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Stories for 05 December 2001
Abingdon News
Bricklayer jailed for glass attack
A bricklayer who smashed a pint glass into the face of a pub landlord has been jailed for two-and-a-half years. more...
It'll all soon be over
Getting rid of the Christmas tree after Twelfth Night is being made easy for people in south Oxfordshire. more...
Fire cost 'several millions'
A freight transport company is still counting up the cost of a fire which caused "several million" pounds of damage to light bulbs and baby products at its warehouse on the Culham industrial complex near Abingdon. more...
Silken pleasure
A new silk screen printing machine is being used by disabled members of an Abingdon art group to produce festive art work. more...
Carol night
The Mayor of Abingdon's carol service takes place tomorrow December 6 in the Abbey Hall at 7pm, featuring the Abbey Brass, Dunmore School, Girl Guide handbell ringers, Salvation Army Songers, Angela Lawrence, Carol Nichols and the Abingdon Mummers. more...
Boxing: Maloney's Abingdon star
Frank Maloney, the former manager of world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, was on hand to dish out the prizes at Abingdon Boxing Club's dinner show on Friday. more...
Football: Abingdon's unbeaten run
Abingdon Tn 2, more...
Banbury News
Banbury will get special nurse
Banbury could have a nurse specialising in Parkinson's Disease by mid-January. more...
Council starts on drainage scheme
Work aimed at preventing flooding in parts of Banbury's Southam Road Cemetery started on Monday. more...
Death: man is charged
An unemployed 58-year-old man was due to appear at Banbury Magistrates' Court today charged with murder. more...
Bicester News
Football: Bateman bonanza
Oxon Senior League more...
Family's fundraising trip
When Rosalie Khadragi goes on a charity cycle ride to Egypt, it will be a family affair. more...
Didcot News
Public airing for centre scheme
Work on Didcot's £35m town centre redevelopment is expected to begin towards the end of next year. more...
Cabinet expected to push for more CCTV cameras
Towns in south Oxfordshire are a step closer to getting crime-stopping cameras on their streets. more...
Police in appeal on raids
Police are appealing for witnesses after burglars walked into two unlocked Oxfordshire homes and stole property. more...
Firm hands over cash to hospice
An Oxfordshire hospice has received a £250 donation from developers of a new industry park at Didcot. more...
Football: Goal legend Denis proves a big draw
Legendary goalscorer Denis Law helped net nearly £4,500 for high-flying AFC Wallingford. more...
Oxford News
Waste not, want not -- that's Orinoco's motto
The wombles of Wimbledon famously went about their Common picking up rubbish which other people had left behind. more...
Hospice appeal on target
An appeal to build a new hospice for young adults with terminal illnesses is now just £500,000 short of its £4m target. more...
'Robbers targeted massage parlours'
Massage parlours in Oxford were targeted in a spate of robberies, a court was told. more...
Emergency team may return to city centre
Relocating Oxfordshire's emergency planning service from Oxford city centre to an underground bunker could cost an extra £19,000 a year. more...
Drink fears over 24-hour city
Oxford will never become a 24-hour city because of English attitudes to alcohol, it has been claimed. more...
Christmas cash taken by burglars
Pub regulars have rallied round to help an elderly Oxford couple who had hundreds of pounds of Christmas money stolen. more...
Hi-tech help for disabled
Children with cerebral palsy will soon be treated with "Star Wars" technology at Oxford's Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre. more...
Open High Street to traffic again say traders
Traders in Oxford are urging county council engineers to reopen the city's High Street to boost trade. more...
Inquiry after pedestrian hurt
The Oxford Bus Company has launched an investigation after one of its buses was involved in a collision with a pedestrian. more...
Services back on the track
Train services between Oxfordshire and Paddington were expected to return to normal today after a landslide on Sunday afternoon caused severe service disruption. more...
