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

Stories for 17 March 2003

Oxfordshire Business

Optical business to boost retail activity

Abingdon's retail sector will get a boost next month when one of the three empty shops in the Bury Street shopping precinct opens as an opticians.   more...

Economic health effort backed

Businessmen are backing South Oxfordshire District Council's efforts to improve the area's economic health.   more...

Oxfordshire Education

Councillors visit schools

Richard Shaw, the chief executive of Oxfordshire County Council, will visit the Oxford Cherwell division in north Oxford on Thursday, March 20.   more...

Oxfordshire News

Grandmothers stage protest

Grandmothers from across Oxfordshire were taking their anti-war protest to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire today (March 17).   more...

Girls waiting longer to be Brownies

Young girls hoping to become Brownies are having to hold out for several years on waiting lists.   more...

Council sends anti-war message

Labour city councillors have criticised Prime Minister Tony Blair's handling of the Iraq crisis.   more...

Gun pointed at woman in raid

Detectives are hunting a man who robbed a female shop worker at gunpoint.   more...

Lord Mayor to launch town hall organ CD

The Lord Mayor of Oxford, Gill Sanders, is to launch a new CD of music recorded on the Oxford town hall organ.   more...

Town set to have say on where houses should go

Twelve polling stations will be opened in Bicester for a parish poll to decide where new housing should be built.   more...

Teenager bailed over OAP death

Detectives are investigating the death of an Oxfordshire pensioner who was fatally injured in a suspected hit-and-run accident in Warrington earlier this week.   more...

Teenager 'tried to pick a fight'

A teenager ended up in Oxford Crown Court after trying to pick a fight in the early hours of the morning last year.   more...

Running for first aid charity

Runners taking part in the London Marathon in aid of a charity which teaches children first aid urged shoppers to donate to the cause on Saturday.   more...

MP calls for affordable housing

Oxford MP Andrew Smith has said that the supply of affordable housing must be increased and that the term 'key worker' must be clarified to tackle the area's housing problems.   more...

Firemen rescue climber from river

A man was plucked from the Thames in Oxford by firefighters in an early morning river rescue on Saturday.   more...

Trees planted in honour of local hero

Friends of a cricketer who died almost two years ago have planted 700 hundred trees in his memory.   more...

Spate of fires prompts warning

Firefighters are urging businesses to be careful how they dispose of rubbish -- after tackling a blaze at Didcot Wave swimming pool.   more...

Smoke alarm saves man

A Banbury man was saved by quick-thinking neighbours, after they heard his smoke alarm going off.   more...

Driving charges after crash

A car which was being pursued by police was involved in a collision with another vehicle in Iffley Road, Oxford, on Friday, March 14.   more...

Help rewarded

Awards were presented to 22 volunteers who collect money for the Royal British Legion in and around Woodstock.   more...

Accused held in custody

Three people accused of importing 60kg of heroin, seized on the M40 services at Wheatley, appeared at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, March 14.   more...

Councillors visit schools

Richard Shaw, the chief executive of Oxfordshire County Council, will visit the Oxford Cherwell division in north Oxford on Thursday, March 20.   more...

Patten wins race for Chancellorship

European Union Commissioner Chris Patten has been elected as the new chancellor of Oxford University.   more...

Dogs to get cat housemates

A greyhound trainer is set to expand his boarding kennel business by letting in cats.   more...

Detector used in bid to cut speeding

A parish council has used a speed detector to discourage drivers from speeding through its village.   more...

Ex-surveyor beats peak for centre

An East Hanney man rose to the challenge of climbing Africa's highest peak to achieve a long-held ambition and raise funds for a day centre.   more...

Villagers to learn about latest IT

A conference advising people who live in rural communities how to use the latest computer and internet technology, will take place in East Hanney.   more...

Group leaflets on store scheme

A pressure group fighting controversial plans to build a superstore at a former football club in Witney started delivering thousands of leaflets over the weekend.   more...

