MOST people would settle for finding the perfect house, but now one family has the chance to buy an entire Cotswold hamlet. Little Rollright, just north of Chipping Norton, is on the market for £18m with estate agent Savills. It comes with
THE Chiltern Hills have remained unchanged for centuries, but now the threat of housing and a new railway line is looming over them. These are some of the issues confronted head-on in a new plan on how the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural
A 26-year-old doctoral student at the University of Oxford was found dead in his room after taking morphine. Paul Robertson, of Cripley Road, was discovered by his girlfriend, Sophie Bocksberger, on May 18, Oxfordshire Coroner’s Court heard on
Drive the SEAT Mii for a mile or two and you might not fully understand just what this car is capable of. Drive it for a couple of hundred and you certainly will. The Mii (pronounced me) lines up alongside its sister vehicles, the Volkswagen up
TWO men have denied aiding the suspect accused of the fatal stabbing of teenager Connor Tremble. Bradley Jones, of New Road, Bledington, near Chipping Norton, and Grant Clemens, of Stockwells, Moreton-in-Marsh, both appeared in Oxford Crown Court
A THREE vehicle crash is reportedly causing big delays on the A34 southbound. South Central Ambulance Service spokeswoman Michelle Archer has said paramedics have not been to the scene near the Milton Interchange. Get the latest updates on
Sir – While I am supportive of the upcoming Oxford Parkway Rail Station and the investment in the line from Oxford to Bicester, I am writing to echo the concerns of Wolvercote residents on the potential impact of the works on their quality of life.
Sir – The recent news that there is a proposal to chop the funding for the Oxfordshire Complex Needs Service is a deplorable attack on some of the most vulnerable people. This service was set up to enable those with disordered personalities and
Sir – It is good to know that some local MPs and council leaders are questioning the Government’s housing targets. I have been leafleting recently for the district council and European elections, and have seen examples of new housing estates which
Sir – As a member of the cross-party city council group established to secure the future of the Covered Market, I want to reassure people that, contrary to a petition organised by Lib Dem candidates, the city council has not rejected the results of
Sir – On Good Friday a group of local Christians wanted to carry a large wooden cross along Cowley Road, but they were denied permission to do it. On Friday, May 22, at about 5.30pm, a group of Korean Christians were carrying a huge wooden cross
Sir – I have just returned from three days in John Radcliffe Hospital, and I want to express my appreciation and thanks for the wonderful service I received there from all the doctors, nurses and other staff. I went in (starting in A&E) with
Sir – My understanding of the word twit is that it means daft-stupid-idiot, in the sense a “person given to twittering” (Collins concise). The Sainsbury store at Heyford Hill in promoting the DVD of the film Twelve Years a Slave, used a mannequin
Sir – Congratulations to Harris Manchester College on having broken with recent tradition and commissioned a new building that both pleases the eye and fits into its architectural context. Let us hope that other colleges and perhaps even the University
Sir – Recent flash flooding after a short period of rain, is a salutary reminder of a major unresolved issue. A popular myth is gathering steam that development of land is a solution to flooding problems — actually, it’s a cause. This convenient
Sir – The excellent television documentary on Yesterday Who betrayed the bomber boys was repeated four times on May 20. The impact was rather spoiled by the advertising material, in my opinion, but this could not be avoided. I understand
Sir – The story of the sacrifices of a single Bicester family in the Great War made very poignant reading (Report, May 22). No doubt many similar stories of personal tragedy and remembrance will emerge in the coming months. Readers may be interested
Sir – The South Jericho Residents Association is greatly appreciative of the recent agreement between Exeter College and Worcester College to house the work cabins (needed for the development of the former Ruskin site) on the grounds of Worcester College
