Archive

SHAKESPEARE’S Macbeth has been rewritten by students at Chipping Norton School. The Young Shakespeare Company performed ‘the Scottish Play’ there on Tuesday, but kept stopping to ask their audience how they should be doing it. Predictably this

ABINGDON Rotarians and the MG Car Club have donated to charities £3,000 raised at this year’s Abingdon Works Car Show. On Tuesday, the clubs presented cheques for £1,000 each to Macmillan Cancer Support, Thames Valley Children’s Air Ambulance Trust

London Welsh have moved to further strengthen their front row options with the signing of Auckland hooker Nathan Vella. The 23-year-old broke into Auckland’s ITM Cup squad in 2011, and the following year helped them go on to reach the final.

DAVE Kitson said he surprised himself by playing in a more advanced role to grab a late equaliser for Oxford United at Fleetwood Town. The 33-year-old headed David Hunt’s 89th-minute cross into the net to clinch a 1-1 draw. It came at the end

A CONVICTED thief and fraudster has been found guilty of burgling a house. David Solomon denied the charge, from June 5 this year, and told magistrates an elaborate story to explain why he was in the house. Solomon, of Kimmeridge Road, Cumnor

I WAS interested to read your article about the road safety demonstration in Cornmarket Street, Oxford, in 1947 (Memory Lane, November 4). I recall, as a five year old, laying down in front of a car in Marshall Road, Cowley, surrounded by young

I WAS an evacuee from London and my family lived in George Street Mews, Oxford, near Bulwarks Alley. We used the alley all the time, although I never heard the story of the ghost’s hand in the wall (Memory Lane, October 14). Bulwarks

THE ceremony to mark the opening of a new health centre nearly ended in disaster for two Oxford City Council employees. The two women had been given the job of taking notes of the proceedings. As a back up, they had put a tape recorder on the

IT WAS the last one to come off the production line – and workers gathered round to mark the occasion. Workers at the Pressed Steel factory at Cowley had been producing bodies for the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and production was coming to an end

Fifty items, including a microchip, shopping list, books, comics and a T-shirt, were locked away in a time capsule and buried in the Stadhampton village school grounds in 1982. Future pupils have been told to dig it up in 2082 to show what life was

STUDENTS decided to welcome the opening of the new Oxford Polytechnic with a bang. They had built what they described as an ‘Apollo-technic’, a 15ft rocket with a student astronaut inside, which was supposed to blast several feet in the air.

PUPIL Trevor Stevens gets a final trim to his beard before a performance of The Caliph’s Minstrel by pupils at The Cherwell School in North Oxford in 1965. He was playing the Caliph of Bagdad in the production, which was produced by teacher Jack

TIME is called at the Red Lion at Yarnton with a bell, a relic from HMS Yarnton, a Royal Navy patrol ship and former minesweeper. It was presented to the pub in 1985 when the ship was withdrawn from service after 30 years on the high seas.

THERE were great celebrations when the new Stadhampton village primary school was officially opened in 1975. Pupils Lesley Duffy and Michael Boxwell presented a bouquet to Lady Linstead, at the opening ceremony.

PUPILS at Stadhampton village school were invited to Rewley Road fire station in Oxford in 1987 after winning a poster competition during fire safety week. Would-be recruit Paddy Patrick, five, is given a lift by fireman John Simmonds.

NOW that James Styring has stepped down as chairman of Cyclox, he is able to look back and assess the past decade for cyclists in Oxford. And he counts the 2009 introduction of 20mph limits in the city centre, new cycle stands and improvements

I CAN add a little more to Derek Fowler’s letter, identifying most of the dinner ladies at Charlbury School in Terry Pratley’s picture (Memory Lane, October 28). The picture was taken at Charlbury British Legion flower show in the grounds of Lee

I ENCLOSE a photograph of members of the Abingdon fire service after they moved into their new headquarters in Ock Street in 1964. They are pictured in the control room of the £25,000 building. The previous headquarters in Bury Street was later

YOU quote an Oxford Mail report from 1956 about a link between Oxford, England, and Oxford in Missouri (Memory Lane, November 11). I think the report may have confused one of the many towns and cities in the United States named after Oxford.