Safety at junction improved
New traffic lights have been installed at the busy junction of Worcester Street, New Road and Park End Street in the centre of Oxford to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. more...
Burglar is sentenced
A burglar from Oxford has been sentenced to a drug treatment and testing order. more...
Help for animals
West Oxford Animal Rescue has new computer equipment thanks to sponsorship from Office World. more...
Give blood
Blood donations will be taken at the Conservative Club, in Windmill Road, Headington, on Friday, December 14, between 10.30am and 12.25pm, and 2pm and 3.55pm. more...
Greyhounds: Tomorrow's Oxford Card; last night's results
7.35 450m A9 more...
Football: McMinn leaves United
Assistant manager Ted McMinn left Oxford United by mutual consent yesterday in one of the least surprising moves of what has been a turbulent month at The Kassam Stadium. more...
Boxing: Timothy in points win
Wolvercote's Timothy Joyce was in dynamic form when he took on Frank Holmes, from the host gym, at Stevenage. more...
Oxford,Abingdon,Banbury,Bicester,Didcot,Thame,Wantage,Wallingford,Witney News
Musical talents put to the test
Talented young musicians across Oxfordshire are being invited to take part in the first county-wide solo competition. more...
Grant could limit tax increase
A £17m increase in Oxfordshire County Council's spending power could mean residents will escape a ten per cent rise in council tax payments from April. more...
Flood alert
Householders will be able to get up-to-the-minute flood advice this winter with the Environment Agency's new online service. The website, at
Athletics: Oxford Mail Cross Country League
Results and Standings more...
Football: Deadly Dudley conquers North
John Fathers Oxfordshire Junior Shield more...
Athletics: Terrific Tom shines
Junior Tom Penfold confirmed his outstanding promise by becoming the youngest-ever winner of the men's race in the Oxford Mail Cross Country League. more...
Aunt Sally: Cricketers pay price
R.D. Racing moved six points clear at the top of the Gladiators' Wednesday Beer Seller League with a 5-1 victory over an unlucky four-man Cricketers side. more...
Football: Johnny 's four-timer
North Berks League more...
Athletics: Lund and Shipway's clean sweep
Woodstock Harriers' Simon Lund and Richard Shipway finished first and second respectively in the Luton Marathon. more...
Football: Rovers on the up
Witney & District FA more...
Football: Highfield hot-shots
Lord Jersey FA more...
Rugby: Oxford are in driving seat
Oxford are into the next round of the Oxfordshire Junior Under 15 Cup, with a 15-7 win over Chinnor, thanks to Mark Taylor who scored a try, conversion and a penalty , and a try from Tom McHugh. more...
Cricket: Workshop for coaches
Coaches in Oxfordshire are being encouraged to add to their knowledge by attending a special workshop. more...
Oxfordshire Business
Harry & Co create effects boom
A company which sells special effects systems for use in films is planning to increase its workforce by 25 per cent. more...
Spin-off sells to top firm
Oxford Bio-Innovation, a university spin-off company, has been bought by leading American firm Diagnostics Systems Laboratories. more...
Profits online for publisher
An internet company has bucked the downturn by announcing revenue has more than doubled to £9.9m. more...
BMW chief resigns
BMW's Supervisory Board in Munich has accepted the resignation of company chairman Prof Joachim Milburg. more...
Oxfordshire Education
Oxfordshire schools stay above national average
New Government league tables show Oxfordshire primary schools continuing to maintain their high levels of performance. more...
Musical talents put to the test
Talented young musicians across Oxfordshire are being invited to take part in the first county-wide solo competition. more...
Planning pays off for tutors and students
Architecture students and their tutors at Oxford Brookes University have won awards from the Royal Institute of British Architects. more...
Nursery places
Children aged three to five in the area are being offered the chance of a place at Scallywags nursery, based at Penhurst School, Chipping Norton. Places can be taken up from January 2. For details call Donna Cowan on 01608 643416. more...
