A SERIAL flasher has been sent to prison for drunken exposure and a public-order offence. Stuart Thorne, of Coleridge Close, Cowley, received his sentence at Oxford Crown Court yesterday. The 50-year-old had earlier admitted charges of exposure, using
VOLUNTEER ambulance driver George Hunter is urging the county council to help patients by relaxing bus gate restrictions in Oxford High Street. Since 1999, general traffic has been banned from driving through Oxford bus gates, including the one in High
CROWDS of cycling fans turned out to cheer on Oxford University’s team as they took on rivals Cambridge in a city centre race. The varsity race, part of the Halfords Tour Series programme, saw Cambridge pedal to victory in St Giles’ this afternoon
THEY may not have the voices of angels yet but they are on the right track. New College Choir held an open day to invite young boys to find out more about what life is like for choristers. Three brothers, Oscar, Felix and Theo Ross, aged eight, 10 and
TWO supermarket giants could lock horns over multi-million expansion plans for Tesco and Bicester Village. The move comes after Tesco announced it planned to build a new superstore, twice the size of its current Pingle Drive shop, on land off the A41
The crowds have turned out for a major cycling event in the city centre today. Round three of 11 in the Halfords Tour Series has been held in Oxford for the first time, on a 1km oval circuit around St Giles. The race saw main streets
PROUD Ron Belcher celebrated his 100th birthday surrounded by 100 family and friends. The former Cowley cabinet maker marked the milestone nearly a month after he and wife Sybil celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary. The keen gardener and former
Freelance photographer Paul Freestone has taken eight years to compile Eccentric Man (Incompetent, £12) a biography of his favourite musician, guitarist Tony McPhee. Best known for his band The Groundhogs, during the 1960s he backed John Lee Hooker, Little
THE KING OF DIAMONDS by Simon Tolkien (Harper, £7.99) This is the second of a trilogy by JRR Tolkien’s grandson, featuring Inspector Trave of Oxfordshire CID — a morose, obsessional detective in the mould of Morse. He has separated from his wife, who
THE LAST TRAIN TO BRACKLEY CENTRAL by Stephen Done (Hastings Press, £8.99)Done has returned to his home ground with his latest Insp Charles Vignoles mystery, set in the Northamptonshire town where he grew up. The old Brackley railway viaduct, demolished
Want to read another book by someone from London who buys an old wreck in the Cotswolds and transforms it into their dream home? Perhaps not. But Derek J Taylor’s A Horse in the Bathroom (Summersdale, £8.99) is made more interesting by an early intervention
CIRCULATION by Thomas Wright (Chatto & Windus, £16.99)William Harvey’s circulation theory encapsulated the beating heart of renaissance Britain. Wright’s account of Harvey’s relentless quest to prove that blood circulated around the human body, with
AEA Technology 0.225 BMW 5111 Electrocomponents 210.2 Nationwide Accident Repair 71.5 Oxford Biomedica 3.4 Oxford Catalysts 49.5 Oxford Instruments 1111 Reed Elsevier 497.9 RM 75.75 RPS Group 206.4 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley
FAMILIES tried out bushcraft events in Cornbury Park to get a taste of what will be on offer at this summer’s Wilderness Festival. The festival will take place at the Charlbury stately home of Lord and Lady Rotherwick on August 10 to 12.
THE man charged with the murder of a "devoted" grandmother from Oxford was remanded in custody today. Stewart Dale, 27, is accused of killing Jenny Hume, 55, in a caravan at Prospect Park, Horspath, where he lived. He appeared at Oxford Crown Court
JUST three weeks after Jean Scurlock was pushed around the Race for Life course in her wheelchair last summer, she lost her battle with cancer. A year later, her daughter Emily Applegate is preparing to run the race in her beloved mum’s memory. Mrs
IT was pure statistics that prompted an Oxfordshire farmer and builder to get on their bikes and ride hundreds of miles for a charity they believe in. Farmer Peter Deeley and building firm boss Richard Spencer headed off to the Continent on
DAD-OF-TWO Peter Snelgrove, above, was so moved by the plight of a family’s race to raise £72,000 for a life-changing operation for their son that he rode to Paris for them. Barry and Danielle McConnell launched an appeal to raise enough cash for an
AFTER years of walking the beat, Davina Logan, pictured, is looking forward to a slightly more leisurely stroll when she takes part in this year’s Walk on the Wild Side. Former police officer Mrs Logan, 55, is asking people to join her in the second
Violet Bungay enjoyed a close-up of country life as young farmers showed off stock ahead of their annual country show. The three-year-old from Sutton met Perky the Oxford Down ram as Witney Young Farmers held a Guess the Weight of the Sheep contest.
