OXFORDSHIRE bread will be on the official Olympic Games menu, but the company involved cannot be named because it is not an official sponsor. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) this week revealed a sample menu of the
AFTER living with a dilapidated play area for decades, the children of Sunningwell – including Christian Vaikona, six – finally have a new one, thanks to a £37,000 investment. The new play area is complete with slides for small children and older ones
AN Oxford school which went into special measures in January has been given a positive report at its first monitoring inspection. Overall, Cutteslowe Primary School in Wren Road was told it had made satisfactory progress, and aspects of teaching, learning
HEALTH chiefs are urging residents to think before contacting NHS services ahead of an expected surge in demand over the bank holiday break. A spokesman for NHS Oxfordshire, responsible for community health services, said people should have a well-stocked
A KNIFEMAN on the run sparked a police search in Berinsfield. Officers were called to Colne Drive at 11.32am today to reports of a man who had run out of a house with a kitchen knife. A number of patrol cars and the police helicopter
A 45-year-old woman has been fined after admitting benefit fraud. Amanda Biggs, of Sturt Close, Charlbury, was sentenced at Oxford Magistrates’ Court after she pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining housing and council tax benefits. In total she
A WITNEY primary school will be transformed into a music festival next month for the annual Battstock festival. It is the third year the Batt Primary School, in Marlborough Lane, has hosted the event and organisers hope some 600 people will
POLICE were called to an incident in Berinsfield earlier today. Residents said a number of patrol cars and the helicopter were called to the scene this morning. There are unconfirmed reports the incident may have involved a man with a knife but
MORE than 600 bags of rubbish were collected by Cherwell residents in a community clean-up of the district. Cherwell District Council said this year’s spring clean event from March 30 to May 14 was the biggest ever. Almost 50 organisations, including
THE man who has led the mass expansion of Helen & Douglas House charity shops in Oxfordshire is moving on after seven years. David Cryer joined the hospice charity as head of retail in 2005, when only one shop was trading, in Oxford’s Covered Market.
Like competitors on the BBC show Junior Apprentice, youngsters at a West Oxfordshire primary school were asked to come up with money-making schemes. About 100 pupils aged four to 11 at Leafield Primary School, near Burford, took part in an enterprise
DO you know any of these happy campers? If so, the 1st Wallingford Guides would like to hear from you. The group will mark its centenary this month, and ahead of the celebrations Guide leaders want help to identify the women and girls in the photograph
A PRIMARY school pupil given the opportunity to be headteacher for a day said the best part was the power. Eleven-year-old Grace Harraway spent Thursday bossing teachers about, judging a competition and leading an assembly at Eynsham Primary School.
NEIGHBOURS are stringing out the bunting and getting ready to pop the Champagne corks as the first of Oxfordshire’s Jubilee celebrations are getting under way. Parties are starting in Marston, Abingdon and Wantage this afternoon as youngsters get
OXFORD'S Christ Church Meadow was the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland, and a century later the landscape of Jericho formed the backdrop to Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. Now a futuristic Oxford will be immortalised by an undergraduate
A GRANDMOTHER is enjoying spending quality time with her grandchildren thanks to an East Oxford theatre. Viv Peto, from Cowley, first discovered her love of the stage ten years ago after signing up for projects at the Pegasus Theatre. Since then,
Members of the Heythrop Hunt have been accused of illegal fox hunting. The hunt and four individuals, including Julian Barnfield, 48, of Kennel Lane, Chipping Norton, are accused of hunting foxes with dogs. Charges were brought by the RSPCA
Susan Paton, 51, is the fourth winner of the Oxford Mail competition to win a pair of round-the-world flights. The 51-year-old said: “I do not win things like this. I am absolutely gob-smacked.” We have teamed up with airshow Fly to the Past to offer
The funeral of 25-year-old mum Jade Parr, who died suddenly at her home in Territorial Way, Wood Farm, on Sunday, will take place on Thursday, June 14. The service will start at 1pm at the Church of the Holy Family, Blackbird Leys. Donations are being
