Archive

  • Hard Reign

    ANDREW FFRENCH gets into Jubilee mood with our latest Book of the Month that’s all about the Queen THE BOOK: THERE’S no better time time for a Royal knees-up than when the economy is in crisis. The Silver Jubilee in 1977 certainly

  • London's Calling

    KATHERINE MACALISTER knows all the right places to spend a stylish time celebrating the Queen’s jubilee It’s easy to be patriotic when the sun comes out. But with so much for us to enjoy over the coming months Britain really will get to

  • Hic Hic Hooray!

    Are you tired of street parties where pints and Pimm’s are the only libation? Are you longing for the perfect place to be seen supping that trendy cocktail and attracting a bit of attention? For jubilee tipples, London is the place to toast Her Majesty

  • Webb Sight

    West End star Marti Webb talks to GILL OLIVER about nerves, her long career and her upcoming role in 42nd Street. West End star Marti Webb has been treading the boards for five decades but confesses she is a still a bag of nerves before

  • Get Hooked

    Joy Division and New Order legend Peter Hook tells TIM HUGHES why the time is right to celebrate the underrated debut album. AT the tail end of the 1970s, an unlikely looking bunch of skinny lads from Salford released a record that would

  • Pupils rope in funds during day-long skip

    HUNDREDS of Oxford pupils jumped for joy during a day-long sponsored skip. Children at Windale Community Primary School skipped on Wednesday to raise money for their PE fund and for the British Heart Foundation. The event was planned

  • A gem of an offer

    DIAMONDS are forever, and as we prepare to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Bonhams of Oxford is donating thousands of pounds from its latest auction to help create a legacy for the county’s charities. Bonhams, which has its saleroom at Shipton-on-Cherwell

  • Edible Jubilee

    If you thought the Jubilee weekend was all about the Queen, then think again. Your stomach also has a large part to play this Bank Holiday which is why there’s so much going on in Oxfordshire’s restaurants and pubs. So to celebrate food in all its majesty

  • Grande Dame

    First lady of opera, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa talks to KATHERINE MACALISTER as she gets ready to head to Oxford to sing with the BBC Concert Orchestra for the Jubilee. It is early when I speak to Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, breakfast time actually.

  • Jubilee Fanfare

    TIM HUGHES dons his Union Jack waistcoat in readiness for the musical answer to the weekend’s celebrations – a two-day festival of music, dancing and cake, called the Jubilee Jam. BREAK out the bunting, light the beacons and hoist the red

  • Come and enjoy some country life

    OXFORD’S urbanites can swap city life for a taste of the countryside on Sunday. The Young Farmers’ County Show and Rally is being hosted by the Witney branch of the Young Farmers this year, but will involve clubs across the county, including Abingdon

  • ATHLETICS: England's Olympic trials scare

    OXFORD City star Hannah England faces an uphill battle to compete at the Olympic trials after suffering an Achilles injury. England, who won a surprise silver in the 1,500 metres in Daegu last year, was spiked during a race in Hengelo on Sunday

  • Local shares (PM)

    AEA Technology 0.21 BMW 4874 Electrocomponents 200.9 Nationwide Accident Repair 68.5 Oxford Biomedica 2.95 Oxford Catalysts 55.25 Oxford Instruments 1157 Reed Elsevier 477.1 RM 76.6 RPS Group 207.75 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • UPDATE: Cries of joy as guilty verdicts read out

    A MAN convicted of murdering his wife and mother-in-law will be sentenced tomorrow. Twenty-two-year-old Ensar Gol was found guilty by jurors at Oxford Crown Court this afternoon. The seven women and five men unanimously convicted him

  • Man guilty of murder of wife and mother-in-law

    A MAN has been convicted of murdering his wife and mother-in-law. Twenty-two-year-old Ensar Gol was found guilty by jurors at Oxford Crown Court this afternoon. The seven women and five men convicted him of two charges of murder and

  • RUGBY UNION: London Welsh confirm appeal to RFU

    LONDON Welsh will appeal the Rugby Football Union (RFU)'s ruling which deemed their plans to bring Premiership rugby to the Kassam Stadium ineligible. The Exiles' board met this morning to discuss their options in the wake of their 66-41 aggregate

  • Shop gets £140,000 makeover

    A shop which has served Blackbird Leys for almost 50 years has been given a £140,000 makeover. Delteys Supermarket has a completely new look after Manoj Rajgor, who bought it with business partner Bhavesh Patel a year ago, recognised its importance to