Author's visit
Award-winning children's author and illustrator Laurence Anholt will visit Cowley Library, Temple Road, on Saturday, December 15. Free tickets are available by calling 01865 777494. more...
Oxfordshire Internet
Flood alert
Householders will be able to get up-to-the-minute flood advice this winter with the Environment Agency's new online service. The website, at
Oxfordshire Leisure
Musical talents put to the test
Talented young musicians across Oxfordshire are being invited to take part in the first county-wide solo competition. more...
Silken pleasure
A new silk screen printing machine is being used by disabled members of an Abingdon art group to produce festive art work. more...
Extra help
The Coventry Building Society is seeking nominations for its Santa's Little Helper promotion, to find someone who deserves a special present this Christmas. The society, which has six branches in the county, is offering £500 to six winners. Children who make the winning nominations will receive £15 book or CD vouchers. Forms can be obtained from the society's branches. The closing date is next Monday December 10. more...
Grotto visit
Father Christmas will be joining animals in a barn at the farm shop at Foxbury Farm, Brize Norton, on Saturday, December 15. He will be at the farm from 11am to 3pm with presents for all the children visiting his grotto, which he will be sharing with lots of animals. All proceeds will be donated to the Silver Star Unit at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, to buy a scanner to monitor patients with high risk pregnancies. more...
Boat race song
A song celebrating the tradition of the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race features on a CD of sporting songs from the Victorian and Edwardian period. When The Rival Blues was first published in 1879, the annual Thames race had been a fixture on the calendar for 34 years. The song is performed, on a CD called Play The Game, by Ian Partridge, a former chorister of New College, Oxford. more...
Santa on tour
Father Christmas will be touring villages around Wallingford this weekend (Dec 8 - 9) accompanied by Wallingford Round Table's Christmas float. He will visit children in Benson on Friday, Dorchester on Saturday and Crowmarsh on Sunday. All the sleigh outings start at 6pm, and proceeds from the Round Table's street collection will go to Helen House Hospice for terminally-ill children in Oxford. more...
Chandos third
The Chandos Arms, Oakley, claimed third place in the Vale of Aylesbury good pubs competition held in memory of the late Cllr Ted Payne, the first compiler of questions for the Oxford Mail Quiz League. The White Hart, Preston Bissett, Bicester won the event and the Wheatsheaf, Maids Moreton, Buckingham came second. more...
Festive concert
The Oxsrad Singers will be holding their Christmas concert at Oxsrad, in Marsh Lane, Marston, on Saturday, December 15, at 7.30pm. Admission is free. A collection will be taken in aid of Oxsrad, which provides sports and leisure activities for disabled and able-bodied people. more...
Carol night
The Mayor of Abingdon's carol service takes place tomorrow December 6 in the Abbey Hall at 7pm, featuring the Abbey Brass, Dunmore School, Girl Guide handbell ringers, Salvation Army Songers, Angela Lawrence, Carol Nichols and the Abingdon Mummers. more...
Musical evening
Burford Singers and the Cotswold Chamber Orchestra will present The Dream of Gerontius in Burford Church on Sunday December 9 at 7.30pm. For more information call 01993 822305. more...
Greens gather
The city's Green Party will be hosting its Winter Green Fair, at Oxford Town Hall, on Saturday December 8 between 10.30am and 4.30pm. Admission is 30p for adults and free for children. more...
Author's visit
Award-winning children's author and illustrator Laurence Anholt will visit Cowley Library, Temple Road, on Saturday, December 15. Free tickets are available by calling 01865 777494. more...
Nature event
The Woodstock Natural History Society will be holding a Christmas evening when it meets next Tuesday December 11 in Woodstock Community Centre, starting at 7.30pm. more...
Christmas show
The Woodstock Society will be presenting a Christmas entertainment in Woodstock Community Centre on Monday, December 10, at 8pm. more...