Staff at a Woodstock hotel will have no trouble celebrating their latest achievement. The Feathers Hotel, in Market Square, was officially recognised by Guinness World Records yesterday as having the planet’s largest gin collection. The bar has 161
JULIET Gardner’s half-century proved in vain as Oxfordshire Under 15 girls lost their opening ECB County Championship clash against Bucks at Tiddington. Winning the toss, Oxon put their visitors in, and they bowled and fielded well to restrict
An “inspirational” headteacher who turned a struggling school into an outstanding establishment has died. Clare Critchley, 54, lost her battle against ovarian cancer on Tuesday, the day of her 30th wedding anniversary. Her husband Ian
OXFORD Lions beat Team United Birmingham 5-2 to win the Futsal Community Shield at the FA National Grassroots Football Show in Birmingham. It means that in their debut season, Lions’ roll of honour has been extended to Midlands League champions, FA Futsal
BEN Watson, 22, from St Birinus, Didcot, won the 105kg group title at the British Senior Championships in South Normanton Derbyshire – the club’s first senior champion. Watson lifted 145kg for the snatch to equal the British Under 23 record. He also
The owner of a pop-up shop which sold fake designer clothes has been jailed for a year. Matthew Croxson set up Labels 4 Less in the former Borders bookstore in Magdalen Street, Oxford, before it became a Tesco. The 42-year-old was sentenced at Oxford
Henrietta Knight, who was out of luck with The Queen’s Harvest Song at Stratford last night, has her final runners at Fontwell tomorrow before retiring from training. Knight, who famously sent out Best Mate from her West Lockinge stables, near Wantage
CITY of Oxford members had a day to savour when they took part in the Northampton meet at Corby East Midlands pool. Among the swimmers taking part were a number of Great Britain’s Olympic hopefuls. City came away with four gold medals courtesy of Jack
BARTHOLEMEW School (Eynsham) are to provide pupils with more sporting opportunities by introducing rugby league onto the curriculum, the first dual-code school in the county. Pictured are the team who competed in the 1908 cup, their first taste of rugby
Alex Cross (Cokethorpe School, Witney) soared to a record clearance in the junior girls’ high jump at the North Oxon Athletics Trials at Horspath Road, Oxford. She cleared 1.58m – a national entry height – to beat the mark set by Chipping Norton
SEB Hickman took five wickets in five balls as Abingdon beat Bartholomew (Eynsham) by 156 runs in the Under 14 Lord’s Taverners Trophy. Hickman’s haul came after Abingdon had compiled 202-1, Harry Davies top-scoring with an unbeaten 54. Another bowler
OXFORDSHIRE Under 12s cruised to a nine-wicket victory over Wiltshire at Cokethorpe School. The visitors’ scoring rate was severely restricted by a tight bowling and fielding performance from Oxon. Alex Lowe took 4-10 in eight overs as Wiltshire reached
TRAINER Michael Peterson, recently fined £5,000 and warned off indefinitely after two positive samples, is to appeal against the verdict. Peterson has sent 20 of his hounds to race in Denmark, and sold some others, leaving just ten awaiting homing by
OXON: Two county charities have been given royal approval for their good work. Carterton Lions Club and The Falcon Rowing and Canoeing Club have been given The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2012. They are two of the 112 winners selected from 250
NINE-YEAR-OLD Pat Johnson, from Bayworth, was pictured with her sister Margaret next to a celebratory cake baked by their mother, Dorothy Taylor, for the Coronation in 1953. Now a 69-year-old grandmother, Mrs Johnson said: “We have since made the cake
NORTH Leigh are vowing to take action against Oxfordshire rivals Didcot Town, claiming they broke rules in announcing they had signed four of their players. Didcot last week released a statement which said that Elliott Osborne-Ricketts, Morgan Williams
SIXTY years ago, the eyes of Oxfordshire – and the rest of the world – turned towards a young 25-year-old woman about to be proclaimed Queen. Elizabeth, soon to be British monarch and Head of the Commonwealth, discovered her father had died on February
STRAWBERRY picking marked the start of celebrations at Wood Farm Primary School. A group of pupils from the Titup Hall Drive school were sent on a fruit-picking mission gathering strawberries for the whole school to enjoy at a street party. Year Five
BANBURY: A street was closed over fears of a gas leak after a car crashed into a front garden. The red Ford Fiesta went into the garden of a Marlborough Road home at about 11.20am yesterday. The driver was not injured.