  • Recipe for rapid growth

    Oxfordshire stands to gain immediately from the Government’s mid-term decision to shift away from unalleviated austerity to a £200m cash injection for small businesses. Oxford Innovation, the company set up back in 1984 by Sir Martin and Lady Wood,

  • Making a point against Amazon

    A publisher is taking a stand against Internet giant Amazon by supplying independent bookshops with an early edition of a book expected to become a big seller. Jon Carpenter, of the Wychwood Press, in Charlbury, is publishing a semi-autobiographical

  • Eye of the tiger

    You are a firefighter in a building filled with black, noxious smoke. Suddenly the floor collapses beneath you. Fear not. Help is at hand with equipment, called Naviseer, that can locate your exact location even in areas that global positioning systems

  • Jury go out in double murder trial

    The jury has gone out in the trial of Ensar Gol, the Thame man accused of murdering his wife and mother in law. Five men and seven women at Oxford Crown Court retired at 1.16pm today, to consider the week long case. Gol denies murdering

  • An airport with a vibrant history and a big future

    IT was bombed during the war, was the location of a mysterious disappearance and was used by Sir Winston Churchill. London Oxford Airport, near Kidlington, has a rich and vibrant 80-year history and in September that will be celebrated with nostalgic

  • Body found in city centre flat

    POLICE were called to investigate after a man's body was found in a city centre flat this morning. Forensic teams and detectives were called to the flat just off St Aldate’s. It is believed the man, in his 60s, died of natural causes

  • Publisher makes a point against Amazon

    A PUBLISHER is taking a stand against Internet giant Amazon by supplying independent bookshops with an early edition of a book expected to become a big seller. Jon Carpenter, of the Wychwood Press, in Charlbury, is publishing a semi-autobiographical

  • Local shares

    AEA Technology 0.21 BMW 5028 Electrocomponents 205.1 Nationwide Accident Repair 68.5 Oxford Biomedica 2.75 Oxford Catalysts 53.75 Oxford Instruments 1157.5 Reed Elsevier 481.9 RM 75.9 RPS Group 207.7 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Leys shop gets £140,000 makeover

    A SHOP which has served Blackbird Leys for almost 50 years has been given a £140,000 makeover. Delteys Supermarket has a completely new look after Manoj Rajgor, who bought it with business partner Bhavesh Patel a year ago, recognised its importance

  • Customer feedback fuels bus shake-up

    BUS operator Thames Travel is making major changes to its services next week, with new timetables, revised routes and extra services being added to its network. Many of the changes, which come into effect from Monday, follow a county council

  • Hi-Lo owner avoids jail for hacksaw attack

    A RASTAFARIAN cafe owner from East Oxford has narrowly avoided jail for attacking a customer with a hacksaw. Hugh "Andy" Anderson, who runs the Hi-Lo Jamaican Eating House in Cowley Road, Oxford, was handed a suspended prison sentence this

  • House next to golf club in perfect lie

    An eight-bedroom family house is set in four acres of grounds and close to a golf course. Beechfield House in Frilford Heath is a 1930s home with plenty of period features including open fireplaces, high ceilings and some original wood panelling

  • Walton Street apartment is ideal city pad

    A contemporary three-bedroom apartment in the heart of Jericho is ideal for someone who wants to experience city life, according to agents. The duplex in Walton Street has access to the communal gardens and comes with a residential parking permit. Lizanne

  • Hundreds expected to attend repatriation

    Hundreds of people are expected to turn out across the county to pay their respects during today’s repatriation. Captain Stephen Healey, from 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday. The plane carrying the 29-year-old’s

  • Tempting offers that can make a big difference

    A range of offers designed to tempt buyers has been made available for new properties at a north Oxfordshire development. At the Woodland Garden site in Bloxham, Bewley Homes is offering a choice of either a mortgage subsidy worth £350 a month

  • Penthouse just a hop, skip and jump from gym

    A penthouse apartment offering fantastic views but within easy reach of Oxford city centre would make an ideal home for a busy professional. The three-bedroom property in Elizabeth Jennings Way, off Woodstock Road, North Oxford, looks out over Keble

  • RAF Brize Norton maintenance contract is signed

    The Ministry of Defence has signed a three-year, £350m contract for maintenance of the Royal Air Force’s fleet of Hercules transport aircraft, based at RAF Brize Norton. The deal with Marshall Aerospace will support 500 UK jobs.

