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

Stories for 22 May 2004

Oxfordshire Business

It's change or bust, says hospitals chief

Oxfordshire hospitals boss Trevor Campbell Davis said significant cuts and changes were vital to make services "fit for the future".   more...

Staff await jobs news

The 100 Oxfordshire staff of a pub company are still waiting to find out if their jobs have been axed -- two months after a takeover by a major rival.   more...

Staff await details of merger

The workforce at health software company Torex is waiting to discover the effects of a restructuring after its merger with Isoft.   more...

Software experts tune in to opera

An opera company has secured a £6,000 sponsorship deal to sing anti-virus computer adverts for a leading software company.   more...

Oxfordshire Cars

Supercars ditched for super karts

Not many people would swap driving a Porsche for a kart -- but that is exactly what Nigel Spawton did.   more...

Oxfordshire Local Info

Richard Laver

A teacher whose work extended beyond the classroom to helping children as a private counsellor has died.   more...

John Hammersley

John Hammersley, the Oxford mathematician and problem solver who founded the mathematical theory of percolation, has died aged 84.   more...

Bryan Roberts

A former Oxford Mail and Oxford Times keyboard operator, who branched out into a successful desktop publishing business in recent years has died.   more...

Oxfordshire News

Health staff taking very few sick days

Union members claim figures showing that hospital staff in Oxfordshire take very few sick days proves they are happy in their work.   more...

Shocked by guns

Sir -- Many readers who passed the Army recruitment tent at the Westgate Centre in Oxford last weekend, will have been shocked by the sight of young children being allowed to handle guns and rocket launchers as if they were toys.   more...

Domestic violence unit ignored pleas

Sir -- It was heartbreaking to read the tragedy of Yvonne Heap who was murdered by her ex-partner (Oxford Mail, May 17). It was even more disturbing to hear that the police response was not quick enough.   more...

Your right to be wrong

Sir -- Wrong Trousers Day on Friday, July 2, organised by Wallace & Gromit Children's Foundation, raises funds to improve the quality in life of sick children in hospitals and hospices all over the UK.   more...

Where the heart is

Sir -- What a lovely start to the week to read the story of Lauren Gordon and her foster parent (Oxford Mail, May 17).   more...

Fund-tastic!

Three members of Oxford band Radiohead will perform the finale of a star-studded show to raise funds for Helen House children's hospice.   more...

'Pickled dragon' was hoax, admits author

A man who produced a "pickled dragon" which hoaxed most of the world's press has admitted that it was a stunt to publicise his fantasy novel.   more...

Youths beat up parking attendant

A parking attendant was subjected to a "sickening" beating by a group of youths in broad daylight.   more...

'No' is best birth control, say pro-lifers

Abstinence is the best way to reduce teenage pregnancy, according to pro-life activists in Oxford.   more...

Councillors reject flats

Neighbours are celebrating after plans to replace an Oxford pub with a block of flats were turned down.   more...

Council gives £4k after carnival appeal

Oxford City Council has stepped in with £4,000 towards running costs of Cowley Road Carnival following an appeal by organisers.   more...

Teenager released

A youth arrested in connection with the rape of a 15-year-old girl in Oxford has been released without charge.   more...

Club needs help and cash

Didcot's Northbourne Gateway Club for people with learning difficulties is appealing for volunteers -- and cash.   more...

May 22: A labour of love

We offer our warmest congratulations to Montpelier Estates, the remarkable small company of enthusiasts from Wheatley, who were responsible for the design of Douglas House, the east Oxford hospice.   more...

'Maniac' stabs passer-by

A man is recovering at home after being attacked by a 'maniac' with a knife.   more...

'Maniac' stabs passer-by

A man is recovering at home after being attacked by a 'maniac' with a knife.   more...

Staff await details of merger

The workforce at health software company Torex is waiting to discover the effects of a restructuring after its merger with Isoft.   more...

Drunken girl told to behave

A young woman has been given an Antisocial Behaviour Order banning her from misbehaving in public places for three years.   more...

Yob said sorry to victim

A youth who punched a doctor in the face breaking his jaw later returned to apologise, magistrates at Bicester youth court heard on Wednesday.   more...

Vow to keep community's health care

An assurance that the existing 12-bed community hospital will remain in Bicester until a new facility has been provided has been given by the primary care trust for the town.   more...

All change at top for council

A former mayor of Wantage has become the new chairman of the Vale of White Horse District Council.   more...

Call to end torture

People are being urged to protest to British and US defence secretaries Geoff Hoon and Donald Rumsfeld about torture and war crimes in Iraq.   more...

Disabled pupils `need special school option'

Too much pressure is put on parents of disabled children to force them into mainstream education, Witney MP David Cameron has warned.   more...

Finally, facilities fit for champions

A governor of Oxford Brookes University said his championship rowers deserved "only the best," following the opening of their new boathouse.   more...

Youth leader makes plea for help

An impassioned plea for people in Wallingford to support young people - by helping instead of criticising - has been made by a town youth leader.   more...

Worker died after falling from bridge

A man drowned after falling off a bridge into the River Thames following a night of heavy drinking in Abingdon.   more...

One disaster after another with Blair

Sir -- When New Labour discarded integrity, they threw away the public's trust.   more...

Firm and bank move

Two companies in central Abingdon are quitting their premises in Stert Street next month - landing a double blow to the fragile recovery of a street in which there are six empty shops.   more...

New Royal Mail shock

Three of the 13 people detained after a crackdown on illegal immigrants in Oxford worked for Royal Mail in the city.   more...

Youths beat up parking attendant

A parking attendant was subjected to a "sickening" beating by a group of youths in broad daylight.   more...

