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Oxfordshire | Archive | 2003 | January

Stories for 30 January 2003

Oxfordshire Business

TV shows inspired private detective

Oxford's newest private investigator was inspired to take up the job by watching television shows as a child. more...

More companies plan to create jobs this year

More companies plan to create jobs this year compared to 2002. more...

Nervousness blamed for workplace gaffes

One in five workers has turned up late on his or her first day in a new job, while others have drunk too much on their first lunch break, a report has revealed. more...

Brokers put flotation on hold

The Queen's stockbroker, Cazenove -- which has an office in Oxford -- has postponed plans to float on the London Stock Exchange because of tumbling share prices. more...

WH Smith suffers fall in sales

Heavy Christmas discounting by high street rivals saw sales at WH Smith slide. more...

Prince to visit Mini plant

Prince Charles is to visit the BMW plant in Cowley to learn more about the success of the multi-award winning Mini. more...

Safety accolade

Witwood Food Products, based in Banbury, has won a top award from the British Safety Council following an audit of its safety management system. more...

Appointment made

Oxford law firm Manches has appointed Elizabeth West as a partner in its technology and media department. more...

Oxfordshire News

Free ride to meeting on bus service

A bus company is providing free transport for passengers attending a public meeting to launch a new service between Oxford and Didcot. more...

Nun calls for respite care funding

A nun who founded the county's first respite care centre for seriously-ill children in Oxford has spoken out about "inadequate" state funding for such services. more...

Ancient human remains identified

Ancient human bones found on an Oxford building site belonged to an adult Anglo-Saxon female who lived during the fifth or sixth century, according to experts. more...

'We'll withhold our rates over flooding'

Residents in west Oxford whose homes have been blighted by flooding have said they will consider withholding their water rates unless Thames Water takes urgent action. more...

County's troops gear up for war -- or fighting fires

Soldiers from Oxfordshire are being sent to the Gulf ahead of a possible war with Iraq while hundreds of their colleagues stay behind to provide emergency cover during firefighters' strikes. more...

TV shows inspired private detective

Oxford's newest private investigator was inspired to take up the job by watching television shows as a child. more...

Probation officers await new deal

Probation officers in Oxfordshire who took part in a 12-hour strike on January 27 for better pay and a lighter workload hope a solution may be in the offing. more...

Laughing his way better

Cancer sufferer Robert Ross, pictured, is playing Scrooge in a new adaptation of the Dickens novel as part of his ongoing fight against the disease. more...

Songs plug serious subject

Young performers from west Oxfordshire, including Kelly Smith, pictured, have been picked to record a CD carrying an more...

Thieves target Oxfam shops

Oxfam charity shop staff are being urged to be more security conscious, following a spate of thefts. more...

Girl locked up for blade attack

A 15-year-old girl, who slashed a 13-year-old girl's face with a blade in an after-school brawl over a boy in South Park, Oxford, has started a nine-month spell in custody. more...

Playing fields managers warned

The Oxfordshire Playing Fields Association is urging people responsible for play areas to be aware of a change in the law. more...

Sets of keys recovered

Detectives are trying to trace the owners of five sets of keys discovered in a house search on New Year's Eve. more...

Ale course in demand

Demand for a course offering adults in Oxford the chance to go on a pub crawl has been so high that organisers plan to host more. more...

£40,000 to boost road safety

Developers must agree to give £40,000 for traffic safety work before they can build five flats and nine houses in Latimer Road, Headington, Oxford. more...

Free ride to meeting on bus service

A bus company is providing free transport for passengers attending a public meeting to launch a new service between Didcot and Oxford. more...

Rail bridge `needs safety measures'

Police have joined villagers who are calling for traffic lights and safety barriers at a dangerous bridge near Didcot. more...

More staff brought in over leak

More than 100 Transco engineers were drafted in to deal with the aftermath of January 28's massive gas leak in Banbury. more...

Spotlight turns on Palestine

A Palestinian evening takes place in east Oxford on February 7. more...

Help needed for funday

Volunteers are needed to help secure the future of Headington's Christmas Sunday Funday. more...

Suite with a view

Students at Oxford College are able to take advantage of a new computer suite and library overlooking a tributary of the Thames. more...

Paths repaired

Footpath repairs costing £17,000 at Gordon Close, Old Marston, north Oxford, should be completed before mid-February. more...

Prince Charles to visit Mini plant

Prince Charles is to visit the BMW plant in Cowley to learn more about the success of the multi-award winning Mini. more...