Sir – Residents and local Labour councillors have been campaigning for more than 10 years for a pedestrian crossing on the A40, at the bottom of Collinwood Road in Risinghurst. So imagine the disbelief to read that a Toucan crossing is planned
Sir – It was with interest that I read John Hook’s suggestion of a cable car in order to help alleviate the congestion problems on the A40 (Report, May 8). My alternative proposal would be for the construction of a monorail of the type currently
Sir – Residents and county councillors must be bemused by the latest episode in the planning enforcement action taken against the owners of Waterstock Golf Course (Jailed brothers are facing asset seizure, May 22). And if not, they should be. Councillors
Sir – Do we really, as a community, have to continue to pursue the Wyatt brothers, the Waterstock Golf Club owners who at their worst have dumped tons of soil on their land without the right permit. However, at their best, they have already created
Sir – At the new mega Sainsbury’s supermarket in Bicester the cafe does my breakfast of, ‘fried egg and toast’. Waste food is nil. However I thought to sample the lunch — traditional fish and chips. There was no indication of portions — ‘take what
A MAN has been treated for minor injuries after a motorbike and lorry collided in Witney. The crash at about 2.10pm partly blocked Burford Road and has caused traffic delays. South Central Ambulance Service spokeswoman Catherine Morrow has
Sir – I agree wholeheartedly with Mr Harwood (Letters, May 22) as regards road safety outside North Kidlington Primary School, in Benmead Road, Kidlington. The same danger is at the other entrance at the High Street. Parents flaunt the restrictions
MUM and daughter Marcia and Danielle Shirley have never jumped out of a plane before. But tomorrow morning they will do just that, for a very special reason. Ten years ago, Marcia’s dad – Danielle’s granddad, Frank Fuller – killed himself,
THAMES Valley Police has called in the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to look at its handling of an unexplained death of a woman last year. Caron Kiernan died aged 54 in Charlton-on-Otmoor, near Kidlington, on December 19 2013.
Ben Watson, from the St Birinus Weightlifting Club, Didcot, has been selected in the England team for the Commonwealth Games in July. The 24-year-old, one of only eight men chosen in the team, will compete in the 105kg category. He qualified
If you don’t know your Kosoto Gake from your Uki Otoshi, it doesn’t matter. You can still enjoy an Under 16s Judo Tournament – just for the passion and bravery of the Judoka. While others were enjoying a cool frappaccino in the sunshine, in Cowley
Back in April, Josie Cunningham, a wannabe everything – including glamour model and z-list celebrity (because that’s a career now, apparently) – said that she would consider aborting her unborn child if it guaranteed her a place on Big Brother.
I am writing concerning your article (‘How the Post Office is adapting to new times,’ May 22). We, in Cowley, are well blessed with our post office inside the Co-op, in Templars Square, often over-crowded on pension or allowances days and the end
I have been involved with football all my life with my two sons, a husband footballer, then manager, and I now have two granddaughters who play football. I think Chris Stevens’s comments (May 28) about girls’ football are ludicrous. I get more
I FEEL I must respond to Chris Stevens (‘Having the women’s results at top is political correctness gone mad,’ May 28). Reading his letter, it is fairly obvious he is of the ‘women’s football is rubbish’ brigade without even watching a game. Why
Sheena Patterson of Oxford Garden Design explains how to improve a neglected lawn We have incredibly tolerant neighbours. In our peaceful little Oxfordshire hamlet, an oasis of tranquility and calm, we are without doubt the property from which
Pub chain owner, author and former solicitor Jo Eames gives Jaine Blackman a glimpse of life as she prepares to publish a new book The best thing about having your own gastro pub? Surely it’s the possibility of an endless supply of champagne or
DANCERS strutted their stuff to raise money for playground equipment for disabled children. Dance company Raw Diva, right, put on the charity show on Saturday to collect funds for Mabel Prichard School. The Blackbird Leys school cares for children
DURING last Thursday’s election a number of EU citizens I spoke with had been very surprised and shocked to be refused their vote in the EU poll. It seems possible that on various key websites some key information about new processes for registration
