Archive

  • Hospital scores all-star rating

    Oxford's Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre has been awarded top marks in the NHS star ratings system making it one of the country's best hospitals. The NOC was given three stars, based on key targets monitored by the Department of Health. The Oxford Radcliffe

  • Shopper calls for town survey

    Abingdon's Chamber of Commerce could carry out a shoppers' survey in a bid to halt a rise in the number of shop closures. The survey would assess the shopping needs of the town's residents and ensure the right shops are moving into the centre. One shopper

  • Holiday fun takes biscuit

    Cookery classes are just one of the organised activities for young people during the summer holidays at Wallingford's Castle Leisure Centre. Jamie Green, five, Jennifer Calver, eight, and Lauren Nottage share the cooking load Manager Nigel Wheeler said

  • Naval gazing inland

    There's almost nowhere further from the sea in England than Chalgrove, but that didn't bothered naval hero Horatio Hornblower. Ioan Gruffudd takes to the deck as Hornblower He buckled his swash from the make-believe quarterdeck of his frigate Hotspur

  • Jetski death 'not our fault', say brothers

    Two men cleared of blame over the death of a 17-year-old jetskier at their family-owned water sports centre are demanding compensation from South Oxfordshire District Council which prosecuted them. The pair are threatening to sue the council if they do

  • See you all again

    Children at Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School in Witney will be seeing less of Mary Snowdon now she has retired as a dinner lady. Mary Snowdon with school pupils She stepped down from the job she has been doing for the past 25 years at the end of

  • Villagers' pride pays off in battle for honours

    This year's winners in the Oxfordshire Best Kept Village 2002 competition have been announced. Kennington litter warden Alan Pope, parish clerk George Ross and parish councillor Ian Sillince savour victory In the large villages section, Kennington was

  • Public backs traders in dispute over vans

    Market traders in Wantage have won the support of residents in their fight against increased parking fees. Wantage Town Council has proposed a £40 charge for traders who want to park vans next to their stalls in the town's Market Square. The council said

  • Museum aids medic cadets

    First-aiders left without a base after asbestos was found in their building have been offered temporary space for free at a museum. St John Ambulance Brigade in Wantage was left homeless and landed with a £20,000 bill after asbestos was found in its premises

  • Bowls: Whitehead faces Prew in showdown

    Summertown's Colin Whitehead faces Middleton Cup teammate Alan Prew in the Oxfordshire Bowling Association County Championships singles final at South Oxford on Sunday. Prew's Banbury Borough are also in the triples finals. Cilin WhiteheadFINALS LINE-UP

  • Bowls: Headington avengers

    Last season's Hawker Cup runners-up Headington took their revenge on defending champions Banbury Borough to reach the last eight of this year's competition. It was a bad night for the Banbury club, their other team losing a close contest against Rover

  • Speedway: GP series hots up for big finale

    The Grand Prix series is building up to a fantastic finish, and although Leigh Adams and Lukas Dryml are not among the favourites so far, the duo are certainly making their presence felt and taking points from the top riders. Dryml has been a revelation

  • Golf: Frilford roar in for team title

    Frilford Heath took the honours in the BB&O Champion Club Scratch Team Finals at Tadmarton Heath. Ashley WaltonWith the best two medal scores from three counting from both the morning and afternoon rounds, Frilford's trio of Bob Mann, Barry Mann and

  • Speedway: Purchase gloomy over future

    Oxford Cheetahs owner Steve Purchase has painted a gloomy picture, amidst the uncertainty over race nights at Oxford Stadium next year. Friday night speedway may not be lost yet, but it all depends on how well greyhound punters take to the new slot, which

  • Golf: Potter is the champ

    Tom Potter was a clear-cut winner of Burford Men's Championship. Read more -- and all the club results . . . Potter, a two-handicapper, finished with a gross 144 after two rounds of 72, to beat John Townsley by four strokes. James Lawson stormed to victory

  • Families demand traffic calming after child hurt

    FAMILIES living on a Didcot estate are demanding urgent action after a toddler was badly injured by a pick-up truck outside her home. Families in Mendip Heights with the petition Emily Pickering is due to be transferred from intensive care to the children's

  • Builders move in

    Work has started on a new £3m old people's home in Wallingford. Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire Hugo Brunner at the launch The 60-bed Westgate House, in St George's Road, will provide nursing and residential care. Mr Brunner officially launched the scheme

