THE headliners for this year's Towersey Festival have been announced. Ska band The Selecter, folk group the Unthanks and Cornish sea shanty singers the Fisherman's Friends are among the big names gracing the 2019 music festival near Thame. Seth
SEPARATE crashes on the A34 caused major delays during this evening's rush hour. Five miles of traffic formed after a collision on the southbound road near Oxford, near the Botley Interchange. The crash is thought to have happened shortly
OXFORD City have sold 18-year-old defender Udoka Godwin-Malife to Forest Green Rovers for an undisclosed fee. The rising star caught the attention of various Football League clubs, but it was the Sky Bet League Two side who won the race for his
Look through the travel pages or watch one of TV’s many food, drink and travel shows and before long you’ll see a rave review of a trip to the former Soviet Republic of Georgia and its majestic Caucasus mountains, the architecture, the wine or the
A MAN accused of modern slavery offences has been given a trial date at Oxford Crown Court. Michael Joyce, 60, of Redbridge Hollow, Oxford, denies two counts of requiring a person to perform compulsory labour and two counts of arranging or facilitating
A SERIES of self-help groups for people struggling with sex and relationship addiction will start in Oxford tonight. Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) has scheduled free sessions at St Margaret's Institute in North Oxford, taking place every
TWO cars have been stolen from a home in Bicester. Thames Valley Police said thieves broke into the home in Somerville Drive. They smashed their in overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. ALSO READ: Scales of Justice Two cars were snatched
I HAVE been one of the ARCh reading helpers at my local school for six years now. On my first day I turned up with a box of books feeling a little apprehensive. I had done the ARCh training but still wondered how I would get on and how I would fit
PARENTS will be meeting at Oxford Sling Library today to learn about how they can use their baby slings properly. The sessions, which are held every fortnight and run by parents, provide information including technique, safety, types of slings and
A CARING cat has swapped glamorous photo shoots for helping the community in his new role as a therapy animal. Spotted Bengal Leo, from Abingdon, starred in a series of award-winning images taken by Oxford Mail photographer Yuri Anderegg which
Traditionally, this is the time of year for personal reflection. After the sheer indulgence of the distant festive season, the first weeks of the new year bring about a sobering realisation – and bathroom mirrors across the country face an onslaught
Traditionally, this is the time of year for personal reflection. After the sheer indulgence of the distant festive season, the first weeks of the new year bring about a sobering realisation – and bathroom mirrors across the country face an onslaught
THE Patisserie Valerie cafe at Debenhams in Oxford is to close after the national chain collapsed. The cake chain went into administration on Tuesday, placing more than 3,000 jobs at risk and a list of branches that are set to be closed first has
A master of jazz piano, Tigran Hamasyan is loved around the world for his flights of musical fancy and blending of styles. But the Armenian composer and musician admits his career could have ended up very differently indeed, as his first ambition was
WHEN Ed Gamble arrived on stage at The Royal Variety Performance to deliver his sketch about a “farting massage,” he couldn’t look the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the eye. “I had to meet them afterwards and I thought I might be beheaded,” he laughs
A YOGA charity will be hosting an open day this Saturday for people to get a taste of yoga, tantra and spirituality. Workshops, classes and talks will be free to attend at the charity called Tara, as a way for people to find out how yoga, tantra
A NEW cookery book has been specially created by Michelin star chefs to improve the meals at a care home in Abingdon. Bridge House catering manager Colm Penfold attended the launch last week, where he prepared some of the recipes with celebrity
Strange things are afoot in the village of Kennington – with the village invaded by pirates and flamboyant dancers swaying to heady Brazilian rhythms. This month Kennington Amateur Dramatic Society (KADS) are taking audiences on a fantastic journey
PLANS for a new industrial park just off the M40 have been submitted to Cherwell District Council. The proposals would see a mix of industrial space, warehouses and offices built at junction 11 in north Oxfordshire while a pedestrian tunnel would
Eddie Pepperell birdied the 17th and 18th holes to give him hope of making the cut in the Dubai Desert Classic. The prospects of making the final two rounds looked bleak with the Abingdon golfer on two-over after 16. But a brace of birdies