Oxfordshire Sport

Quinn signs up as hunt goes

Oxford United have lost one good midfielder - but gained another.   more...

Football: Quinn signs as Hunt goes

Oxford United have lost one good midfielder - but gained another. James Hunt has agreed a deal to sign for Ian Atkins at Bristol Rovers, joining up with his former Oxford boss for the third time.   more...

Golf: Graham and Spence put Oxfordshire top

The Oxfordshire went to the top of the Shaw & Co Oxfordshire Foursomes League when they defeated previously unbeaten Burford 2-1.   more...

Golf calendar

Saturday fixtures, May 22   more...

Quinn signs up as hunt goes

Oxford United have lost one good midfielder - but gained another. James Hunt has agreed a deal to sign for Ian Atkins at Bristol Rovers, joining up with his former Oxford boss for the third time.   more...

Rix in fresh Pompey raid

Oxford United boss Graham Rix is being linked with another raid back to his former club Portsmouth to take young keeper Chris Tardif.   more...

A win for Andy

Andy Woodman may be bowing out of the Football League, but he has emerged victorious at the British Sports Book Awards held at the Cafe Royal, London.   more...

Athletics: Ace Brenton smashes record

Radley's Rachel Brenton made the perfect comeback from injury with the most outstanding display of the weekend in the Oxfordshire Track & Field Championships at Horspath Road.   more...

Speedway: Machine triumph

A superb all-round team performance saw the Oxford Silver Machine put the Eagles to flight 53-43 in their Skybet Elite League clash at the Stadium on Friday night.   more...

Tennis calendar

All the week's fixtures, May 21-27   more...

Speedway: 'We nearly came to blows'

Oxford Silver Machine's speedway skipper Greg Hancock slammed world champion Nicki Pedersen in the aftermath of their highly publicised high-speed crash in the Czech Grand Prix.   more...

Cricket: Strauss makes dream debut

Andrew Strauss admitted he had nothing to lose after a debut century laid a solid platform for England against New Zealand at Lord's.   more...

Rugby: Nwume gets Wasps' call

Oxford University prop forward Henry Nwume will be on the bench for London Wasps in Saturday's Heineken Cup rugby union final against Toulouse at Twickenham.   more...

Tennis: Champs Woodstock give Witney a lesson

Defending champions Woodstock showed local rivals Witney no mercy, cruising to an impressive 8-1 victory in Division 1 of the Wilson OLTA Inter-Club 3-Pair League.   more...

Tennis: North Oxford playing host to rising stars

The rising stars of British tennis will be on show at North Oxford next week when the latest leg of the British Tour comes to town.   more...

Rugby: Storming late burst sends Surrey reeling

Surrey 10, Oxfordshire 42: A devastating late burst of scoring earned Oxfordshire a stunning victory in their Tetley's Bitter County Championship match at Esher.   more...

Rugby: Coach backs Quins return

Oxford Harlequins coach Matt Maudsley vowed that his side would make a quick return to South West 1, when he spoke at the club's annual awards dinner.   more...

Rugby: Goode heads Banbury scheme

Banbury have launched a schools' liaison scheme in a bid to increase the numbers of youngsters playing the game in north Oxfordshire.   more...

Cricket: Angove faces battle to take on Henley

IC3 Home Counties Premier League: Oxford paceman David Angove faces a race against time to be fit for the Division 1 clash against Henley at the Breakspear on Saturday.   more...

Cricket: Oxon veterans destroy Shropshire in opener

Oxfordshire Over 50s thrashed Shropshire by eight wickets in their opening game in the ECB 50+ Championship at Whitchurch.   more...

Oxfordshire Whats On

Review: 1812 By Adam Zamoyski (HarperCollins, £25)

When Byron met Stendhal, and learnt that the great French writer had been with Napoleon in the invasion of Russia, he wanted only to know about the retreat from Moscow and every detail of the comportment of the Emperor. Byron's intense interest in both the 1812 campaign and Napoleon is mirrored down the ages.   more...

Taste notes

The air was thick with the smell of burning flesh. It was as if the whole world had been cast into the fires of Hell.   more...

Review: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (15)

Every once in a while, a film comes along which reminds us that originality, verve and invention are not completely dead in Hollywood.   more...

Review: Kill Bill 2 (18)

The second half of Quentin Tarantino's eagerly anticipated martial arts epic begins with a whimper and ends with a bang.   more...

Review: An Evening With Gary Lineker (The Mill at Sonning)

Ah, Gary. That silver-templed, silver-tongued frontman of the TV vista?   more...

'Don't call me Britney'

With his trademark colossal choruses, emotive melodies and sharp shirts, Mark Joseph is a natural star. The grandson of two Hungarian refugees who fled to Britain during the Hungarian Uprising in 1956, he has been playing since the age of 13, when he discovered learning three chords on a cheap acoustic guitar meant "you could actually play a song. Genius!"   more...

Review: Troy (15)

Classical scholars will wince. As will moviegoers who had hoped the much-hyped epic might deliver more than armour, sandals and sunshine.   more...

Drugs: journey from passion to despair

If you've ever wondered why young people take drugs, read Olivia Gordon's book, The Agony of Ecstasy. She has written a thoughtful, sometimes brutally honest, account of her experiences. It will resonate with many who have taken drugs and provide an insight for those who haven't.   more...

Georgeous George

A smoky cafe full of students may not be the best selling point. But take it from me, Georginas is fun, lively, unpretentious, popular and the food is quick, fresh, delicious, innovative, and of course cheap -- hence the students.   more...

  
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