Pantos prepare plenty of laughs

It's panto time again across Oxfordshire as amateur drama groups prepare for curtain up. more...

Teenage parent group nets £3k

A group for teenage parents has been awarded a £3,000 grant to help keep it going. more...

Relief for residents

Residents in Bicester have won a battle over who should pay for sewer repairs. more...

Animal lover is on track

An animal lover from Bicester will be running in the London Marathon to raise money for an animal welfare charity. more...

Research sale

A fundraising sale for children's cancer research takes place at 1st Bicester Scout Group headquarters, in Ashdene Road, on February 8, starting at 2pm. more...

Report studies school options

Residents could be canvassed about the future of secondary schooling in Wantage and Grove following the publication of a long-awaited report. more...

Work set to start on busy road

Work to cut congestion near Faringdon is due to start on February 3. more...

Enjoy New Year - Chinese style

Wantage Ladies Circle will celebrate the Chinese New Year at 8pm on February 3. more...

Learn to be a first-aider

A course for workplace first-aiders is being held at Thame Community Education Centre in Towersey Road. more...

Puppy pupils

A puppy school aimed at teaching dogs good behaviour is being organised at Thame Youth Centre in Towersey Road by Gemma Binstead. She can be contacted on 07810 265374. more...

Council pays for churchyard

Thame town council is paying £2,300 towards the upkeep of St Mary's churchyard. more...

House prices 'too high'

One of Oxfordshire's prettiest towns is in urgent need of housing for young people. more...

Boris holds surgery

South Oxfordshire MP Boris Johnson will hold a surgery in Thame town hall on February 21 between 4pm and 6pm. more...

Building bid brings fears

A town councillor fears people living in Woodstock will lose out if the go-ahead is given to develop green fields to the south of the town. more...

Farmers sell up

The next farmers' market in Thame, held in conjunction with the town's Tuesday street market, will be on February 11, between 8.30am and 1.30pm. more...

Concert at school

Soprano Tara Overend, cellist Tom Collingwood and pianist Anna Bolt will be giving a concert at Burford School on February 12, starting at 7.30pm. more...

Soprano sings

Soprano Catherine Futcher will be giving a concert at Wood Green School, Witney, on February 14. more...

Tom Duncan will talk about the partnership of Sir Edward Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll when the West Oxon Decorative and Fine Arts Society meets in the Langdale Hall, Witney, on February 13, at 7.30pm. more...

Power cut

Around 1,500 properties in Witney town centre lost their electricity twice for about 10 minutes each time between 7.30am and 8.15am on January 29. more...

Homes planned

Plans have been submitted to West Oxfordshire District Council to build 168 houses on land off Carterton Road, Carterton. more...

Antiques on show

An antiques fair will be held in the Warwick Hall, Burford, on February 8. more...

Hospital scheme opened to debate

People in Wallingford are to have their say on the future of the town's community hospital. more...

More development 'will swamp town'

Fears have been expressed that major housing developments on the edge of Wallingford will swamp the town. more...

Girls push for club

Two Wallingford schoolgirls desperate to get a junior club at their youth centre are appealing for other youngsters to join them. more...

Pedestrian dies in accident

A man died after being struck by a road sweeper while walking along a road in south Oxfordshire on January 29. more...

Silver stolen

An antique silver cutlery set worth £2,000 and a laptop computer worth £1,800 were stolen from a house in High Street, Ewelme, near Wallingford, between Thursday, January 23, and January 25. more...

Row looms over new hotel scheme

A row is looming over plans to redevelop part of a hotel in Abingdon, 12 months after the first proposals were rejected. more...

Asbestos holds up cinema plan

The demolition of one of Abingdon's worst eyesores, the old Regal Cinema, has suffered another delay following the discovery of dangerous blue asbestos in the roof of the 68-year-old building. more...

Playtime becomes more fun

Playtime has taken on a whole new meaning at an Abingdon school. more...

Soldier fire crews eager to get back to military life

Troops covering for striking firefighters in Oxfordshire say they are bored and cannot wait to get back to their jobs. more...

Snowfall brings traffic chaos

From left, Victoria, eight, Katherine, four, and Edward Smith, 10, make snowballs in Gibbs Road, Banbury Snow brought traffic chaos and hazardous conditions to parts of Oxfordshire on January 30, with many accidents resulting from the patchy falls. more...

Oxfordshire Whats On

Review: Snake in the Grass

Having kept us chuckling -- sometimes rather nervously -- through three-and-a-half decades, Sir Alan Ayckbourn has clearly now decided that it is time to make our flesh creep. more...

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