Oxford and Oxfordshire news, sport and information updated throughout the day

Stories for 14 March 2003

Oxfordshire News

Schools help young smokers

An anti-smoking expert is being invited into schools to help pupils stub out the habit.   more...

Councils may share offices

City and county council leaders are planning to ask staff to share office space in Oxford in a bid to close buildings and cut costs.   more...

Mini beats its rivals

The Oxford-built Mini is outselling all but one of its nearest rivals in the UK, according to parent firm BMW.   more...

Student relives robbery ordeal

A student in Oxford has spoken about being held at gunpoint while she was working in an off-licence.   more...

Married couple strike gold

A couple who met more than 50 years ago while working for the Admiralty are off to Gibraltar to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary.   more...

X-ray machine resembles doughnut

Work has begun on a site to host a £235m x-ray machine the size of a football pitch.   more...

Firms club together

A charity staging golf competitions for amputees is holding a fundraising dinner in Oxford on March 14.   more...

Youngsters crash stolen car

A stolen car crashed, injuring the four teenage occupants.   more...

Wrestling for charity

Teachers donned padded sumo suits to do battle in a knockout wrestling tournament in aid of Comic Relief.   more...

Oxygen bar proves a hit

Keep-fit fans are enjoying the benefits of Oxfordshire's first "oxygen bar".   more...

Money makes music

A project to give disadvantaged children tuition in modern music-making techniques has been given a £290,000 grant.   more...

Mosaic spells welcome

There's a warm welcome in a variety of languages awaiting any visitor to this school.   more...

Trees pay tribute

Volunteers are being asked to help plant 1,500 trees in memory of cricket player and police officer Steve Reynolds.   more...

Artists show skill

The heavy sound of chainsaws and sandblasters is reverberating around the Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock.   more...

Council criticised over mast

Campaigners against a plan for a 100ft radio mast in Wolvercote have criticised Oxford City Council for failing to challenge Network Rail.   more...

X-ray machine resembles doughnut

Work has begun on a site to host a £235m x-ray machine the size of a football pitch.   more...

Pooh Sticks draws international field

The USA and Australia are expected to be represented in the team events at the World Pooh Sticks Championships on March 16.   more...

Club closed

Didcot Power Station sports and social club has been closed until further notice while repairs are carried out to the roof.   more...

Brains battle

Teams of four will compete for the title Brains of Banbury when quizmaster Ralph Huckin sets a dozen rounds of general knowledge questions and other teasers in a quiz night in aid of the mayor's charity fund.   more...

Slimmer's bonus

A weight loss for Gina Phipps has become a cash gain for the Katharine House hospice.   more...

Protesters plan picket

Anti-war protesters plan to lobby Oxford East MP Andrew Smith on March 14.   more...

Gang rob student

A Japanese student was pushed over and robbed in Oxford by a gang on bicycles.   more...

Live art created

Artist Lucie Fitzmaurice has been creating live art for passers-by at East Oxford Community Centre.   more...

Glider among prizes

A flight in a glider will be among prizes at a children's fair in Bletchingdon village hall on March 22, from 10am.   more...

Kassam donates cash

Oxford United Football Club chairman Firoz Kassam has given £5,000 to the Banbury Citizens Advice Bureau.   more...

Boatman leaves land to trust

A farmer and boatman whose love of a bargain was legendary and who had numerous brushes with the law has left his land to the Oxford Preservation Trust.   more...

Under-21s banned

People under 21 have been banned from drinking at a Bicester pub at the weekends in a bid to tackle disorder.   more...

Prescott allows play plan

An entertainment centre in Bicester is close to becoming reality after the removal of a planning obstacle.   more...

Alcohol-free zones welcomed

Retailers and pub landlords have backed a move to make Bicester's town centre streets alcohol-free zones.   more...

Actors have own fame academy

Actors in Bicester are getting a chance to attend their own Fame Academy.   more...

Expressing devotion

A couple who met at school are celebrating their golden wedding anniversary on March 14 with a trip on the Orient Express.   more...

Parish left out

The parish council is writing to the Vale of White Horse District Council to complain that Stanford in the Vale has not benefited from any of the £160,000 offered by developers of the Forest Grove housing estate.   more...

Wartime tunes

Music from the First and Second World Wars will be performed by Wantage Stage Musical Company in a show called We'll Eat Again at the Comrades' Club on March 21.   more...

Man hurt in racist attack

An Asian man was punched and knocked to the ground in a racist attack in Thame.   more...

Woman dies in car crash

A woman was killed when her car left the road and ploughed through a hedge on March 14.   more...

Action plan sets out priorities

Reducing crime, improving youth work and attracting more tourists are among the priorities of Wallingford Town Council.   more...

Centres praised

The county's director for social and health care has praised the work carried out by day centres.   more...

Pub flats plan under fire

Plans to turn the disused Horse and Jockey pub in Abingdon into flats have again run into opposition.   more...

Science can be fun

More than 300 young scientists in Abingdon took part in the fifth Sensational Science Day at the Guildhall.   more...

Police abandon `rioting' pupils

Children in Oxford defied teachers and the police to hold a peace demonstration that turned to chaos.   more...

£3.7m so police can buy homes

A top-up mortgage scheme will help police remain in Thames Valley due to a £3.7m grant from the Government.   more...

Oxfordshire Sport

Mate joins the racing greats

Best Mate surprised even his devoted trainer Henrietta Knight by the spectacular way he etched his name in racing history with a second successive victory in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup yesterday.   more...

Atkins: It's now a test of nerves

The teams that clinch automatic promotion and play-off places in Nationwide Division 3 will be the ones whose players can hold their nerve.   more...

Football fixtures

Matches to be played on Saturday, March 15, 2003   more...

City snap up Borough ace

Oxford City have received a big boost after they signed Stevenage Borough midfielder Rory Jenkins on loan until the end of the season.   more...

Character call

Pete Lamont has called on his Abingdon Town players to show more character when they travel to Division 2 rivals Edgware Town.   more...

Derby day

Banbury United will be without the suspended Ollie Stanbridge for their derby clash with Dr Martens League Eastern Division.   more...

Football fixtures

Matches to be played on Sunday, March 16, 2003   more...

Didcot bidding to extend run

Cherry Red Records Hellenic League preview: Didcot Town will be going all-out to extend their remarkable run in 2003 to 12 straight victories as they travel to Tuffley Rovers in the Premier Division on Saturday.   more...

Hockey fixtures

Matches to be played on Saturday, March 15, 2003   more...

Rugby fixtures

Matches to be played on Saturday, March 15, 2003   more...

Henley one victory away

Henley Hawks will clinch an immediate return to National League 1 if they beat third-placed Harrogate in their Division 2 match at Dry Leas on Saturday (3pm).   more...

Blow for Thame

Thame United have been dealt a blow after defender Andy Williams was ruled out for a month with a thigh problem.   more...

Chadbone missing for Quins

Oxford Harlequins will be without prop Simon Chadbone as they start their run-in to the South West 2 East title with a trip to Salisbury on Saturday (3pm).   more...

Win needed

As one of five clubs on ten points in the last six places in the Midland Division 2 East table, Banbury must return to winning ways pretty quickly.   more...

Oxfordshire Whats On

Jus' Like That!

A play based on the life of madcap comic and conjuror Tommy Cooper is at the Oxford Playhouse from March 17.   more...

South Africa on film

David Goldblatt: Fifty-one years, an exhibition of photographs continues at Modern Art Oxford, in Pembroke Street, Oxford.   more...

  
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