THE picture of the 1st Oxford Company, Boys’ Brigade (Memory Lane, September 30) stirred many happy memories. I think the picture would have been taken in 1938, in St Matthew’s School playground. I am a very small boy in the photograph, and

THESE pied pipers were out to make a name for themselves and hoped others would join their ranks. They were all members of the newly-formed Oxford Flute and Drum Band, which met at St Francis Church hall in Hollow Way, Cowley. The 22-strong

AN oil painting of St Martin’s Church, completed by villager Robert Pratt in 1905, was offered for sale by antiques dealer Dennis Strong, with the proceeds going to a £6,000 fund to restore the church pinnacles. Kathy Moss, leader of the

THIS is the time of year when dozens of organisations hold their Christmas bazaars. It is an excellent opportunity for them to raise much-needed cash for their funds and for their customers to pick up a bargain Christmas gift for family and friends

CHRISSIE Jones won’t be appearing like this behind the bar of the Red Lion (or perhaps the future Yarnton Bell). This was how she appeared at the King’s Arms in Banbury Road, Oxford, when she and her staff dressed in grass shirts for a Caribbean

THINK of orienteering and you may have images of pensioners in woolly jumpers and anoraks clutching maps and compasses. But a county club is hoping to dispel that stereotype with its first programme of activities in Oxford’s parks. The sport

Here's a cracking time-lapse video of Oxford's three day Christmas Light Festival 2013 that has been posted by Oxford City Council. Good work by Regenology Ltd for creating it.

A FOOTNOTE to your article about Oxford trams. When my grandmother moved her business from Woodstock to Oxford, she operated for a short while from Park End Street. One of the first petrol-driven buses in High Street, Oxford

JOHN Morgan, a Conservative councillor on the Vale of White Horse District Council, has been convicted today of stealing £154,000 from a 91-year-old woman. The councillor from Wantage had been on trial for the theft, which was alleged to have been

PUBLIC toilets considered an eyesore will be screened off under plans to make a Kidlington open space more welcoming. Cherwell District Council is set to spend £20,000 on improvements, including screens around the toilets in the circular paved

BANBURY  Glenn Geldard, 59, of Burford Road, Brize Norton, admitted driving whilst disqualified on two occasions, two counts of driving on a public road without insurance, making a false claim to obtain insurance, furnishing false particulars as

Oxford City Council’s phone system has gone down. The council announced at 10.40am that its phone lines had stopped working and that nobody at the authority can currently be contacted by telephone. The fault includes the council’s 249811 customer

Sir – While it is obviously excellent to read in last week’s edition that Oxford has one of the greenest bus fleets in the country, the environmental friendliness of these vehicles is seriously undermined by the length of time they spend at bus stops

Sir – Yesterday my husband and I, for the second time since parking fees came into force, tried for the best part of 15 minutes to get a parking ticket from one of the two meters available for commuters at Water Eaton. They can hardly be described

Sir – Twenty years ago, my husband and I came to live in Oxford and registered with our neighbourhood doctors at the North Oxford Medical Centre in Woodstock Road. Soon afterwards, our daughter came to stay with us to introduce us to her first

Sir – Will Doric share the evidence for their claim that ‘70 per cent of people... have to travel elsewhere to get their shopping done because what is on offer locally is not good enough’ (Report, November 14)? Their consultation says 70 per cent

@OxfordMailOUFC I think the confusion sounds a vocal minority anti-Wilder while the more sound of mind fans keep their head down and support — @danielfreeman83 02 December 2013 @OxfordMailOUFC let's give him a heroes

Sir – Doric Properties say 70 per cent of Botley residents do not do their main grocery shop in West Way, but this figure is only arrived at by using one of the oldest statistical tricks in the book — assuming that people who didn’t answer a question

Sir – On August 22, 2013, The Oxford Times published a letter suggesting that for a ‘cleaner, greener Oxford’, John Tanner should campaign to get the law changed to force landlords to comply with the requirements needed for energy-efficient housing

Sir – Good to hear that the police had their annual crackdown on cycling without lights. This should be done every month during the winter. Last week I had to drive through Oxford at 6pm — I can assure Lee Irving (Letters, November 21) that motorists

Sir – It seems that Jesmond Blumenfeld (Letters, November 21), with no first-hand knowledge of the situation whatsoever, is motivated purely by familial loyalty than by any impartial factual evidence in seeking to absolve Israel Aaron Maisels, his

Sir – The One World Fair at Oxford Town Hall on November 16 was in competition with a “Giant Antique Fair, Open Today”, advertised at Carfax. However, those who were tempted away to Gloucester Green, as with giant fairs there on other days recently