Several weeks ago, nominations closed for the election of one councillor to West Oxfordshire District Council and seven nominations were submitted. As the council member seeking re-election it was, to say the least, a somewhat unpredictable situation
How well do you know your community – and what can you do to make it better? That’s the question East Oxford’s long-standing MP Andrew Smith asks himself on his regular Sunday morning walkabouts in his constituency wards. A massive 88,000 potential
OLIVER Cromwell has been branded as a dictator and, if this is so, the trade unions, for instance, have a right to mark the ‘Levellers’ occasion by marching every year, in May, in Burford. As 80 per cent of our laws, rules, regulations and directives
Gorgeous George's fiancee shows brains as well as beauty are a big part of the package It was bound to happen some time. We knew it, even if we barely dared to whisper it. Yes ladies, the dust may have settled, but many of us are still struggling
Boat rides, cafe crawls and even a spot of guerrilla gardening are all in order for Nicole Gallagher on a weekend break to Sweden's second city Cycling around the picturesque streets of Styrso, an island in Gothenburg’s southern archipelago, the
In a world where it’s fine to go on telly and blab about your sex life, how much you weigh or how often you shave your, erm, legs, there’s still one big fat taboo. Just don’t mention the word ‘money’. Apparently, most of us would do anything
Whether you’re a one piece or bikini devotee, make a flattering statement poolside whether you’re heading for the French Riviera or Hinksey Outdoor Pool. Jaine Blackman reveals the styles to suit all body shapes Nothing says “holiday” like a new
I’m not sure our choice of half term holiday was due in part to a looming mid life crisis, but in order to tick another item from my wish list, we have spent five days squeezed into a beautiful shiny red VW campervan. After a fleeting conversation
Spring has sprung! Yes! Maybe you’re just not feeling it yet, but don’t despair: Springwatch is back to squirt the jam into your summer doughnut. A weird, oddly jarring and slightly sexual image, maybe, but resident intense ornithologist Chris
It kills more than 600,000 people every year and is coming to a water butt near you! Malaria. Once thought to be the result of “bad air” hence the name (mal=bad and aria = air) malaria is a well known cause of devastation in Africa, Asia and parts
Finally, I’ve found the perfect cereal bowl, exclaimed my youngest daughter the very second I walked through the door. It turned out that my medium sized saucepan was the, somewhat unglamorous, receiver of such high praise from my 16 year old.
After tragedy left her in despair, Wendy Gedney bounced back in style. Jaine Blackman meets her at her home in France Six months after Wendy Gedney’s husband John died in a car crash on his way home from work in Oxford she was in the depths of
‘There’s a bit of magic around here,” mused the Dean of Christ Church as we walked from the real life playroom of Alice in Wonderland to the cinematic Hogwarts Hall from the Harry Potter films. After 11 years, Christopher Lewis was leaving the college
AT least I made the effort. It was Bank Holiday Monday and deprived of family (all were away for half-term) I was still determined to embrace the holiday mood. Out came the Henley-style striped blazer, cream trousers, white shirt, red tie and comfy
PLANS to expand Wolvercote Primary School because of a school places crisis have progressed. The school, in First Turn, is one of a number in Oxford which is struggling to cope with the increasingly large number of children it has to cater for.
CarlL Kirwan insists London Welsh will focus on beating Bristol again rather than defending their aggregate lead. The Exiles’ 27-8 Greene King IPA Championship final first-leg victory at Oxford’s Kassam Stadium means they will take a 19-point lead
MASTERPIECES recreated using an artist’s beloved cat which have become an internet sensation are having their first UK unveiling this weekend in Abingdon. Russian artist Svetlana Petrova is exhibiting her show Russian Extremes – from Icons to Icats
Abingdon's Eddie Pepperell is joint leader after the first day of action in Malmo, Sweden. The Frilford Heath member, who last week finished tied 21st in the prestigious BMW PGA Championships at Wentworth returned a six-under-par round of 66.