THE more one looks into the set-up for the London Olympics, the more certain it is that the revellery and success of it will only be down to the public and not the lifeless organisers behind it. It’s not really a big deal that an Oxfordshire bakery can
MATT Ryman is this year’s Predator Spring League champion. He wrapped up the trophy with victory in the final match at Butler’s Hill. Even though the fish were spawning and conditions were sweltering, weights were quite good from the 19 anglers. Ryman
THE £8,000 Ladbrokes Pall Mall field at Oxford Stadium later this month is set to feature a Derby finalist for the first time in seven years. Coolavanny Bert, third in last weekend’s Derby, is lined up for the group one event in what looks set to be
THE Terry Kibble-trained Queen Vic will be an apt winner if she takes the Craig Shurey Last Night of Freedom Stakes on a card littered with royal connections at Oxford Stadium tonight. The card kicks off with the Buckingham Palace Stakes and ends with
NEW Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers yesterday promised he will “fight for his life” to bring success and ultimately the title to Anfield. Rodgers’s career will now be very much under the microscope, but a little known fact is that he played for Witney
ANYONE looking for a more artistic take on the Jubilee can get their fill at this Oxfordshire gallery. From today, West Oxon Arts, based in Bampton’s Town Hall, is showing off around 50 different portraits of The Queen. To celebrate the Jubilee the
Last week a friend asked for a parade of feathered ladies for his birthday. I assumed he was hoping for a burlesque routine festooned in Jubilee boas, but he actually wanted a sackful of chickens to peck in his grass. Oxfordshire is the most rural
LINEAR Fisheries bailiff Jason Rudge, from Garsington, used his local knowlege well to land the mirror carp known as ‘The Sergeant’ at 40.14.0 from Gaunt’s Lake. He also had two other mirrors of 38lb and 34lb, plus a 31lb common on Aqua Dynamix Edge
A fishing organisation has heavily criticised a controversial decision to allow a hydropower development on the River Thames in Abingdon. Members of the Angling Trust have reacted angrily to the news the Environment Agency has approved an application
WITNEY: A stuffed pike fish was stolen from a house in Curbridge Road in a burglary. The 38lb fish was displayed in a large glass case with a dome shaped front, and was labelled in gold writing on the outside with its weight and the fact it was caught
DIDCOT: A 35-year-old man arrested on suspicion of sexual assault after a string of alleged attacks in the town was last night still being questioned by police. The incidents, involving teenage girls and women and a man on a black bicycle, happened at
HAYLEY MILLER is a lesson to us all. No matter how low you seemingly sink, hard work and a bit of inspiration could drag you back. Hayley Miller ended up at the age of 15 living among alcoholics and drug addicts in a hostel. There was an obvious danger
OXFORD United have received a new, improved, offer from Bristol Rovers for striker James Constable. And the U’s say that they will consider the bid over the weekend before making a decision on whether it meets their valuation. Rovers
FOOTBALL League clubs have voted in favour of the reintroduction of seven substitutes from next season. Oxford United chairman Kelvin Thomas confirmed that the U’s were one of the clubs who backed the proposal, which sees the strength of the bench return
The family of Jack Varney, who died in a car crash near Didcot, last night paid tribute to the “ambitious young man” who was a proud dad. Mr Varney, 19, pictured with his one-year-old daughter Lilly-Mae, of Station Road, Didcot, and Rhys Roberts, 21,
A DEFENDANT waiting to hear the verdicts in his trial was unable to be brought into court because the lock on his cell had jammed. Tedd Habyarimana was acquitted on all counts at Oxford Crown Court yesterday, but could not be told his fate for almost
JUST a few years ago Hayley Miller was living in an Oxford homeless shelter among drug addicts and alcoholics. But she put her time to good use by designing a range of luxury handbags. And the hard work has paid off as Miss Miller is now in talks with
Firefighters had to cut a motorist from the wreckage of a crash between a car and a taxi in Oxford yesterday. All three emergency services were called to the scene in Banbury Road, near North Parade, Summertown, at about 11.45am. One of the cars had
They lost their loved ones to a brutal murderer who laughed in their faces. Then they were forced to relive the horror of the killings – and hear lies about the victims they loved – in court. Last night, the families of Michala Gol, 28, and her mother
Organisers of the Banbury and District Show hope residents will round off the Jubilee week there. The show, with free entry, will offer stalls, rides, food and beer in Spiceball Park on Sunday, June 10. Banbury Town Council has stepped in to underwrite
Oxford's Rose Hill is being used as a coach park by drivers avoiding increased city centre parking fees, residents claim. Those living on the estate say the arrival of the vehicles are making the residential streets dangerous. Rose Hill city councillor
A lettings agent has won permission to open in a former Oxford lingerie shop, despite objections about its impact on the area. The shop in Walton Street will be the second city branch of Premier Lettings, which also has a site in Cowley Road. The firm
St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School in Abingdon had a fun day of activities to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on Thursday. This included Mayor of Abingdon unveiling a new permanent display of tiles painted by all the children and staff