Sir – Sadly, there is really no way in which the Trap Grounds can be called a Town Green, although that is what we thought we were getting. It is now designated by the city council, to whom the land belongs, as a nature reserve, this would be fine

Sir – Making alterations to a listed building without consent is an offence punishable by fine or imprisonment. The enormous bronze lump, ‘around three metres high’, which has been set up on the forecourt of the Ashmolean Museum (listed grade I

Sir – What possessed Oxford City Council to close St Giles for four days last week for its Christmas Light Festival? If this event had to be forced upon us, surely it could have been held in one of the regular, less disruptive, venues such as the

Sir – The city council is to be congratulated for organising the Christmas Light Festival over the weekend and returning St Giles, and adjoining streets, back to the people instead of traffic. This is one of the finest urban spaces in England but

Sir – Not a day goes by without some reference to the impacts of wind farms or fracking on the countryside, particularly the visual impact on the rural environment. Which is why your recent report (‘Garish’ incinerator colours upset locals) has

Sir – Four weeks ago, the City Rector, Bob Wilkes, and I tried, through your columns, to increase the number of local people joining Oxford’s predominantly religious Service of Remembrance. My objective, today, is still to increase the participation

Sir – Geoff Raebel’s father (Bob Raebel) was an Australian soldier of the King in the Second World War. He arrived in the UK via an Atlantic Convoy in November 1941 to serve in 455 (RAAF) Squadron. In 1942, he volunteered to be fifth man on a Hampden

Sir – A group of us are collecting information about how Wytham Woods were affected during both the First and Second World Wars. For example across Radbrook Common practice trenches dug during the First World War can still be seen. Timber from the

Sir – Christopher Gray is at it again; multiple pictures of himself on his own column! (Gray Matter, November 21). Does the man’s vanity have no limits? Dr Brian Atkins, Eynsham

IN September, my mother was taken via ambulance to the emergency multi-disciplinary unit based at Abingdon Community Hospital, acutely ill. What a fantastic unit with amazing caring staff. My mother had all the tests imaginable, which then enabled

YOUR article (Oxford Mail, December 24, Hunts expect to see big crowds on Boxing Day), could be construed as incitement to criminal activity, especially in view of your paper’s further article (Oxford Mail, December 27) which was a blatant piece of

A CONTROVERSIAL development which would triple the size of a village near Faringdon has been given the go-ahead. The bid for up to 200 homes on land near the town was voted through by Vale of White Horse District Council’s planning committee at

YELLOW lines do not have a great reputation. But railway bosses had hoped they would bring to an end an unwelcome headache for some residents in Radley. Motorists who have been parking in the village in an attempt to avoid parking charges have

REGARDING the write-up about red telephone/cash machine boxes in Oxford (November 8): if I remember correctly the city council vetoed the use of the colour red for these boxes within the city, instead, all had to be painted buff or stone coloured.

THE saga of the city council’s supposed public consultation over the Covered Market has taken a turn for the worse. Following your article (November 20) publicising the consultation and reporting the concerns of Cllr Campbell, also my letter suggesting

WITH reference to the letter from Adam Rankin (October 30), where he states: ‘Work with Doric for future good of us all or your voice will be lost’ in connection with the West Way development at Botley, I strongly object to being told to vote for Doric

On the one hand I feel thrilled (after all, what’s more exciting than seeing a huge Christmas tree, beautifully lit up, to remind us that the next three weeks are all about parties and nativities and carol concerts?). On the other hand, what could

IT IS good to know that Oxford City Council is keeping its channels of communication open. The independent report into the Castle Mill controversy was released last week as the city council attempts to atone for what many think is a blot on the

THE man who created Morris Motors, brought the first bus to Oxford and founded the Nuffield Hospital tries his hand at yet another skill. William Morris, Lord Nuffield, pictured, had a go at archery while visiting a display at the Nuffield Orthopaedic

THE Oxford Mail has regularly been publishing Eurosceptic, nay Europhobic, letters with headings like: ‘UK suffering because of EU policies’, ‘Those in the know put us in EU economic mess’, ‘Europe dictates and our government jumps’. The writers of

A RAIL company is set to pay for yellow lines throughout a village after its car park charges pushed commuters on to residential streets. But residents in Radley near Abingdon are fighting the plans. First Great Western spent £165,000 of Department

