FULKE Johnson Houghton, who trained two St Leger winners and two Irish Derby winners from his stables at Blewbury, near Didcot, is to retire at the end of the season. The 66-year-old handler's licence will be taken over by Eve Johnson Houghton, his
You have to wonder now whether all the time and expense of lowering the speed limit on the Eastern Bypass followng last May's crash was tangibly worth the effort. We don't ask that question to attack the police or the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership
Speed limits are back in the news again and this time it's about local roads. Many rural roads are not suited to the national speed limit of 60mph for single carriageway roads. That is perfectly obvious and the Freight Transport Association has no problem
Oxford City Council is turning to Cambridge to help get its finances under control. Councillors have been told they need to see "the bigger picture" and look ahead more when setting budgets. Oxford finance chief Mark Luntley has told all 48 councillors
A football tournament held in memory of 12-year-old Nathan Monaghan, who died in the River Thames looks set to beat previous fundraising records. The third annual Nathan Monaghan Memorial Fund football and fun day was held yesterday (Sunday) at Milton
Mystery surrounds the death of a motorcyclist whose body was found in the middle of the A34. A lorry driver spotted the man lying across both lanes of the A34 northbound, just north of the Marcham interchange near Abingdon at 4am on Saturday. Last night
An inmate at an Oxfordshire jail is suing after he fell off the top bunk in his cell. Gerry Cooper cut his head open after rolling out of bed at Bullingdon Prison near Bicester and is now complaining the beds breach health and safety as he seeks a pay-out
'Bin Brother' is about to bug Oxford's new wheelie bins with people potentially facing bills over how much waste they dump. More than 500,000 electronic bugs have already been planted in wheelie bins in council districts across England, and when Oxford's
It may not be the legendary Woodstock festival, but this year's Woodstock Live! looks set to go down in local history. The annual event, which began on Friday and ends today (Monday) is in its third year and has been the biggest yet. Crowds flocked
Archaeologists from Oxford struck gold - in a sense - during a television dig at Buckingham Palace. Oxford Archeology, based at the Osney Mead industrial estate, found a Victorian diamond earring, presumed to have been lost in the grounds, a 17th century
Wallingford is all set to come alive with the most colourful event in its calendar, the Bunkfest, over the coming weekend. More than 50 folk dance groups from all over the country and scores of singers will be performing in 21 venues including the Market
A popular community resource centre has been forced to close. The Horspath Road Resource Centre, in Cowley, Oxford, has closed after running out of funding - unable to pay £6,000 in rent demanded by the city council. The centre, which was used for
Charges for parking in Headington, Oxford, are set to increase for the first time in four years despite the objections of shopkeepers who said it would drive away already dwindling trade. The change will affect drivers parking in either the St Leonard's
An Oxford man has received the backing of a High Court judge for a review of the future of the chronic pain relief unit at the city's Churchill Hospital. Kevin Comley, of Pegasus Road, Blackbird Leys, along with Vera Marriott, from Aylesbury, are spearheading
A father-of-two missing from his home in Newcastle has been found alive and well in Oxfordshire, thanks to an Oxford Mail reader. Christopher 'Paddy' Mendez, 37, of Hardy Grove, Wallsend, drove off during a family trip to a McDonald's restaurant on
A third man has been charged with attempted murder over a double stabbing in Bicester. Clifford Garnon, 24, of West Street, Bicester, was charged with wounding causing grievous bodily harm, violent disorder and the attempted murder of Craig Kelly.
Venida Crabtree spent more than £27,000 on driving lessons and it took her 33 years to pass her driving test, but now vandals have torched her car. Mrs Crabtree, of Cowley, Oxford, had just finished a meeting at 9pm on Thursday with colleagues at the
Speed cameras will not be used to catch motorists breaking the new limit on Oxford's killer Eastern Bypass, the Oxford Mail can reveal. Police have only just been able to enforce the revised 50mph speed limit, after a bungle over signs on the stretch
