next weekend. The skipper went under the knife last month to remove an abscess near his groin, but the recovery is progressing well. Wright was running in training yesterday and
OXFORD United Women kick off their Women’s Super League (WSL) development league campaign with a tough trip to Arsenal Ladies this weekend. The reserve team league will be used to help the U’s squad sharpen up ahead of their WSL2 debut in the spring
MOTORISTS are being warned of delays this morning following a three-vehicle smash on the A4142 Eastern Bypass in Oxford. One lane was closed on the northbound carriageway between B480 Garsington Road, Cowley junction, and Horspath Road after the
KIRTLINGTON Primary School has been criticised for failing to take effective action after an Ofsted inspection found the school required improvement. At a monitoring visit last month following the judgment in May, the school was told its plans
A TESCO store in Abingdon Road, Oxford will not open until February, the superstore giant has announced. Tesco hoped the store – at the site of the flattened Fox and Hounds pub – would open by the end of the year. The foundations have been
THE number of homes set to go in the Westgate redevelopment has risen from 27 to 120, it has been revealed. Developers made the move after calls for more housing in the £400m scheme, to include at least 50 per cent affordable homes. A new planning
A LAP dancing club and toilet block could be demolished to make room for a temporary car park while Oxford’s Westgate shopping centre is redeveloped. Oxford City Council has unveiled plans to create up to 359 new spaces on land it owns next to