Chinnor have completed their Italian job with the signings of international props Tino Paoletti and Simone Carloni. Director of rugby Matt Williams was delighted to capture the duo, who follow Junior Fatialofa in joining the ambitious National
FROM planning to parking, council decisions can often be a frustration. But for Jason Stone it could tear him away from the city he knows and loves. He is yet another victim of red tape in which benefits caps mean people are being shunted off to
MARY Stevens should be applauded for taking a stand against changes to the curriculum. Passionate and driven, she has refused to lie down and accept American literature be removed from the set texts for children. And she should know, given
AN ENGLISH teacher’s battle against changes to GCSE guidelines has been backed by more than 56,000 people. Larkmead School’s Mary Stevens’ online petition to retain American classic novels on the English Literature syllabus has been supported by
7:16pm Cotswold hamlet up for sale for £18m 4:53pm Two men have denied helping the suspect accused of Connor Tremble's fatal stabbing
A MAN in Thame had to be rescued by fire crews yesterday after his oven caught fire while he was cooking. Two crews from Thame put out the fire in his oven and led the man to safety. His neighbour, in Van Diemens Road, called the fire service
Eight airbags have been stolen from cars in the county over the past five years. The Thames Valley Police figures show six airbags were taken in the Cherwell police area in July 2011, one in the South and Vale patch in January 2010, and another
A 42-year-old man was yesterday released on bail having been questioned by police on suspicion of kidnap after a father and his three-year-old daughter went missing. The suspect was also arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with
A member of the Oxford Union’s committee has resigned, citing “an irreconcilable conflict in personal loyalties and priorities”. Anna Bazley handed in her notice yesterday in which she said: “I’m sorry this communication comes at such a delicate
A SINGLE father faces moving to Birmingham with his five-year-old daughter because there is nowhere for him to live in Oxford. Jason Stone, who is living in emergency housing in Marlborough Road, was told by Oxford City Council it cannot provide
A JUDGE said he would be “failing in his duty” if he did not hand a firm sentence down to a dog owner whose pit bull terrier attacked a man. Oxford Crown Court heard that Thomas Derosa, 24, told his dog Kush to “get” Matthew Brewerton on June 6
Oxfordshire men’s over 70s had contrasting fortunes with two matches last weekend. The team of Jon Dilworth, Roger Selby, Mike Morgan and Nigel Tucker were whitewashed 8-0 at Newquay by a strong Cornwall side which featured two Great Britain players
Oxford RL include former London Broncos prop Karl Temata in their squad for their match away to high-riding Hunslet in Kingstone Press Championship One on Sunday (3pm). Temata signed for Oxford this week on a deal until the end of the season from
UP to 6,200 residents – including about 250 cancer patients – will lose free ambulance transport to hospital under plans out for consultation from today. As reported in the Oxford Mail last month, health bosses want to axe about a quarter of planned
OXFORD have signed England Under 19 paceman Abidine Sakande ahead of tomorrow’s Division 1 home clash with Slough. The 18-year-old Oxford University student, who is part of the Sussex set-up, goes straight ino the side, replacing the unavailable
HORSPATH captain Will Eason admitted his side will be without a key player due to Patrick Foster’s absence at Great & Little Tew tomorrow. The seamer, who Eason feels has been in great form, is away on a stag weekend, so misses the Division
Saturday CRICKET SERIOUS CRICKET HOME COUNTIES PREMIER LEAGUE Div 1: Banbury Utd v High Wycombe, Burnham v Aston Rowant, Oxford v Slough. Div 2: Great & Little Tew v Horspath, Shipton-under-Wychwood v Amersham. CHERWELL LEAGUE Div
How do you create a brand new start from being homeless? Richard, 21, is trying. He has been homeless since he was 16. He has recently achieved a qualification with the organisation Brand New Start that he is really proud of. He completed the
Motorists are being warned by Oxfordshire County Council that four-way traffic lights in Banbury Road could be in place for up to 17 weeks as work on the eco-town progresses. Traffic signals are needed while work on the entrance and water, gas
A woman in her 50s had to be freed from her car by firefighters using hydraulic cutting equipment after an accident on the M40. A Volkswagen Golf saloon and a BMW crashed at about 9.40pm on the northbound carriageway of the motorway at Junction
A man has been convicted of plotting to steal from cash machine users. Gheorghe Bechian, 35, and two other men were found guilty by a Gloucester Crown Court jury of conspiracy to steal, by using cash-trapping devices on ATMs in Stow and Gloucester