A QUIRKY plan to turn former men's toilets in St Giles' into bed and breakfast accommodation has been resubmitted. The owners of a city hotel want to reopen the toilets to give tourists the 'unique' opportunity of staying there. Architects
AS guitarist in indie-rock band The Vaccines, Freddie Cowan is well placed to know what does, and doesn’t rock. And their latest album, he insists, very definitely does. “I’m equally proud of every record, but this one felt like unfinished business
By Georgina Matthews of Refill Oxford. When I was a kid, there were no plastic water bottles. Now we use a mind-boggling 7.7 billion every year in the UK. Only half these end up in recycling, while millions are littered, burnt or can end up
LEN Weekes, who has died aged 84, was loved by Oxford United supporters and students alike. The father-of-four spent the majority of his life in Oxford and was known to late-night revellers as a taxi driver and Blackbird Leys residents as a city
Here's our round-up of the latest planning applications that have been submitted in Oxford this week: B&B plans for gents’ toilets back on PLANS to turn former public toilets in Oxford city centre into bed and breakfast rooms are back on
A CRICKET bat unused since 1939 is one of many fascinating features in an exhibition celebrating the sport's history in a West Oxfordshire village. Bampton Library's Vesey Room is currently home to a huge collection of memorabilia telling the tales
A RUNNER is battling teeth-chattering temperatures of -18C by shutting herself in the local butcher's freezer. Ultra runner Andrea Fawell can be found alongside the frozen meats at Newitt's of Thame butchers, in High Street, as part of her latest
A SCHOOL that allows pent-up pupils to unwind next to an aquarium or beneath a weighted blanket has been hailed for its nurturing approach. Aureus School in Didcot is among just six secondary schools in the country to be awarded gold status of
STAFF at Helen & Douglas House hospice are looking for volunteers to make meals and cakes for families. The children’s hospice in Magdalen Road, East Oxford, is asking people to spare time to support the catering team. The hospice wants volunteers
A FORMAL change of use planning application has gone in to turn an historic chemist's shop in Abingdon into a gin bar and restaurant. The High Street property had been the home of Smith’s chemist for more than a century until it moved in 2016 to
RUTH Ramm, who has died aged 83, devoted much of her life to helping suicidal people and those they left behind. She was director of the Oxford Samaritans, a group set up by her husband, Canon Norwyn Macdonald Ramm, the former City Rector, in 1963
THAMES Travel has launched a new off-peak bus service between Didcot town centre and the south side Great Western Park estate. The new Connector 97 service operates Monday to Friday with buses running hourly. At the same time the Connector
A TEENAGER has been arrested after two customers were attacked inside a Wantage takeaway. The 19-year-old man from Wantage was arrested on suspicion of assault with injury and has been released under investigation. It comes after two men
JUST five houses remain for sale on a new development in West Oxfordshire. Two four-bedroom and three five-bedroom homes are still available on the Oakwood Gate estate in Bampton. Ongoing repairs to the site should now be completed, after homeowners
HUNDREDS of retailers in West Oxfordshire are set to benefit from business rates relief. West Oxfordshire District Council’s cabinet has supported a government scheme which will cut retailers’ rates by a third if they have a rateable value of £51,000
A RUN that has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to combat debilitating conditions could be named the 'best 10k in the UK'. Oxford's Town and Gown event has already won the best 10k in the South East award and is up against its sister race
SNOW fell across the county earlier this week and our Oxford Mail Camera Club were out capturing the wintry scenes. Following an ice warning by the Met Office on Monday night, rain, sleet and eventually snow fell on Tuesday afternoon, with large
ALMOST 50 homes in West Oxfordshire that have been empty for at least two years will be hit with a council tax rise. West Oxfordshire District Council's cabinet recommended that the Long Term Empty Property Premium, currently at 50 per cent, be
THAMES Valley Police is looking to employ apprentice community support officers in an attempt to address falling numbers. Many former PCSOs have left to become full police officers, leaving a vacuum. Latest figures showed the force was 44 PCSOs
SCORES of people queued up outside Oxford Post Office in 1971 to begin a long wait for their pensions. The line stretched back from the doors of the St Aldate's post office from the crack of dawn ready for when the doors opened. The post offices
'LONG overdue' slip roads at an east Witney junction will make a huge difference to motorists, according to residents. Adding slip roads to the A40 on the west side of Shores Green has long been mooted and design work could begin next year.