  • BOWLS: Campion lands last-gasp victory

    Les Campion snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a superb last bowl to give Banbury Central a 3.5-2.5 win over Division 1 leaders Carterton in the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries. Campion was the only winning skip for

  • BOWLS: Ful and Bennett triumph

    Carterton's Ryan Full and Chadlington’s Orren Bennett triumphed in the second Oxfordshire Under 25s pairs competition at Kidlington BC. They took the honours with victory over last year’s winner Darren Wakeman (Carterton) and Jamie Cowley (Oxford City

  • BOWLS: Oxon hit back to savour success

    Oxfordshire mounted a fantastic rearguard action to win their opening Home Counties League game 122-106 against Surrey at Egham BC. Despite skips Alan Ley and Calvin Carpenter leading throughout, Oxon trailed until the 15th end. But,

  • AMERICAN FOOTBALL: Saints continue great start to season

    Oxford Saints continued their impressive start to the BAFA Division 2 West season with a 42-6 victory over Bristol Apache at Abingdon RFC. After a 41-0 victory over Gloucester in their opening match, Saints again showed that they are capable of challenging

  • BOWLS: Hawes and Galletly get England calls

    Oxfordshire's Katherine Hawes and Carole Galletly are celebrating call-ups to the Bowls England women’s senior international team. Hawes (Oxford City & County) and Galletly (Banbury Central) will be representing their country in the British Isles International

  • Train speed irrelevant to bats, rail inquiry hears

    RESIDENTS fighting proposals for a fast Oxford to London Rail link suffered an early blow at the public inquiry into the £130m scheme. A submission from Natural England confirmed their worst fears about the loss of a powerful ally. It said:

  • Local author Robin Dunbar

    Robin Dunbar is Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Oxford University and author of The Trouble with Science and How Many Friends Does One Person Need? His latest book, The Science of Love and Betrayal (Faber, £12.99), assembles the evidence —

  • Walking the Hexagon by Terry Cudbird

    Walking the Hexagon by Terry Cudbird (Signal, £12.99)Terry Cudbird, of the Oxford Ramblers, could have opted for a quiet life when he retired from a career as marketing director of WH Smith. But instead he decided to devise a 4,000-mile walk around France

  • John Ruskin's Praeterita, Oxford World's Classics

    John Ruskin's Praeterita, edited by Francis O’Gorman. Oxford University Press, £10.99, reviewed by Bernard RichardsPraeterita is one of the very best autobiographies of the 19th century. This new edition is in the Oxford World’s Classics series, and comes

  • Cycling success

    Sir – The Halfords tour event was a tremendous success in many ways. The clever people at St John’s were right that attendance could have been higher, but wrong about their implied conclusion. The event could do with much better promotion. Many people

  • Church schools can convert to academies says diocese

    THE Diocese of Oxford has set up a trust to allow church schools to convert to academies under its umbrella. The diocese has 281 schools, including 120 in Oxfordshire. But education director Anne Davey said not all schools were expected to convert –

  • RUGBY UNION: London Welsh gear up for new battle

    London Welsh chairman Bleddyn Phillips has vowed to launch an appeal to secure Premiership rugby in Oxford as soon as possible. Phillips saw the Exiles defeat Cornish Pirates 66-41 on aggregate in their Championship final after the second leg at the

  • Woman who attacked paramedic spared jail

    A DRUNK woman launched into a violent rage after paramedics said her father was not gravely ill. Alison Shire had dialled 999 and told operators her father needed urgent medical help, a judge was told. But when the ambulance crew said

  • Pitching in to save club

    VILLAGERS are in a race against time to raise £45,000 to buy a piece of land and secure the future of their cricket club. Two years ago a 99-year lease between Fringford Cricket Club and the Chinnor Trust to use the land for sport came to end

  • BOWLS: Sparkes clocks up cup century

    Carterton's Baden Sparkes makes his 100th Middleton Cup appearance as Oxfordshire open their campaign against Hampshire at Oxford City & County on Saturday (2pm). Sparkes skips a rink on his landmark appearance in the Group 2 South clash, which sees

  • ATHLETICS: Joy for Jegou

    PAUL Jegou bagged his third multi-terrain victory of 2012 with success in the Wallingford Thames 10K. The White Horse Harrier clocked 35mins 33secs to finish ten seconds clear of second-placed Nick Jones (Newbury). Jegou triumphed in hot and testing

  • ATHLETICS: Naylor hindered by heat

    WOODSTOCK’S Steve Naylor finished 20th at the Bupa London 10,000, which was won by British Olympic medal hopeful Mo Farah. Naylor helped his first claim club Bedford & County to sixth place in the team competition, completing the 10K race in 31mins 3secs

