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

Stories for 03 April 2004

Oxfordshire Business

Take my boss, not my computer

County workers would rather work without their boss and a lunch break than without their computer.   more...

Consultants' cost rises by over £1m

Hiring consultants for Oxfordshire County Council now costs £6.3m -- an increase of more than £1m from last financial year.   more...

Oxfordshire Cars

Arctic adventure for Mini club duo

Not many people's idea of a good time is travelling to the Arctic Circle in a 1969 Riley Elf.   more...

Oxfordshire Education

Pupils not taking up free meals

A third of secondary and more than a quarter of Oxfordshire primary pupils entitled to free school meals are not taking them.   more...

MP calls for Mandarin to be taught

Oxfordshire MP Tony Baldry has urged the Government to ensure that state schools teach Mandarin Chinese - partly on the basis of his daughter's experience.   more...

Oxfordshire Local Info

Milton Walker

The funeral has taken place of a popular pub landlord who also worked as a builder's foreman.   more...

Alex Vincent

A popular Kidlington school caretaker and keen painter has died aged 68.   more...

Oxfordshire News

Avoid peak times, recyclers warned

People using recycling centres over Easter are being urged to avoid peak times to relieve tension on busy roads.   more...

Why has university closed our haven?

SIR - Wellington Square Gardens in Oxford have long been a mid-city haven for students, shopkeepers, residents, business people and university employees.   more...

Identical route

What Brian Fisher (Oxford Mail, March 26) and we at The Oxford Bus Company want are exactly the same -- the best possible service for our passengers.   more...

'Give blood' appeal to beat Easter shortfall

About 350 donations of blood will be needed at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital to save patients' lives during the long Easter weekend.   more...

Bullying 'forced PO staff to quit'

Post office workers are being forced to leave their jobs because of the threats and intimidation in the main Oxford sorting office.   more...

Cash offered to catch thug

A reward is being offered in a bid to catch an attacker who beat a pensioner with a piece of wood as he worked in his allotment.   more...

OAP injured by cyclist mugger

A pensioner was injured when a youth on a bike attempted to mug her outside a bank.   more...

Police condemn killing of swan

A swan was been shot dead beside the River Windrush, while guarding her eggs, in what the RSPCA described as a sickening attack.   more...

Nurses dedicated to heart failure patients

Three nurses have been appointed specifically to help Oxfordshire patients suffering heart failure.   more...

Man saw stolen goods in shop

A Burglar was caught by police after items he had stolen were spotted by their owner in a nearby shop, Oxford Crown Court heard.   more...

NHS backs anti-addiction centre

The NHS has teamed up with the county Drug and Alcohol Action Team and voluntary groups to combat drug abuse among young people in the Didcot area.   more...

April 1: Too costly

There is an increasing temptation for councils to hire consultants.   more...

RC church stays open

St John's Roman Catholic Church in Banbury will remain open, despite the shock resignation of priest Father Bede Walsh.   more...

Vintage planes bid for airbase

An aircraft restoration company could fly vintage aircraft like the famous Spitfire over RAF Bicester after gliders leave in the summer.   more...

Locals fear health cover cuts

Fears are growing over cuts in health service cover for Wantage, Grove and surrounding villages.   more...

Pub firm workers fear axe

Staff at a pub company are waiting to find out if their jobs have been axed after a takeover bid from a major rival was approved.   more...

MP calls for better Internet access

Oxfordshire MP David Cameron has called on the Government to do more to promote broadband access to farms, businesses and hamlets in the county which do not have access to the high speed Internet connection.   more...

March 31: Atkins diet

Ian Atkins, United's suspended manager, cannot have his cake and eat it - owner Firoz Kassam saw to that.   more...

Report more crime, traders told

Traders in Wallingford are being urged to report all crime to the police -- no matter how trivial -- in the hope of boosting the police's profile in the town.   more...

Takeover call causes alarm

Oxford should take over Abingdon to boost economic growth, according to businessman Alan Lester.   more...

Smokers are the least of park's problems

As a smoker, can I reply to to David Scott's self-rightous, sanctimonious rant, Clean up our dirty park (Oxford Mail, March 23)?   more...

Trees 'need protection'

Trees along Abingdon's main roads should be safeguarded by preservation orders to preserve the character and attractiveness of the street scene, say town councillors.   more...

Boris vents anger at Green Belt plan

Tory MP Boris Johnson has slammed a high-profile group including an MP, businessmen and university vice-chancellors for wanting to build on the county's Green Belt.   more...