Church recital
A lunchtime recital will be held in Witney High Street Methodist Church on Thursday, December 13, from 1pm to 2pm. more...
Show blows up a storm
The escape of a murderer from the local penitentiary has electrified a farming community in America's Deep South, but the panic appears to have passed over the heads of the kids in this Bible-belt town. more...
Oxfordshire Marketplace
They're hot out of the wok
The land of the Rising Sun is fully acknowledged as being the home of some of the most desirable bikes in the world -- and yet with the demise of the Bamboo Curtain, another Far Eastern power, China, is now emerging as a serious motorcycle manufacturing nation. more...
Icons of our age
Carl Fogarty, four-times World Superbike champion, is the nation's favourite motorcycling icon of all time, according to a survey carried out by the Edge -- the UK's leading motorcycle skills assessors. more...
Old MG magic survives
When it became clear that a key plank of the MG Rover survival strategy involved producing sporting MG versions of existing Rover saloons, cynics took a deep breath. more...
Right in tune
Enthusiast owners of the new Oxford-built Mini Cooper can now experience the legendary tuning expertise of the original John Cooper Garages. more...
Poor marks on latest safety tests
None of 12 cars examined achieved top safety marks in the latest European crash test results. more...
Police car tests
MG'S first estate car -- the ZT-T -- is soon to be evaluated by police forces across the UK. more...
Shine on the Ibiza
Spanish car-maket SEAT has released the first information about the new Ibiza, which will be launched next spring. more...
Bargains harder to find
New car bargains are becoming scarcer with dealers less likely to offer discounts, according to a new survey. more...
Car giant eyes design centre
Formula One team Arrows TWR has received outline planning permission to build a design studio at its Leafield headquarters. more...
Oxfordshire News
Tables show Oxfordshire schools keep up standards
New Government league tables show Oxfordshire primary schools continuing to maintain their high levels of performance. more...
Emergency team may return to city centre
Relocating Oxfordshire's emergency planning service from Oxford city centre to an underground bunker could cost an extra £19,000 a year. more...
'Robbers targeted massage parlours'
Massage parlours in Oxford were targeted in a spate of robberies, a court was told. more...
Drink fears over 24-hour city
Oxford will never become a 24-hour city because of English attitudes to alcohol, it has been claimed. more...
Christmas cash taken by burglars
Pub regulars have rallied round to help an elderly Oxford couple who had hundreds of pounds of Christmas money stolen. more...
Hi-tech help for disabled
Children with cerebral palsy will soon be treated with "Star Wars" technology at Oxford's Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre. more...
Grant could limit tax increase
A £17m increase in Oxfordshire County Council's spending power could mean residents will escape a ten per cent rise in council tax payments from April. more...
Police in appeal on raids
Police are appealing for witnesses after burglars walked into two unlocked Oxfordshire homes and stole property. more...
Services back on the track
Train services between Oxfordshire and Paddington were expected to return to normal today after a landslide on Sunday afternoon caused severe service disruption. more...
Waste not, want not -- that's Orinoco's motto
The wombles of Wimbledon famously went about their Common picking up rubbish which other people had left behind. more...
Bus users hit by fare hike
Bus company Stagecoach has put up its fares by an average of ten cent to help pay for a 24 per cent pay rise for drivers. more...
Oxfordshire Sport
Football: McMinn leaves United
Assistant manager Ted McMinn left Oxford United by mutual consent yesterday in one of the least surprising moves of what has been a turbulent month at The Kassam Stadium. more...
Athletics: Oxford Mail Cross Country League
Results and Standings more...
Football: Deadly Dudley conquers North
John Fathers Oxfordshire Junior Shield more...
Athletics: Terrific Tom shines
Junior Tom Penfold confirmed his outstanding promise by becoming the youngest-ever winner of the men's race in the Oxford Mail Cross Country League. more...
Boxing: Maloney's Abingdon star
Frank Maloney, the former manager of world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, was on hand to dish out the prizes at Abingdon Boxing Club's dinner show on Friday. more...