IT was the first children’s hospice in the world and it is now celebrating its 30th birthday. Helen House, in East Oxford, opened its doors in 1982 as a result of Sister Frances Dominica’s friendship with the parents of a seriously-ill two-year-old girl
AEA Technology 0.225 BMW 5094 Electrocomponents 210 Nationwide Accident Repair 71.5 Oxford Biomedica 3.4 Oxford Catalysts 47.5 Oxford Instruments 1107 Reed Elsevier 493.2 RM 75 RPS Group 203.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
THERE were no less than six maximums and six 100 plus finishes in Yarnton Road Social Club A’s Premier & Section 1 match against Goodlake Arms A. Wins from Sean Holly, Tim Tricker (180) and Neil Russell saw the hosts take a 3-0 lead. Although Preben
BICESTER: The B4011 was closed for almost four hours yesterday after a military lorry toppled. The road was closed from 11.32am until 3.15pm when the Ministry of Defence recovered the vehicle. The lorry contained tents and a small amount of oil leaked
OXFORD: A 42-year-old woman has appeared in court charged with burglary. Janet Lestrade, of Balfour Road, Blackbird Leys, is charged with stealing a purse containing cash and bank cards from a house in Erica Close, Blackbird Leys, on May 14. She appeared
HE famously asked How Deep Is Your Love? Yesterday the town of Thame showed how it had taken Bee Gees legend Robin Gibb to its heart. There was a steady stream of townsfolk yesterday leaving flowers outside the singer’s home in Thame
North Leigh defender Tom Franklin won the players’ player of the year award at the Evo-Stik Southern League club’s annual presentation night. Brian Bowles was the manager’s player of the year, while Andy Caton picked up the supporters’ player accolade
BICESTER: The B4011 was closed for almost four hours yesterday after a military lorry toppled. The road was closed from 11.32am until 3.15pm when the Ministry of Defence recovered the vehicle. The lorry contained tents and a small amount of oil leaked
OXFORD: A man has been charged after the theft of electrical items from a house in Margaret Road, Headington. Martin McDonagh, 37, of Priory Road, Littlemore, was charged with burglary on Friday and appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
OXFORD: A camp outside Oxford Brookes University has been packed up just over a month after being set up. Protesters set up outside the university’s Gipsy Lane campus on April 18 over concerns about fee waivers and bursary arrangements. Calling themselves
THE decision to move a public meeting from north east Oxford to the city centre appeared to pay dividends yesterday. About 30 members of the public attended the north east area forum, while only two went to the last meeting. The forum covers Headington
CHERWELL LEAGUE Division 5 ABINGDON Vale 2nd’s match with Horspath 3rd was halted for almost an hour when a police helicopter and air ambulance landed on the outfield. They were dealing with an accident,which saw a pensioner die after driving his
CHERWELL LEAGUE Divisions 6-10 GUY Redguard-Siler took 4-16, including a hat-trick, as Aston Rowant 3rd beat Bletchley Town 2nd by 75 runs in Division 6. Rob Grosse led the way with 55 in Rowant’s 190 all out, while Stuart Talbot claimed figures
Sibling rivalry was put to one side as two brothers combined for a superb triple-century partnership on Sunday. Andy and Mark Small smashed 316 off 36 overs while opening for Cairns Fudge against Deddington in OCA Division 4. Their mammoth
Concord Avenue in Banbury was closed after a Vauxhall Astra caught fire yesterday. Firefighters were called at 7.30am and the road was shut until a recovery vehicle arrived, because it was feared fuel was leaking after the fire was put out. The road
Parents learned yesterday whether their children had been allocated a place at Oxfordshire’s first free school. The multilingual Europa School in Culham will open in September. There were 253 applications for the 168 places available. Families have
WORK on a £7m project to improve sewers in Botley and North Hinksey is on track to finish in September. Thames Water said yesterday the scheme to reduce flooding risks was 85 per cent complete. Work began last October to increase the capacity of the
Sean Rigg has become Oxford United’s first signing of the summer after completing a move this morning. The 23-year-old was offered a new contract at Port Vale, but opted to turn it down and move to the Kassam Stadium instead in a two-year deal. Rigg
A teenager has been spared jail after slicing a man’s ear open with a nail hammered in to a wooden stick. Randell Geary, 18, of Croxford Gardens, Kidlington, admitted causing grievous bodily harm to George Stevens on July 17 last year At Oxford Crown
A VOLLEY of fire honoured the flag-draped coffin of Fijian Private Ratu Silibaravi at a memorial service in Ambrosden yesterday. More than 400 mourners packed into St Mary’s Church to celebrate the life of the Bicester-based 23 Pioneer Regiment Royal