On the road again

A 100-year-old car from Lord Montagu's Beaulieu Motor Museum has been restored by Fiennes Restoration of Little Clanfield, near Faringdon.   more...

Vistors steam ahead at historic Mill

It was full steam ahead at Combe Mill yesterday (March 16) as the old engine and boiler was stoked up for the first open day this year.   more...

Mayor declares homes open

A housing development in Carterton has been declared officially open.   more...

More donors join register

More than 13,000 west Oxfordshire residents have joined the National Organ Donor Register following the Vote for Life campaign.   more...

Katie's career developing nicely

Photographer Katie Bucknell has astonished her employers by gaining a major advance in her career after only 12 months in the job.   more...

Work on church renewal delayed until September

Work on the first phase of an ambitious £2m renewal programme for St Helen's Church in Abingdon is expected to start in September -- a year later than planned.   more...

Rowing nowhere fast for charity

Eighty soldiers from Dalton Barracks, near Abingdon, completed a 17-hour cycling, running and rowing challenge covering more than 900 miles -- and they never moved out of the town.   more...

Arts students launch festival

Six weeks of arts and entertainment in Abingdon and surrounding villages was launched on Saturday with a hint of Italy and larger-than-life masked characters.   more...

MoD calls up reservist then gives her the sack

A Territorial Army soldier has been sacked by the Ministry of Defence for answering the call-up papers it sent to her.   more...

`Scapegoat' NHS manager leaves

The health manager in charge of Oxfordshire's major hospital trust is leaving by 'mutual agreement' after the organisation incurred debts of £20m.   more...

Oxfordshire Sport

Steele handed goals target

BACK-in-favour striker Lee Steele has been told - you can yet finish as Oxford United's top scorer!   more...

City back from the dead

Oxford City 3, Harlow Tn 2: A tremendous fightback saw Oxford City overturn a two-goal deficit in the last 17 minutes to see off Harlow at Court Place Farm on Saturday.   more...

Bubbly flows for Best Mate

CHAMPAGNE corks popped to toast Best Mate as the dual Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup winner went on parade at Henrietta Knight's West Lockinge stables near Wantage yesterday.   more...

Football results

Results from March 15 and 16 in the PL Kits Banbury District & Lord Jersey FA, Morrells of Oxford Sunday League, Autotype UTV League, South west Counties Youth Championship, Elsevier Youth League, Oxfordshire U16 Invitation League, Oxfordshire Youth Cup, Oxford Mail Boys League, Giles Sports Witney Boys League   more...

Douglas strike seals victory

Edgware Tn 0, Abingdon Tn 3: Abingdon Town maintained their Ryman League Division 2 promotion challenge with three valauble points against lowly Edgware.   more...

Thame denied by Kharine

Thame Utd 0, Hornchurch 1: Only a point-blank save from Hornchurch's former Chelsea keeper Dmitri Kharine prevented Thame from grabbing a share of the spoils against the Ryman League Division 1 North promotion favourites Hornchurch on Saturday in front of 412 at the Windmill Stadium.   more...

Woody has 48 stitches

Oxford United boss Ian Atkins has a goalkeeping crisis after Andy Woodman needed no fewer than 48 stitches in the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital following his horrific facial injury on Saturday.   more...

Oxford pipped at post in opener

Coventry Bees 46, Oxford Silver Machine 44: The new Oxford Silver Machine missed out on a winning start to the season by the narrowest of margins at Coventry in Saturday night's challenge fixture.   more...

Football results

Results from March 15 and 16 in the Nationwide League, Ryman League, Dr Martens League, Youth Alliance, Cherry Red Records Hellenic League, Seagrave Haulage Combined Counties League, Oxfordshire Senior League, RT Harris Oxford City FA, Witney and District FA and North Berks League   more...

Rugby results

Results from March 15   more...

Hockey results

Results from Saturday, March 15   more...

  
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