Football: Rovers on the up
Witney & District FA more...
Motosport: Mini Cooper in comeback bid
A new race series will be run in 2002 based on the Oxford-built Mini. more...
Football: Abingdon's unbeaten run
Abingdon Tn 2, more...
Thame News
Cabinet expected to push for more CCTV cameras
Towns in south Oxfordshire are a step closer to getting crime-stopping cameras on their streets. more...
It'll all soon be over
Getting rid of the Christmas tree after Twelfth Night is being made easy for people in south Oxfordshire. more...
Clinic proposal
A planning application to set up a chiropractic clinic at 51-53 High Street, Wheatley, has been submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council. more...
Wallingford News
Football: Goal legend Denis proves a big draw
Legendary goalscorer Denis Law helped net nearly £4,500 for high-flying AFC Wallingford. more...
Football: Bateman bonanza
Oxon Senior League more...
Cabinet expected to push for more CCTV cameras
Towns in south Oxfordshire are a step closer to getting crime-stopping cameras on their streets. more...
It'll all soon be over
Getting rid of the Christmas tree after Twelfth Night is being made easy for people in south Oxfordshire. more...
Santa on tour
Father Christmas will be touring villages around Wallingford this weekend (Dec 8 - 9) accompanied by Wallingford Round Table's Christmas float. He will visit children in Benson on Friday, Dorchester on Saturday and Crowmarsh on Sunday. All the sleigh outings start at 6pm, and proceeds from the Round Table's street collection will go to Helen House Hospice for terminally-ill children in Oxford. more...
Hall helped
A £5,500 project to replace Ewelme village hall floor on health and safety grounds has received a £2,000 grant from South Oxfordshire District Council. more...
Grant aid
Summer activities at the Campus Youth Centre, Berinsfield, earned a £150 grant from South Oxfordshire District Council. more...
Wantage News
Depressed man killed by high-speed train
A man who had a history of depression took his own life by walking into the path of a high-speed train, an Oxford inquest was told. more...
Witney News
Royalty boost
The Charlbury Museum has received over £500 from the royalties of a book entitled A History of Charlbury, written by resident Lois Hey. more...
Church recital
A lunchtime recital will be held in Witney High Street Methodist Church on Thursday, December 13, from 1pm to 2pm. more...
Bus users hit by fare hike
Bus company Stagecoach has put up its fares by an average of ten cent to help pay for a 24 per cent pay rise for drivers. more...
Exclusive council briefing upsets Liberal Democrats
A row has broken out over a briefing memo which senior officers only sent to Conservative members of West Oxfordshire District Council. more...
Town pair top TV contest
Two Witney residents have scooped first and second place in a personality of the year competition run by Carlton TV. more...
Site mix-up delays phone mast
Plans for a mobile phone mast have been put back because of an eagle-eyed objector. more...
Plea for helpers
A charity shop has reopened in time for Christmas with a complete refurbishment. more...
Car giant eyes design centre
Formula One team Arrows TWR has received outline planning permission to build a design studio at its Leafield headquarters. more...
Nursery places
Children aged three to five in the area are being offered the chance of a place at Scallywags nursery, based at Penhurst School, Chipping Norton. Places can be taken up from January 2. For details call Donna Cowan on 01608 643416. more...
Musical evening
Burford Singers and the Cotswold Chamber Orchestra will present The Dream of Gerontius in Burford Church on Sunday December 9 at 7.30pm. For more information call 01993 822305. more...
Nature event
The Woodstock Natural History Society will be holding a Christmas evening when it meets next Tuesday December 11 in Woodstock Community Centre, starting at 7.30pm. more...
Fund benefits
A collection by organ grinders Geoff and Joan Todd, of Deddington, outside Sainsbury's store, Witney, has raised £652.20 for the Oxfordshire Macmillan Cancer Relief Fund. more...
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