CHERWELL LEAGUE Division 4 OXFORD 3rd suffered the embarrassment of being bowled out for only 30 at Buckingham Town 2nd. Matt Thatcher took 6-11 from 9.3 overs and Ryan Spraggs 4-17 from nine. Alex Morgan (11) was the only batsman
CHERWELL LEAGUE Division 3 CROPREDY crashed to 96 all out at Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd – but it proved to be enough as the hosts were rolled over for only 87. Chris Panter was the pick of the Shipton attack with 3-19, but he
Top class domestic road race cycling comes to Oxford tonight as the city hosts the Halfords Tour Series. Dozens of elite riders will battle it out on a tight 1.4-kilometre circuit at St Giles from 7pm. Ed Clancy, an Olympic gold medallist
Wantage trainer Henry Candy has confirmed that Rugged Cross will run in the Investec Derby at Epsom on Saturday, June 2. The three-year-old colt finished a promising third to Thought Worthy on his reappearance in the poptelecom.co.uk Fairway Stakes at
Sean Rigg has become Oxford United’s first signing of the summer after completing a move this morning. The 23-year-old was offered a new contract at Port Vale, but opted to turn it down and move to the Kassam Stadium on a two-year deal instead
PLANS were last night unveiled for a new £80m business park in Bicester set to create 1,500 jobs. The 50-acre business park – called Network Bicester – aims to provide space for major employers in manufacturing, distribution and research and development
YOU report that the only advertising permitted by the Olympic organisers is that of the official sponsors (Thursday’s Oxford Mail), including McDonald’s, a significant part of whose business appears to be the sale of fatty foods, and Coca-Cola, a significant
We get a lot of flack us cyclists. Personally I absorb the comments, quietly dissent and then move on with my life but it seems breaking point is upon me and after being called passive aggressive last week, the time has come to offer some reply. We
CHERWELL LEAGUE Match of the Day BANBURY 2nd never recovered from being 5-3 and 22-5 as Horspath romped to a six-wicket win that was every bit as easy as the scoreline suggests. Will Eason made the most of some bowler-friendly conditions to rip
CHERWELL LEAGUE Division 1 MATT Woods was all but unplayable as Great & Little Tew brushed aside Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts in no time. Nondies were skittled for a low score for the second week running as Woods produced figures of 7-31
One of the biggest bike races Oxford has ever seen will take place in St Giles’ today. The street will be closed throughout the day to create a 1km oval circuit for the Halford Tour Series. There will be an all-women race and Oxford University will
THOUSANDS of people from across the country are gathering in London for a bit of flower power. But David Goode, from Oxford, was one exhibitor who didn’t have a plant in sight at the Chelsea Flower Show yesterday. And each year is like coming full
I have received various comments about my proposals for a minimum age of 30 for people to become teachers (ViewPoints, April 27). Many were favourable but I did receive minor criticism from parents of a number of young teachers, understandably supporting
IT was nice to read of Carol Vorderman making a call to people to donate money for a memorial to 55,573 forgotten RAF heroes. But let’s be fair, if these same airmen could possibly know how this once-great nation has been devastated by stupid politicians
WITH the debate on the recent local elections rumbling on in these pages, I am prompted to ask how much do the results really affect how the councils are run? Every district council and the county council have a chief executive being paid six-figure
IN response to Virginia Moffatt’s letter (Last Tuesday’s ViewPoints): yes, there is a big problem with oversubscription for primary school places in Oxford. Our Lady’s School is no exception, having been oversubscribed for the past few years. To meet
MY thanks to Councillor Bob Price for clarification on how Oxford City Council’s £1.6m for city schools “will be matched by additional county funding and managed in a jointly-agreed programme that will direct these funds into the schools in close co-operation
IN reply to John Newman’s letter (Charities not welcome, last Tuesday’s Oxford Mail ViewPoints) the RSPCA has looked into the concerns raised. We can confirm that while we do have the permission of Tesco to raise money and collect food for the many
AFTER a brief respite of four weeks, the county’s quizzers resumed hostilities last Thursday at the opening event of the 2012 Oxfordshire Summer Quiz League. A far slimmer version of the Winter campaign, 11 teams participate in two sections, Premier