  • ATHLETICS: Muskwe hopes for Olympic berth

    RADLEY’S Osman Muskwe is hoping to represent Zimbabwe at the London Olympics after finishing fourth in the decathlon at the England Athletics Combined Events Championships. Muskwe, 26, scored 6,780 points in Bedford to break his own Radley record, despite

  • Europeans lack vision

    POOR old Englebert Humperdinck – those tasteless Europeans lack any concept of class or culture. DAVID DIMENT, Riverside Court, Oxford

  • Cyclists need education

    AS an avid Oxford Mail reader and keen cyclist, I read about the £840,000 that is going to be spent on improving safety blackspots around Oxford, as well as filling up potholes and painting lines. I think some of that money should be spent on some form

  • Time for better budgeting

    IT WAS really interesting reading the opinion councillor Angela Lawrence was trying to get across in the Big Issue (Tuesday’s Oxford Mail), thinking of sensible options regarding the Diamond Jubilee, ensuring it still gets celebrated and remembered but

  • Reserve coach seats

    TRAVELLERS from Oxford to Gatwick using the Oxford Bus Company’s Airline coaches should be aware that seats are not guaranteed and that these coaches do get very full and sometimes have to leave passengers behind if they have not booked seats. This

  • ATHLETICS: Fajemisin gets helping hand

    OXFORD City ace Simi Fajemisin sailed to the top of the UK under 15 rankings with a mammoth wind-asssisted long jump. Fajemisin leapt to 5.71m in the Under 15 and Under 20 South of England Inter-County Track and Field Championships at Tilsley Park, Abingdon

  • COMMENT: Seeing the light

    Well done to Oxford City Council for being big enough to admit to a mistake. It was well-meaning, of course, but its plan to record all conversations in Oxford’s taxis was flawed from the start. Now it has agreed to reconsult on its

  • Get patrols back on road

    AS we have seen many tragic accidents that have occurred since the speed cameras were switched back on, I would suggest that Thames Valley Police and the council switch them back off again with immediate effect. The police should go back to patrolling

  • Totalitarian tendencies

    MR JK Sanders writes a potent letter (Oxford Mail ViewPoints, May 25) and will know that the kind of resistance to academisation by parents, pupils, staff, and other interested parties, as seen in the opposition to Oxford School becoming the Spires Academy

  • We are paying the price for decades of neglect

    THE closure of Temple Cowley pool, the flooding problems over recent years and now the water shortages all have one thing in common – they were, and are, all primarily caused by decades of neglect. Temple Cowley pool has been allowed to fall into disrepair

  • Come and view it for yourself

    THE freshly-painted signwriting proudly displayed beneath the front facing window of the newly-refurbished Cowley Retreat (formerly the Hobgoblin), which has been the subject of previous correspondence over the choice of name, reads “Fine wines fresh

  • Shoppers need brollies at the ready

    WELL, we knew it wouldn’t last. Oxford was drenched with rain after days of glorious sunshine yesterday. Shoppers kitted out in summer clothes dived for cover as storms hit. Today is expected to be mostly dry but cooler with temperatures reaching a

  • GOLF: Chipping Norton hold nerve at Drayton Park

    ALL three matches went to the final hole as Chipping Norton won 3-0 at Drayton Park in Section 1 of the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League. Matt Johnson and George Kay won on the 18th to finish two up against Nick Elmey and Darren Morton

  • GOLF: Hinton storms to Welsh title

    AN EXCELLENT final round saw Craig Hinton cruise to a seven-shot victory in the Welsh Open Stroke Play Championship. The Oxfordshire professional shot a five-under-par 67 in the fourth round at Prestatyn to close on seven-under. He was

  • DOUBLE MURDER TRIAL: Accused calls evidence 'a joke'

    THE man accused of murdering his wife and mother-in-law told jurors “it was a joke” that anyone could think he did it. Ensar Gol also told his trial he was referring to ending the relationship when he said he would “cut” the pair. The defendant was

  • Packed show abandoned as actress falls ill

    THEY say the show must go on – but that proved impossible at the opening night of a production at the Oxford Playhouse. Mary Shelley opened to packed audiences on Tuesday evening but hit a stumbling block when one of the lead actresses fainted. Audiences

  • GOLF: Mixed results for girls

    OXFORDSHIRE’S junior girls won one and lost one in their annual matches against Hampshire and Berkshire. The team, captained by Abi Laker (Frilford Heath), ran out 4½-2½ winners against Hamshire at Badgemore Park, Henley. But they fared less well at