Local lotto gives jake a break

A nine-year-old boy battling a rare form of cancer is treating his family to a Butlins holiday with a £600 cash gift from a community lottery scheme in Oxford.   more...

Oxfordshire Sport

Football: Walker's on the prowl

Oxford United striker Richard Walker is itching to play against Northampton tomorrow - after becoming a goalscoring sensation at Sixfields.   more...

Golf: Studley Wood battle to draw in opener

Studley Wood, who came so close to winning the Shaw & Co Oxfordshire Foursomes League title last year, earned a battling draw at Ellesborough in the first match of their new Section 1 campaign.   more...

Football: Wantage in line for immediate return

Wantage Town will secure an immediate return to the Premier Division, if they beat Hounslow Borough in tomorrow's Division 1 East clash.   more...

Football: Banbury bid rocked by Robinson injury

Banbury United's play-off hopes have suffered a huge blow with defender Les Robinson ruled out for their Dr Martens Eastern Division run-in with a serious knee injury.   more...

Football: Wally switch clash to Wimbledon

AFC Wallingford have had their request to switch the final game of the season against AFC Wimbledon on May 8 to Kingsmeadow accepted by the Seagrave Haulage League.   more...

Football: Confident Didcot eye up final spot

Didcot Town bid for a place in the final of the Cherry Red Records Cup as they host Hungerford Town in the second leg of the semi-final at Loop Meadow.   more...

Football: Brock hits out at OFA over final

Banbury United boss Kevin Brock has lashed the decision by the OFA to stage the Senior Cup final on a Thursday.   more...

Athletics: Jegou in top form despite

the mud Paul Jegou was in good form for White Horse Harriers as he finished an impressive fourth at the ninth Compton Downland 20-mile Challenge on Saturday.   more...

Athletics: Amblers celebrating after grants windfall

Abingdon Amblers were celebrating this week after the club received more than £6,500 in grants.   more...

Athletics: Witney's awesome foursome

Witney Roadrunners juniors finished off their Oxfordshire Indoor Sportshall League season in great style as they collected four trophies.   more...

Speedway: Revenge in the air for Machine's men

The Oxford Silver Machine go on a revenge mission against Wolverhampton Wolves in their Skybet.Com Elite League clash at the Stadium tonight (7.30).   more...

Fixtures: All the week's sporting fixtures

FOOTBALL   more...

Racing: Southern Star out to sparkle for Knight

With images of Best Mate's Cheltenham triumph still fresh in the memory, Henrietta Knight goes for more glory with Southern Star in the Martell Cognac Grand National at Aintree tomorrow.   more...

Hockey: Mould fires up City with fab four-timer

South League: Simon Mould fired a four-timer as City of Oxford won 6-3 at already-relegated Ramgarhia in the South League Middlesex, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Regional division.   more...

Rugby: It's back to reality as Quins focus on relegation battle

Following the excitement of their Oxfordshire Cup victory on Sunday, Oxford Harlequins return to the grim reality of a battle against relegation tomorrow.   more...

Oxfordshire Whats On

Review: Freaks out (New Theatre)

Roll up, roll up! Come see the freak show! It's the 1980s when outrage was in and everyone wanted a turn in the spotlight. For Boy George and the rest of the New Romantics the more outrage the better. And who better to tell the outrageous story than the Boy. He spins us through the sounds and styles of the decade, detailing the friendship, fun and fame of a nightclub scene -- epitomised by Blitz and Taboo.   more...

Top of the pops

Artist Richard Hamilton has opened an exhibition of his work at Oxford Brookes University.   more...

Review: Starsky & Hutch

Dig out that chunky cardigan from the back of your wardrobe and order in the jam doughnuts: Starsky & Hutch are back in town.   more...

Review: Discontented Winter (Oxford Youth Theatre)

A few years ago director Michael Bogdanov attempted in a BBC documentary to fuse Shakespeare with urban culture. The result was as embarrassing as the concept was laudable. So the OYT's aim to "take Shakespeare into an apocalyptic future" did not inspire me with vast enthusiasm. As it turned out, it wasn't a bad effort, mainly because its creator, Bryony Lavery, seemed to treat the entire project as a joke - albeit one lacking much by way of a punchline.   more...

Children hunt for eggs

An Easter Egg hunt for children with disabilities is to be a joint effort between the Oxfordshire Playbus and the Thomley activity centre near Thame.   more...

  
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