  • Naval gazing inland

    There's almost nowhere further from the sea in England than Chalgrove, but that didn't bothered naval hero Horatio Hornblower. Ioan Gruffudd takes to the deck as Hornblower He buckled his swash from the make-believe quarterdeck of his frigate Hotspur

  • Pupils in harmony

    Students from a school in Uganda went busking in Oxford while they were visiting their twin school in Burford. Students from Uganda bring song to Oxford's streets The Burford Uganda link began in 1995 when a team from Burford School visited Bishop Dunstan

  • Slide along for fun

    Disabled and able-bodied children have the chance to get the most out of their summer holidays this year. William Mason, nine, tries curling Oxsrad, the Oxford and District Sports and Recreation Association for the Disabled, is offering 20 different activities

  • Man denies murder charge

    A Banbury man has appeared in court accused of murder. David Wale, 42, pleaded not guilty at Oxford Crown Court on July 24 to a charge that he murdered Michael Keating in the town on May 6. The case was adjourned until November 4, when a trial is due

  • Top gear up for grabs

    Football, cricket and tennis fans are being invited to bid for mementoes of their heroes, at a sports memorabilia auction for charity. John Gee with some of the items on sale Staff at the Jack Howarth House home for people with learning difficulties,

  • Care homes for elderly saved from closure

    Care homes for the elderly in Oxfordshire which were facing closure because of new Government regulations have been saved. Owners of smaller establishments had feared they would be forced to close, as they could not afford to alter the buildings to meet

  • Brakspear 'also hit by planning hitch'

    Falling profits were not the only factor in a brewery's decision to close its historic Oxfordshire site, management have revealed. A long-standing planning row also played a part in the move to shut down the Brakspear brewery in Henley, ending a tradition

  • Firms 'risk trouble' by ignoring duty to others

    Businesses which focus on profit and ignore their wider duty to society can land themselves in big trouble, according to a new Oxford company. Synergy, based at the Oxford Centre for Innovation in Mill Street, Osney, aims to bridge the gap between environmental

  • RAF squad awarded publicity accolade

    An Air Force squadron which reformed last year has been awarded the Sir John Barraclough Trophy for its contribution to RAF public relations. Sqn Ldr Woods, centre, receives the trophy from Chief of Air Staff, Sir John Day, right, and Warrant Officer

  • Museum aids medic cadets

    First-aiders left without a base after asbestos was found in their building have been offered temporary space for free at a museum. St John Ambulance Brigade in Wantage was left homeless and landed with a £20,000 bill after asbestos was found in its premises

  • Advert for Mini prompts protests

    An advert for the new Mini has been criticised for encouraging young people to drive their parents' car without permission. Members of the public complained to the Advertising Standards Authority, as they felt it could lead to people breaking the law

  • Above above performance for Primary Care Trusts

    Primary Care Trusts in Oxfordshire have higher than average performance rates, according to the NHS star rating system. Like all PCTs, the five trusts, responsible for community hospitals and GP services, were not awarded stars but given reports on their

  • Driver abducted at gunpoint and shot in village

    A man from Oxford was being held under armed guard on July 25 after he was abducted and shot in a country lane. The 25-year-old man was driving along Iffley Turn in Oxford when two black men with West Indian accents threatened him with a gun and forced

  • Army living quarters to get revamp

    A multi-million-pound building and refurbishment programme is underway at Dalton Barracks in Abingdon. The six-year project will ensure its long-term future as a key component in the Army's strategic role in Britain and abroad. The news has been welcomed

  • Spending yields results

    Senior academic at one of Oxford University's best-performing colleges said student facilities, not college wealth, was the key to improving exam results. Dr Martin Speight, vice principal of St Anne's College, said colleges could improve exam results

  • Villagers' pride pays off in battle for honours

    This year's winners in the Oxfordshire Best Kept Village 2002 competition have been announced. Kennington litter warden Alan Pope, parish clerk George Ross and parish councillor Ian Sillince savour victory In the large villages section, Kennington was

  • Hospital scores all-star rating

    Oxford's Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre has been awarded top marks in the NHS star ratings system making it one of the country's best hospitals. The NOC was given three stars, based on key targets monitored by the Department of Health. The Oxford Radcliffe

  • Still room to improve, say hospital managers

    One star is not good enough, according to the chief executive of the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals. David Highton said managers would not be complacent even though they had levered themselves away from the bottom zero star level of the NHS rating system.