  • Police seized haul of metal at scrapyards

    A WAR memorial plaque, more than £400,000 in cash and firearms were seized by police during a string of raids on scrapyards. Officers also took away crushed antique and church silver, nine tons of copper, 15 tons of Scottish Southern electricity cable

  • Oxford United wait on new Rovers offer for Constable

    Oxford United are waiting to see if Bristol Rovers will respond with an improved offer after turning down an initial bid for James Constable. The U’s confirmed a formal approach for their top scorer had been rejected, but it is unlikely to end the dialogue

  • Driving examiners go on strike

    DRIVING examiners and other staff at Oxford's Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency office will stage a walkout tomorrow. The two-hour strike at the office in Cambridge Terrace will start at 3pm and is part of a nationwide protest, which will involve

  • JUBILEE: 160-plus events planned to mark occasion

    THOUSANDS of people in every corner of Oxfordshire will toast the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee this weekend. Organisers are putting the finishing touches to more than 160 street parties and scores of other celebrations taking place over the four-day

  • Bee Gees star's funeral will be private

    THAME: The funeral of Bee Gees star Robin Gibb, pictured, will take place at St Mary’s Church on Friday, June 8, at 2pm. A statement issued on behalf of his family said yesterday: “The funeral will be a private service for close family and friends.”

  • Inquest into cyclist's death opened

    EYNSHAM: An inquest was yesterday opened into the death of a part-time firefighter who died after he was involved in a collision with a car while cycling. Joe Wilkins, 39, of Evans Road, Eynsham, died on Thursday evening in Eaton Road near Appleton.

  • COMMENT: Time to cheer and feel great about Britain

    Sixty years in the making. A year stocking up on barbecue essentials. And a last-minute panic this week to scoop up bunting. Phew, the Jubilee celebrations are kicking off and, yes, it has felt like a two-month-long Christmas Eve. But

  • JUBILEE: 160-plus events planned to mark occasion

    THOUSANDS of people in every corner of Oxfordshire will toast the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee this weekend. Organisers are putting the finishing touches to more than 160 street parties and scores of other celebrations taking place over the four-day weekend

  • JUBILEE: 160-plus events planned to mark occasion

    THOUSANDS of people in every corner of Oxfordshire will toast the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee this weekend. Organisers are putting the finishing touches to more than 160 street parties and scores of other celebrations taking place over the four-day weekend

  • Questionnaire about flooding

    OXON: Residents are being encouraged to fill in a questionnaire about how they have been affected by flooding to help plan future prevention work. To respond by July 5, visit tinyurl.com/7qyglb4. For information call 01865 815571.

  • Two days to fix a water leak

    MILTON HEIGHTS: Thames Water has been criticised for taking about 48 hours to fix a water leak. Karen Dodd, 52, of Mackenzie Avenue, Milton Heights, said water began leaking on Saturday night from a metal cover in the pavement outside her two-bedroom

  • JUBILEE: Schoolchildren say cheers to the Queen

    CHILDREN at Sunningwell Primary School celebrated as they were given their special Jubilee mugs yesterday. They were given the commemorative tokens by Abingdon mayor Monica Lovatt and leader of Abingdon Town Council Sandy Lovatt. Headteacher

  • JUBILEE: Celebrations will light up whole county

    BUNTING, picnics and fireworks will light up town and city centres for the weekend’s Jubilee celebrations. For everyone not going along to a street party – and for some who are – councils around Oxfordshire have made sure residents will not

  • Lasting regeneration

    Sir – As Oxfordshire Artweeks draws to its close we have to be proud of the wonderful evidence of local creativity it has yet again revealed. In difficult economic times it is worth remembering and celebrating the capacity of individuals to make beautiful

  • Appropriate sites

    Sir – The CPRE is glad that the Vale of White Horse District Council has abandoned its Interim Housing Supply Policy (IHSP), together with its implications for first-come, first-served development on green-field sites. No new survey had been carried

  • Big problem

    Sir – I was surprised to read in your report of roadworks on the Botley Road (May 24) that these included making the entrance to the western arm of North Hinksey Lane two-way. As it happens, this is the only element of the scheme that is subject to local

  • Strong leadership

    Sir – I have stood down after six years as a city councillor. It has been an interesting experience. I have met a great range of people in my ward, really enjoyed working for residents and trying to do what I could for the preservation of what is special

  • Chris enjoys himself

    Sir – We Chris Gray fans were hugely disappointed last week when we were promised a photo of him enjoying a glass of wine at a café in the Monastiraki flea market in Athens only to be confronted with an enlargement of the smaller picture — perhaps he