SUPERGRASS frontman Gaz Coombes is to return to South Park to play a music festival, 13 years after he performed there alongside Radiohead. The Wheatley star, inset, who has performed under his own name since the break-up of his chart-topping band
Abingdon School and Headington rowers celebrated remarkable doubles when they both retained the eights titles at Nottingham, writes Mike Rosewell. The Abingdon coach Dave Currie, a former Great Britain international and Henley winner, said of their
FRIENDS and family will hold a fundraising event in memory of an Oxford teenager who died at a city NHS unit. Tomorrow night’s event at Oxford Sports and Social Club will remember Connor Sparrowhawk, 18, pictured. The “epic party night” will
ONLY his name is known to the community who want to honour a brave First World War soldier. Despite his service acknowledged on the town’s war memorial, Carterton residents know nothing else about P A Harris. Carterton Community Centre chairman
There was local success in the early rounds of the Henman Solicitiors LTA Grade 4 tournament at Woodstock . In the inaugural men’s competition, Rob Powell (Woodstock) defeated Charlie Lane, from Abingdon, 7-5, 6-1 in the final. In the 16 &
A city professor has called for tougher controls on food marketing after a study found about two-thirds of British people are overweight or obese. Oxford University Visiting Professor in Epidemiology Professor Klim McPherson spoke after the University
RAIN, rain everywhere with cricket fixtures being called off right, left and centre. Only two games survived a deluge on the first weekend in the Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League, while just Banbury’s fixture at Tring Park and Oxford
Oxfordshire Under 13s will go for glory on Sunday when they play in the National Shires finals day at Walsall. The team, which finished top of the qualifying group, will be seeded in the top four counties, together with Buckinghamshire, Lancashire
John Paul has been selected in Scotland’s team for this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 21-year-old lived in Wantage while training with the British Cycling Academy Programme. But he returned to Scotland when leaving the programme
A shoplifter took four bottles of Ariel washing liquid from a store in Abingdon Road. The theft happened at Tesco Express on Monday at 3.15pm and police are now appealing to a shopper who saw the crime. Pc Ashley Gardner, from Cowley police
AN OXFORD couple had a surprise midnight arrival at their friends’ wedding in Wales, when their baby girl turned up two weeks early. Their frantic search for a maternity ward in the middle of the night ended in A&E, with them naming their daughter
THE DNA of a man accused of sexual assault was found on a woman’s clothing, police officers told Oxford Crown Court yesterday. Evidence continued in the case of a woman who claims she was sexually abused by two men after she woke up in a house
Work to replace a pipe in Cassington left more than a dozen homes without running water yesterday. Thames Water was carrying out the work on behalf of a developer. It had written to 12 properties beforehand saying they would temporarily be
A SQUABBLE over where houses can be built in the city has prompted three different councils to launch two identical reviews on the matter. Oxford City Council had said it would carry out a study of how much housing it had included in its local
ARCHAEOLOGISTS are still working to find out how a human arm bone was discovered at a Jericho building site. Police were called after the bone was uncovered on the former Radcliffe Infirmary site, now being redeveloped as Oxford University’s Radcliffe
A chef died after being found at the bottom of stairs in an Oxford home for people with mental health problems. Sun Hei Lam, 54, was discovered by a support worker, Robert Atkinson, who had earlier heard a thud at the top of the stairs on April
FOOTBALL fans waiting for the World Cup to kick off in two weeks’ time will be able to experience the city’s own sporting challenge. And former England and Arsenal footballing legend Martin Keown will be handing out prizes at the “World Cup”, which
SUBMISSION by a woman does not mean consent, a jury was told in the case of a Headington man accused of eight counts of rape and five of causing actual bodily harm. Judge Gordon Risius was directing the jury while summing up at Oxford Crown Court
UNICORNS TROPHY OXFORDSHIRE will host Cumberland at Bicester & North Oxford CC in their quarter-final clash on Sunday, June 15. Luke Ryan’s side topped Group 4 with four wins from four matches, while Cumb-erland finished runners-up in Group
FRUSTRATION is mounting as there is no sign of promised parking spaces on a “nightmare” road in Greater Leys. Drivers currently have problems trying to park at the Leys Health Centre in Dunnock Way, and Oxford City Council said they would convert
COMMUNITY groups have been busy preparing for what they hope will be the biggest and best Headington Festival. Organisers are expecting thousands of residents to flock to Bury Knowle Park for a bumper weekend of fun, music and sport tomorrow and