David Winter used to work for the BBC and he was a Diocesan Adviser on Evangelism. A FEATURE of listening to familiar words is that they slowly lose their power to shock or surprise. Familiarity doesn’t necessarily breed contempt, but it does induce

I’VE just returned from a visit to Africa where I spent time in Kenya with a group of young people, mostly from Dorchester Team parishes, who were visiting and working in day centres for impoverished and orphaned children in the rural towns of Mumias

I TOO would like to say what an amazing nurse Sarah Jackson is after she was nominated for the Hospital Heroes. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and had reconstruction this year. I had a few complications after and saw Sarah regularly

MUCH of the local newspaper coverage of the strike of October 31, 2013, and of the forthcoming strike due on December 3 puts an emphasis on the role in the strike of the lecturers and of their Union, the UCU. Typically this emphasis takes shape in

IT’S often been said that global warming is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, challenge to face our generation. It is encouraging to see ‘sustainable groups’ and ‘transition towns’ pop up throughout Oxfordshire to help and encourage us to

SINCE rescuing six ex-battery hens, I lost all of them to foxes. One was taken during a sunny morning while I was getting a cup of coffee. I now have five more this year and only let them out of their run, into the garden and also have a fence

WRITING a book is something that many of us dream of doing. But the circumstances in which Anne-Marie Cockburn has come to pen her first text are not ones any would wish on anyone. Her 15-year-old daughter Martha Fernback died in the summer after

OXFORD United will have to make a decision this week over interest in boss Chris Wilder. The Oxford Mail understands Portsmouth have approached the U’s to request permission to speak with their manager. When contacted yesterday, Ian Lenagan

Josh Fowler scored twice as Shrivenham won 4-3 at home to Maidenhead United Res in the Uhlsport Hellenic League's Bluefin Sports Cup second round. Nathan Blackford opened the scoring in the tenth minute for Shrivenham, only for Maidenhead to reply

CHRIS Wilder praised Oxford United for finding an extra gear as they controlled the second half to earn a 1-1 draw at Fleetwood Town. The hosts opened the scoring through a Steven Schumacher free-kick in the 12th minute, but United hit back, and

An increase in the number of elderly patients being taken by ambulance to hospital accident and emergency departments in Oxford and Banbury will be on the agenda at a meeting tomorrow. The county’s older people’s joint management group will also

A drop-in session to give people the chance to hear about a planned new primary school at the Barton West development will take place today. The development will see nearly 900 homes built on land west of Barton. The new school will accommodate

Nicola Blackwood, the MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, has written to the county council to express her “grave concerns” at plans to close children’s centres. Ms Blackwood visited each centre in her consituency last week. The council revealed

GRAHAM Alexander was frustrated Fleetwood Town were unable to close out a victory against Oxford United. The Cod Army went in front through Steven Schumacher’s 12th-minute free-kick, but were second best after half time. Alexander admitted

A FATHER-OF-THREE was killed after a collision with a lorry at the quarry where he worked. Les Hole, a well-known local cricketer and footballer, died on Saturday after the collision with a lorry at Smiths of Bletchingdon’s Burford Quarry, between

DEADLY wildlife enthusiast Steve Backshall enjoyed a close encounter with some friendlier creatures yesterday in Oxford. A queue stretched out of the shop’s front doors and around the corner into Cornmarket Street as Mr Backshall signed copies

WHEN teenager Martha Fernback died in an Oxford park, her mother started keeping a diary. Anne-Marie Cockburn found keeping a daily record of her thoughts was helping her to cope with her grief. Now the moving account is about to be published

The A329 was closed in both directions for about an hour after an accident in Thame at around 10am on Sunday. The road was shut following the crash, which happened at Rycote Lane. A blue BMW was the only vehicle involved in the crash, and there

Ardley United went top of the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division for the first time this season with a 1-0 win at Wantage Town. Ollie Stanbridge’s overhead kick from close range in the 55th minute, after Adam Beckett’s long throw was headed

London Welsh head Justin Burnell blamed poor tackling after his side slipped to heir first Championship defeat of the season at Bedford. “We lost the game purely on woeful missed tackles,” said Burnell after Saturday’s match. “We’re obviously

Oxford University players have a last chance to stake their claim for a place in next week’s Varsity Match when they travel to face Esher tonight (7.45). It’s the Dark Blues’ final match before the clash with Cambridge at Twickenham on Thursday