  • Welcome contribution

    Sir – For many years, volunteers in the Oxford League of Friends at the John Radcliffe Hospital have been given credit for their work. The hundred or more volunteers in the tea rooms and cafeteria of the JR and the millions of other volunteers in Britain

  • Super-fluent skills

    Sir – Since the announcement of Roy Hodgson as the new England manager most of the media seem to have concentrated on his ability to be fluent in five or six languages and a little less so in three or four others. It is the word fluent that bothers

  • Tough exercises will improve your play

    The chess problem this week comes without a solution since it is the starter problem of the 2012-13 Winton Capital British Chess Solving Championship. After the closing date of July 31, all entrants will be sent a copy of The Problemist magazine and

  • Orwell’s vision on 7.21

    Sir – The idea of announcers on trains cracking jokes for travellers’ amusement has a superficial appeal (Plan to keep passengers amused is a cunning one, May 17). But a moment’s thought leads one to realise that not everyone will be pleased.

  • Still a ‘creepy’ spot

    Sir – How I enjoyed reading about the row over the Trap Grounds. I agree totally with Dr Tim King — open the place up, let the children in, etc. Trouble is, I’ve always found the place creepy and uninviting. The lake is lovely, the new walkway

  • Stay safe

    It brings us no pleasure to have to report on the deaths of four people on the roads in the area in the space of just one week. A respected part-time firefighter, a school teacher and two young men all lost their lives. Of course the circumstances surrounding

  • Rotary is nowhere near as stuffy as you might think

    Since it began in 1985, the Rotary Club of Woodstock has raised nearly £200,000 and has helped over 100 local causes. The club recently made the move to widen its catchment area and attract new members, renaming itself as the Rotary Club of Woodstock

  • Not an Olympic pool

    Sir – Tony Williams’s letter (May 10) made an excellent case for resisting the folly of destroying two popular facilities and replacing them with a hugely expensive pool, for which there does not appear to be any popular support. I would like to point

  • Invaluable record

    Sir – I was at the notoriously noisy AGM of the St Margaret’s Area Society on May 11 because of an element not mentioned in your report of May 17. The chairman, Dr Tim King is my brother- in- law. So I had heard that the author Tim Pears (aka Piers)

  • Successful campaign

    Sir – The five letters published last week (May 24) about access to the Trap Grounds all miss the point. The issue is about a hole in a fence, whether or not residents of the whole parish and the nearby school need it, and whether or not it would make

  • Loyal toast

    After a gloomy, freezing winter and the seemingly never-ending tide of economic bad news, county residents finally have something to smile about. The sun is out and celebrations for The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee are getting into full swing. Oxfordshire

  • Divert roads cash

    Sir — I recently received a request to take part in a consultation from the county council on the proposed traffic improvements to the Kennington and Hinksey Hill roundabouts. It is difficult to see the purpose of this consultation since I am told on

  • The next literary sensation

    Being hailed as “the next J.K. Rowling” might weigh heavily on the shoulders of some. But as a 20-year-old student who hasn’t yet seen her name on a book cover, Samantha Shannon has more pressing issues. Yesterday there was an essay on The Winter’s Tale

  • Parky at the Pictures (DVD 31/5/2012)

    Gene Kelly considered it his proudest moment. The American song-and-dance man, whose centenary will be celebrated this August, was in London for the Coronation and was watching the people packed onto the pavements in the light drizzle that was singularly

  • Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 31/5/2012)

    Forbidding environments link fours of the films on general release this week. One takes place in a timeless anywhere that could easily be the past, while another is resolutely set in the present and the remaining pair have a bleakly futuristic feel. At

  • £2m church hall plan gets approval at last

    A NORTH Oxford church hopes to make it a year to remember after its £2m scheme for a new church hall was approved by Oxford City Council. St Andrew’s Church, in Linton Road, plans to replace temporary buildings with a two-storey extension and is now

  • The favourite words used by county’s young writers

    INVENTION, hunter and apple are three of the most popular words used by some of Oxfordshire’s youngest writers. More than 74,000 children sent in stories to BBC Radio 2’s 500 Words short story competition, 1,162 of them from Oxfordshire. Oxford University

  • First scheme to exclusively use electric vehicles

    AN electric car club should soon be operating in North Oxford, one of two communities chosen for a national pilot scheme. The organisers claim it will be the UK’s first wholly electric car club and will hit the road later this year. The pilot will see