  • Tennis: Oxon teams poised for promotion

    Oxfordshire's men and ladies are both on the brink of promotion as County Week enters its closing stages. Both teams should need just one victory from their final two matches to go up - and the smart money is on both sealing promotion today. The ladies

  • Speedway: Cheetahs hopes shot away

    Oxford Cheetahs failed to make the gate in Wednesday's Elite League clash at Saddlebow Road and lost to King's Lynn Knights 49-41 in a match which they should have won. The Knights scorched into a four-point lead after the first two heats. Nicki Pedersen

  • REVIEW: Bloody good job by Guild

    Giles Woodforde reviews Oxford Theatre Guild's production of Macbeth at Exeter College Fellows' Garden. Bloodthirsty screams echo round the Fellows' Garden of Exeter College: there's a rattling good fight right at the start of the Oxford Theatre Guild's

  • Driver abducted at gunpoint and shot in village

    A man from Oxford was being held under armed guard on July 25 after he was abducted and shot in a country lane. The 25-year-old man was driving along Iffley Turn in Oxford when two black men with West Indian accents threatened him with a gun and forced

  • Care homes for elderly saved from closure

    Care homes for the elderly in Oxfordshire which were facing closure because of new Government regulations have been saved. Owners of smaller establishments had feared they would be forced to close, as they could not afford to alter the buildings to meet

  • Top gear up for grabs

    Football, cricket and tennis fans are being invited to bid for mementoes of their heroes, at a sports memorabilia auction for charity. John Gee with some of the items on sale Staff at the Jack Howarth House home for people with learning difficulties,

  • Army living quarters to get revamp

    A multi-million-pound building and refurbishment programme is underway at Dalton Barracks in Abingdon. The six-year project will ensure its long-term future as a key component in the Army's strategic role in Britain and abroad. The news has been welcomed

  • Spending yields results

    Senior academic at one of Oxford University's best-performing colleges said student facilities, not college wealth, was the key to improving exam results. Dr Martin Speight, vice principal of St Anne's College, said colleges could improve exam results

  • Villagers' pride pays off in battle for honours

    This year's winners in the Oxfordshire Best Kept Village 2002 competition have been announced. Kennington litter warden Alan Pope, parish clerk George Ross and parish councillor Ian Sillince savour victory In the large villages section, Kennington was

  • Oxford top of league for training

    Oxford University provides the best teacher training in England, according to a new league table. For the fourth year running, the university topped a table of training centres compiled from figures provided by the Teacher Training Agency. The institution

  • Builders move in

    Work has started on a new £3m old people's home in Wallingford. Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire Hugo Brunner at the launch The 60-bed Westgate House, in St George's Road, will provide nursing and residential care. Mr Brunner officially launched the scheme

  • Brakspear 'also hit by planning hitch'

    Falling profits were not the only factor in a brewery's decision to close its historic Oxfordshire site, management have revealed. A long-standing planning row also played a part in the move to shut down the Brakspear brewery in Henley, ending a tradition

  • Care homes for elderly saved from closure

    Care homes for the elderly in Oxfordshire which were facing closure because of new Government regulations have been saved. Owners of smaller establishments had feared they would be forced to close, as they could not afford to alter the buildings to meet

  • Villagers' pride pays off in battle for honours

    This year's winners in the Oxfordshire Best Kept Village 2002 competition have been announced. Kennington litter warden Alan Pope, parish clerk George Ross and parish councillor Ian Sillince savour victory In the large villages section, Kennington was

  • Pupils in harmony

    Students from a school in Uganda went busking in Oxford while they were visiting their twin school in Burford. Students from Uganda bring song to Oxford's streets The Burford Uganda link began in 1995 when a team from Burford School visited Bishop Dunstan

  • Staff shocked by firm's collapse

    Staff at a chain of High Street cafes throughout Oxfordshire are stunned by the sudden collapse of a Bristol-based company. On July 25, staff at Mountstevens cafe in Witney's Woolgate centre were told by their manager to shut the premises immediately.