Didcot Town matched Cirencester Town for an hour before the Calor League Division 1 South & West leaders pulled away for a comfortable 3-1 home victory. The Railwaymen came closest to scoring in an uneventful first half, when Josh Baines’s

The trial of councillor John Morgan, who stands accused of stealing £154,000 from a pensioner, will resume today. Morgan, 75, of Highclere Gardens, Wantage, admits withdrawing money from Beryl Gittens’ account, but has told a jury at Oxford Crown

The Police and Crime Commissioner is due to hold a public meeting this evening. Anthony Stansfeld, along with the area commander Christian Bunt, will be at Barton Neighbourhood Community Centre between 7pm and 9pm. He will speak to residents

PAULETTE Mengnjo arrived in the UK seven years ago as an asylum seeker, and is still hoping to be granted British citizenship today. In 2007, she was sent to a detention centre in Bedford but now lives in Birmingham. On Saturday she was one

A ROYAL Air Force crew from the Brize Norton base has helped save the lives of two helicopter pilots who crashed into the sea in the Philippines. The RAF Hercules – which is out in the Pacific state helping with the humanitarian effort following

TWO crashes on the A420 near Faringdon have caused some delays this morning. The first crash occurred just after 6.50am between the A417 Stanford Road and Buckland Road. A van was involved in a collision with a Mercedes car. There were no injuries

THE MP for Oxford East has asked the Government if it has set a target for the number of academies in Oxfordshire. Andrew Smith posed the question and was told in a written response from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for State Edward Timpson

WHEN The Naked and Famous last played Oxford, more than two years ago, the gig was disappointing. Singers Alisa Xayalith and Thom Powers could hardly be heard above the music and there was the suspicion that perhaps this break-out band from New

DAVID Hunt felt an understanding between himself and Dave Kitson was key in Oxford United’s dramatic late goal at Fleetwood Town. With just over a minute of normal time remaining, the experienced striker leapt to glance Hunt’s cross into the far

A SCHEME to prevent flooding in South Oxford has been praised by residents. Thames Water carried out the work to prevent flooding in the area which was devastated by rising water levels last winter. It was just over a year ago that the drains

Oxford City manager Mike Ford praised his side’s attacking prowess in the second half as they beat Vauxhall Motors 3-0 in Skrill North at Marsh Lane on Saturday, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. City had created few clear chances in the first half despite

Banbury United never recovered from a disastrous start and the sending-off of Wayne Blossom as struggling St Neots claimed a 1-0 victory in their Calor LeaguePremier Division clash at Spencer Stadium. The hosts went behind in the second minute

Thousands of people welcomed Christmas into the county at a dazzling array of festive parties at the weekend. Caledonian pipers blasted out festive cheer in Abingdon, David Cameron brought a little extra magic to Carterton and Faringdon saw the most

SHREK-MAS certainly came early for children performing at the Pegasus Theatre in Oxford on Saturday. More than 80 children from Blackbird Leys-based Messy Jam Dance School took part in performances of Shrek and Grease at the theatre in Magdalen

SENIOR councillors have raised concerns about plans to move Witney’s Post Office. West Oxfordshire District Council claims it has not received any details from the Post Office of how it plans to operate a branch from the town’s WH Smith store.

North Leigh stayed in touch with the leaders in Calor League Division 1 South & West when Conor McDonagh’s early goal gave them a narrow 1-0 victory at home to lively Swindon Supermarine on Saturday. The Millers lost the leadership when going

OXFORDSHIRE’S hospital trust is to flout a recommendation by a Government body that smoking should be banned from its sites. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust has said it will continue with its plans to install smoking shelters at all four

WENDY Hughes stitches landscapes out of thread, but she can also teach you how to make a quilted jacket. Mrs Hughes, from Abingdon, is an artist, but she is currently running classes at her local church in all aspects of stitching and sewing.

Oxford City 3 (Ballard 53 , Symons 56, Jackson 63) Vauxhall Motors 0 An outstanding second-half display from Oxford City saw them extend their unbeaten run at Marsh Lane to six games as they blew away Vauxhall Motors in Skrill North, writes

A GROUP that works to keep the county safe has warned “prevention is cheaper than cure” as it faces funding cuts. The Oxfordshire Safer Communities Partnership dishes out more than £1m to crime fighting work every year – with its funding coming