CHERWELL LEAGUE Division 2 ABINGDON Vale bowled out Aston Rowant 2nd for only 81 and then did their best to throw away their advantage. Graham Charlesworth bowled with great control for Vale to claim 5-27, while left-arm seamer Danny Hartley chipped
A ground-share between Oxford United and London Welsh at the Kassam Stadium should benefit all parties, according to the rugby club’s chairman. The Exiles begin a two-legged Championship play-off away to Cornish Pirates tomorrow. Their historic Old
A MAN has appeared in court charged with murdering a grandmother in Horspath. Stewart Dale spoke only to give his date of birth and address and to confirm he understood proceedings at Oxford Magistrates’ Court yesterday. He is accused
THAMES Water last night denied reports that it was planning to end the hosepipe ban next month as it relaxed the restriction for businesses. Professional gardeners last night praised the firm after it lifted part of the restrictions of the hosepipe ban
OXFORD Spires Academy has been praised for its progress by Ofsted inspectors who said “good work” has been made towards raising standards. The monitoring inspection was the school’s first visit from Ofsted since it became an academy in January last year
POLICE divers have retrieved a mobility scooter from the River Thames in Abingdon after an elderly man fatally plunged into the water. The man, named locally as being known as Bill the Busman, died at about 9pm on Saturday after falling into the river
A car toppled over on the northbound M40 yesterday morning. The incident happened at around 7.20am between junction six for Watlington and junction seven for Thame and all three emergency services were called. One person was taken to hospital.
AMERICAN music star will.i.am flew into Oxford by helicopter yesterday for a whistle-stop tour of the city. The Black Eyed Peas front man visited Oxford University academics to learn about how climate climate change can be predicted. His visit had been
Bee Gee Robin Gibb wasn’t just a worldwide pop icon – he was a neighbour and friend to many in Thame. The 62-year-old, who had lived in the town with his wife Dwina since 1983, lost his battle with cancer on Sunday. But the huge outpouring
The way things are going, it won’t be long before there’s a spate of cutlery thefts... And sadly, that’s no joke. The criminal fraternity now seems hell-bent on stealing anything that even hints at being metal in nature. So it
RECORDS tumbled as two brothers thrillingly combined in a big home win for Cairns Fudge on Sunday, writes KIEREN BUSHNELL. The stars of the 145-run win against Deddington in Division 4 were the hosts’ openers, Andy and Chris Small. The pair put Deddington
TIM Martin’s brilliant unbeaten century was in vain for Swinbrook, who lost a thrilling Division 5 clash with Kilkenny by eight runs. Kilkenny posted 219 all out as Duncan Macdonald top-scored on 86. Martin’s 125 not out led Swinbrook’s chase, but they
Oxford United are believed to be closing in on their first signing of the summer. The target has yet to agree terms, but I understand a move could be completed as early as today. U’s boss Chris Wilder is only expecting to make minor changes to his squad
A GANG of copper thieves could have blacked out the whole city when they stole cabling from an electricity substation. It emerged yesterday just how close it came to hundreds of thousands of homes across the country being plunged into darkness
TOP chefs will be demonstrating their cooking skills at this year’s Wallingford’s Food Festival. Gary Jones, executive head chef at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in Great Milton, will open the festival, which runs from 10am to 5pm on Saturday
CHIPPING Norton School has been given the thumbs up by Ofsted inspectors just weeks after the school converted to an academy. The school, which has more than 1,000 pupils, was visited by inspectors on April 25 and 26, having converted to an academy on
MAGDALEN College’s plan to extend its historic library is set to be approved despite concerns it would “obliterate” part of the building’s heritage. The Grade II listed library, which was home to Magdalen College School until 1928, was built between
VOLUNTEERS at Didcot Railway Centre recreated a train track conversion from 120 years ago. In 1892 some 4,700 men converted 177 miles of Great Western Railway broad gauge track, designed by Brunel, to the narrow standard gauge being used everywhere
YOUNGSTERS are celebrating after a drab 1970s school was transformed into a “modern and fresh” building. North Hinksey School in North Hinksey Lane has created a new classroom, new offices and reorganised the school to create a welcoming new entrance
On the 19 and 20 May 2012 a thousand members of Girlguiding Oxfordshire, from rainbows aged five to the more mature members of the Trefoil Guild, got together for a celebration of the Queens Jubilee which included fun, challenge and adventure. The buzz