  • RAF squad awarded publicity accolade

    An Air Force squadron which reformed last year has been awarded the Sir John Barraclough Trophy for its contribution to RAF public relations. Sqn Ldr Woods, centre, receives the trophy from Chief of Air Staff, Sir John Day, right, and Warrant Officer

  • Care homes for elderly saved from closure

    Care homes for the elderly in Oxfordshire which were facing closure because of new Government regulations have been saved. Owners of smaller establishments had feared they would be forced to close, as they could not afford to alter the buildings to meet

  • Villagers' pride pays off in battle for honours

    This year's winners in the Oxfordshire Best Kept Village 2002 competition have been announced. Kennington litter warden Alan Pope, parish clerk George Ross and parish councillor Ian Sillince savour victory In the large villages section, Kennington was

  • Villagers' pride pays off in battle for honours

    This year's winners in the Oxfordshire Best Kept Village 2002 competition have been announced. Kennington litter warden Alan Pope, parish clerk George Ross and parish councillor Ian Sillince savour victory In the large villages section, Kennington was

  • Football: Witney up and running

    Witney United, the club formed when Witney Town folded, play their first-ever fixture at Marriotts Stadium on Saturday, when Hellenic League Division 1 West champions Hook Norton visit for a pre-season friendly (3pm). The game represents the end of a

  • Football: Thorne's Macca boost

    John McMahon has given Abingdon Town boss Alan Thorne a boost after specialists cleared him to play football again. On Monday, Thorne said the ex-Oxford City striker was highly unlikely to be ready for the start of Town's Ryman League Division 2 campaign

  • Roadworks to start

    Work will begin next week on installing barriers to restrict traffic in Bicester's pedestrian precinct. Most of Sheep Street became a precinct in 1994, but it was used by disabled car drivers with orange badges. Cherwell District Council has introduced

  • TV presenter on show at dog trials

    Major sheepdog trials are being staged at a farm on Otmoor in the Oxfordshire fenland next month. Course director John Thomas, from Aylesbury, with his dog Gel The English National Sheepdog Trials were cancelled last year because of the foot and mouth

  • Councillor condemns site choice for 1,000 homes

    Town and county councillor Les Sibley has condemned district council plans for housing in Bicester. On July 22, Cherwell District Council voted to build 1,020 homes at the former RAF base, near Caversfield, and a further 565 houses on land at Gavray Drive

  • Bowls: Champs felled by Thame's stunners

    A terrific team performance by Thame against defending champions Carterton was the highlight of the Oxford & District Bowls League sponsored by Frances Baker. Thame, who had been struggling at the wrong end of the table, pulled off the result of the

  • Villagers' pride pays off in battle for honours

    This year's winners in the Oxfordshire Best Kept Village 2002 competition have been announced. Kennington litter warden Alan Pope, parish clerk George Ross and parish councillor Ian Sillince savour victory In the large villages section, Kennington was

  • Death not suspicious, say police

    A post mortem has revealed that a 13-year-old boy found hanged in his bedroom in Didcot died from lack of blood to the brain. Steven Everitt was found dead, by a family member, at the house in Harding Strings on July 21, at about 5pm. Police are not treating

  • Barracks to close

    The Ministry of Defence will begin pulling out from Vauxhall Barracks in Didcot next March. The Munitions Corporate Business Unit, which administers the supply of munitions -- except guided missiles -- will relocate to Ensleigh in Bath. The transfer was

  • Top athlete pays visit

    A Commonwealth Games runner will be in Banbury next month to launch a grassroots athletics scheme. England 400-metre star Lesley Owusu will be at Drayton School on August 7, to encourage young people to join this year's Startrack athletics course. Startrack

  • Pupils in harmony

    Students from a school in Uganda went busking in Oxford while they were visiting their twin school in Burford. Students from Uganda bring song to Oxford's streets The Burford Uganda link began in 1995 when a team from Burford School visited Bishop Dunstan

  • Holiday fun takes biscuit

    Cookery classes are just one of the organised activities for young people during the summer holidays at Wallingford's Castle Leisure Centre. Jamie Green, five, Jennifer Calver, eight, and Lauren Nottage share the cooking load Manager Nigel Wheeler said

  • See you all again

    Children at Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School in Witney will be seeing less of Mary Snowdon now she has retired as a dinner lady. Mary Snowdon with school pupils She stepped down from the job she has been doing for the past 25 years at the end of

  • Slide along for fun

    Disabled and able-bodied children have the chance to get the most out of their summer holidays this year. William Mason, nine, tries curling Oxsrad, the Oxford and District Sports and Recreation Association for the Disabled, is offering 20 different activities

  • Top athlete pays visit

    A Commonwealth Games runner will be in Banbury next month to launch a grassroots athletics scheme. England 400-metre star Lesley Owusu will be at Drayton School on August 7, to encourage young people to join this year's Startrack athletics course. Startrack