LIFE-SAVING volunteers who help the police find missing people in Oxfordshire have won thousands of pounds to upgrade their operation. The Oxfordshire Lowland Search and Rescue (OxSAR) team were handed the £11,000 from Scottish and Southern Electricity
OXFORD City Stars have re-signed forward Mike Whillock to boost their title campaign. Head coach Kenny Redmond moved quickly to bolster his squad after Joe Edwards joined MK Thunder. Netminder Mark Duffy has also left the Stars, after moving
LENNON Cradock is daring to dream after playing on one of the biggest stages of his career. The teenager, from Witney, has his sights set on a professional career following an appearance at Alexandra Palace last month. Oxfordshire county star
HEAD coach Kenny Redmond praised Oxford City Stars’ determination after a 4-2 win over Bristol Pitbulls kept them in the hunt for the title. Despite going 2-0 ahead, the visitors hit back to level before Stars wrapped up victory in the South Division
ADAM Copperwheat is fully focused on keeping Witney in the sixth tier after being appointed the club’s new head coach. The 32-year-old has taken over from Richie Craig, who departed from the role earlier this week. Witney have endured a torrid
TACKLING anti-social behaviour and youth crime in Witney will not be easy, says the founder of an organisation branded 'the voice of young people in West Oxfordshire'. Barry Ingleton, CEO and founder of social enterprise Synolos, stressed there
KARL Robinson is planning to watch a player in the Netherlands tomorrow as Oxford United step up their attempts to bring in firepower before next week’s transfer deadline. A planned trip to Scotland yesterday was scrapped after the U’s hit a dead
OXFORD RFC are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their memorable match against Bath with a reunion lunch on Saturday. The side faced the mighty Blue, Black and Whites at the Recreation Ground in the third round of the Pilkington Cup in January
OXFORD University’s new skipper Ed David is hoping to call on a few words of wisdom from his predecessors. The winger was elected to take over from Dom Waldouck last week, with the Dark Blues beginning life under his captaincy in a 14-12 win at
It says much that the best films about the French Revolution have been based on works of fiction like Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities and Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel - and, yes, that does include Gerald Thomas's Carry On Don't Lose
A CUMNOR pub has won an award for culinary excellence a year after being taken on by new owners. The Bear & Ragged Staff has been given a rosette by AA following a recent anonymous visit by a hotel and restaurant inspector. Only one in
BEN West produced a magnificent performance to finish second in the under 20 race at the British Cross Challenge in Dundonald, Belfast. The former Bicester AC runner, who still lives in the town, clocked 19mins 7secs over the 5km course, finishing
A MAN has been crowned Oxfordshire painter and decorator of the year. After winning hundreds of public votes, Jonny Jones, who runs J&J Decorating in Summertown, proved victorious. His portfolio of standout work saw him claim the prize
A MAN was kicked in the groin and left unconscious after a lunch-time brawl at the back of Oxford’s crown court building. The street fight took place in the afternoon of October 26 at Luther Street. Trevor Stewart, of no fixed abode, kicked
ORACLE A moved six points clear in the Oxford & District League Premier Division after a 4-2 home win against Masons, writes PETE EWINS. Mark Trafford (17,430), Pauline Withey (6,160) and Brian Rose (6,660) made it 3-0, before Alan Lowe pulled
EDDIE Pepperell will be looking to give himself a belated birthday present when he tees off at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic this morning. The golfer, from Abingdon, turned 28 on Tuesday and begins his tournament at the Emirates Golf Club at 8.10am
Having studied for a PhD in German literature at Oxford before decamping to make actualities for the BBC, Polish-born Pawel Pawlikowski held the post of Creative Arts Fellow at Oxford Brookes University during one of the most traumatic periods of his
OXFORD United’s players have to wake up to the stark consequences which would follow if they are relegated this season, urged John Mousinho. The skipper fired the warning shot after an infuriatingly inconsistent few days, which he hopes the squad
A 'SORELY-NEEDED' new doctors' surgery could be scuppered after councillors dismissed the plans as 'unneighbourly.' With a decision imminent on whether the new healthcare centre is given the go-ahead for Didcot's Great Western Park, Didcot Town
ELECTRIC vehicle leaders from around the globe will visit Oxford University’s Said Business School for a summit this summer. The conference, which will take place on Wednesday June 26, and Thursday, June 27, will see 20 chief executive officers
FANTASY author Philip Pullman is to take part in a discussion on creativity at a theatre in East Oxford The author of His Dark Materials and La Belle Sauvage will be joined next month at Pegasus Theatre by Nicholas Serota, chairman of Arts Council
AN ENTIRE year group could be made to leave their school as Brexit forces it to abandon its core qualification. The all-through Europa School in Culham, the UK’s only European School, has written to the 53 students in Year 11 advising them to seek
TWO men have denied drug dealing after police stopped a car they were in and found crack cocaine and heroin worth nearly £1,000. Liam Quinn, 24, of Warwick Road, Banbury, and Dominic Daly-Vint, 26, of no fixed abode, both deny two counts of conspiracy
ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners say they have devised a cheaper alternative to the £150m Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme being led by the Environment Agency. The EA revealed last month that the cost of its OFAS scheme – one of the biggest flood projects
BANBURY MAGISTRATES’ RICHARD BUNCE, 45, of Home Close, Carterton, admitted driving above the legal alcohol limit on December 9 at Witney. Had 47mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. He was £346 and must pay a victim surcharge of £34 and court costs
TRAVELLERS who set up camp at recreation grounds, playing fields and car parks across Oxfordshire last year cost the taxpayer more than £100,000 in clean-up and legal bills, the Oxford Mail can reveal. New figures from local councils have shown
A FORMER council leader and a member of his cabinet have been expelled by a Conservative Party group after a planning row. John Cotton, who was South Oxfordshire District Council’s leader until last April, and Tony Harbour have been kicked out