  • Two stars for ambulance and mental health teams

    County ambulance services scored two stars in the ratings system. Oxfordshire Ambulance Trust has managed to achieve three out of four key targets, including getting paramedic help to more than three-quarters of life-threatening situations within eight

  • Fears grow for diabetic after massive search

    Concern is growing for a diabetic woman, who has been missing from her Banbury home for more than two weeks. Mandy Rogers, 34, left her home in the Fairway, Banbury, on July 7. She has not been seen since, despite a massive police search. The National

  • Villagers' pride pays off in battle for honours

    This year's winners in the Oxfordshire Best Kept Village 2002 competition have been announced. Kennington litter warden Alan Pope, parish clerk George Ross and parish councillor Ian Sillince savour victory In the large villages section, Kennington was

  • Villagers' pride pays off in battle for honours

    This year's winners in the Oxfordshire Best Kept Village 2002 competition have been announced. Kennington litter warden Alan Pope, parish clerk George Ross and parish councillor Ian Sillince savour victory In the large villages section, Kennington was

  • Barracks to close

    The Ministry of Defence will begin pulling out from Vauxhall Barracks in Didcot next March. The Munitions Corporate Business Unit, which administers the supply of munitions -- except guided missiles -- will relocate to Ensleigh in Bath. The transfer was

  • Brakspear 'also hit by planning hitch'

    Falling profits were not the only factor in a brewery's decision to close its historic Oxfordshire site, management have revealed. A long-standing planning row also played a part in the move to shut down the Brakspear brewery in Henley, ending a tradition

  • Council drops plans for coach bays in St Giles

    Plans to create permanent coach parking bays in Oxford's historic St Giles have been abandoned by county councillors. Traders hoped the move would boost business, but amenity groups feared it would spoil the beauty of one of the city's finest streets.

  • Council drops plans for coach bays in St Giles

    Plans to create permanent coach parking bays in Oxford's historic St Giles have been abandoned by county councillors. Traders hoped the move would boost business, but amenity groups feared it would spoil the beauty of one of the city's finest streets.

  • Councillor condemns site choice for 1,000 homes

    Town and county councillor Les Sibley has condemned district council plans for housing in Bicester. On July 22, Cherwell District Council voted to build 1,020 homes at the former RAF base, near Caversfield, and a further 565 houses on land at Gavray Drive

  • Families demand traffic calming after child hurt

    FAMILIES living on a Didcot estate are demanding urgent action after a toddler was badly injured by a pick-up truck outside her home. Families in Mendip Heights with the petition Emily Pickering is due to be transferred from intensive care to the children's

  • Firms 'risk trouble' by ignoring duty to others

    Businesses which focus on profit and ignore their wider duty to society can land themselves in big trouble, according to a new Oxford company. Synergy, based at the Oxford Centre for Innovation in Mill Street, Osney, aims to bridge the gap between environmental

  • Firms 'risk trouble' by ignoring duty to others

    Businesses which focus on profit and ignore their wider duty to society can land themselves in big trouble, according to a new Oxford company. Synergy, based at the Oxford Centre for Innovation in Mill Street, Osney, aims to bridge the gap between environmental

  • Oxford top of league for training

    Oxford University provides the best teacher training in England, according to a new league table. For the fourth year running, the university topped a table of training centres compiled from figures provided by the Teacher Training Agency. The institution

  • Villagers' pride pays off in battle for honours

    This year's winners in the Oxfordshire Best Kept Village 2002 competition have been announced. Kennington litter warden Alan Pope, parish clerk George Ross and parish councillor Ian Sillince savour victory In the large villages section, Kennington was

  • Football: Chelsea turn on the style

    Dean Whitehead took a leaf out of Gianfranco Zola's book by scoring with an impudent free-kick at The Kassam Stadium last night. Dean Whitehead in action But Chelsea's multi-talented side took it in their stride and gave a wonderful exhibition of passing

  • Naval gazing inland

    There's almost nowhere further from the sea in England than Chalgrove, but that didn't bothered naval hero Horatio Hornblower. Ioan Gruffudd takes to the deck as Hornblower He buckled his swash from the make-believe quarterdeck of his frigate Hotspur

  • REVIEW: Passion in this 'sick' rose

    M B DRENNAN reviews Propeller's production of Rose Rage at Oxford Playhouse Dying, Henry V commands the obedience of England's nobles to his young son, Henry VI, but to little avail. Later, in the garden, they pick white or red roses, sowing the seeds