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Oxfordshire | Archive | 2006 | April

Stories for 14 April 2006

Abingdon News

Dossier on lake goes to council

Dr Pulverash aka Save Radley Lakes supporter Michael Bloom yesterday handed over documents detailing the importance of the site to Oxfordshire County Council. more...

Athletics

ATHLETICS: Super Josh hits top form

Bicester youngster Josh Lyons smashed his personal best in the under 15 boys 200m in the hail-hit opening meeting of the Oxfordshire League at Horspath on Sunday. more...

ATHLETICS: Paradine wins title

Alchester's Sarah Paradine was celebrating after the winning the ladies' event at the Benson 10K Road Race. more...

Bicester News

Council urged to build hospital

A hospital campaigner has urged Cherwell District Council to build a new community hospital in Bicester and rent it to the local primary care trust. more...

'RIP down fence or be sued'

Neighbours living in a Bicester cul-de-sac could face court action after defying a deadline to knock down their garden fences. more...

Crash pilot missed weather alert

A pilot was unlikely to have received an updated weather forecast which might have prevented her from crashing her light aircraft in a snow storm. more...

Books

Shy man who took England to victory

England fans departing for the World Cup in Germany this summer might want to put this major reappraisal of the country's greatest football manager in their flight bags. more...

Ann Turnbull's eagerly awaited sequel to No Shame, No Fear, Forged in the Fire (Walker £6.99), follows Susanna and Will to London. Apprenticed to a stationer, he is saving for their marriage. Their voices alternate with love and anxiety as he is caught in the city by the plague and none of his letters reach her. In the growing horror and suffering of the pestilence and the mounting prejudice towards the Quakers, he is thrown into Newgate. more...

Mystery and psychology in the stables

The Inheritance, Jenny Pitman, (Pan Macmillan, £16.99) Eat your heart out, Dick Francis. But not quite, for although Jenny Pitman writes about horses, and there's always a mystery in there somewhere, there's more of the psychology behind those who love horses, and less of the murder. Her latest novel inherits these characteristics, and combines detective work into both an equine puzzle and a personal mystery. more...

Mystery and psychology in the stables

Local author

Julie Summers's previous book was about her great uncle, the Everest explorer Sandy Irvine. Her latest biography, The Colonel of Tamarkan (Simon and Schuster, £8.99), is about her grandfather Philip Toosey, who was in charge of the building of the infamous bridge on the river Kwai during the Second World War. more...

Bookings

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3 Talk: Andre Makine's translator, Geoffrey Strachan, gives a talk with readings (in French and English) from Makine's novels, 5.15 for 5.30 pm. Taylor Institution, University of Oxford, St Giles', Oxford, www.taylib.ox.ac.uk. Free, but book with liz.baird@taylib.ox.ac.uk Details of book-related events can be sent to Maggie Hartford at The Oxford Times, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 OEJ, or e-mail maggie.hartford@nqo.com more...

Bookings

History

Constantinople: The Last Great Siege 1453, Roger Crowley (Faber and Faber, £16.99) The exotic city of Constantinople, with its decadent court life, was a 1,000-year dream for invaders and is best known for its sacking by the Crusaders in 1204. Two hundred years later it was under siege again by the Ottoman Turks. Crowley's choice of the event for his first book obviously stems from his life in Istanbul. But it is an excellent choice, producing a narrative on many layers as Christian Byzantium clashed with the Islamic empire. Against the tide of battle, Crowley brings out the religious intensity with a fine and vivid pen and draws a superb portrait of Mehmet 11, the skilful Muslim commander who beseiged the city by sea and land. more...

Caught between rock and a hard place

Mary Zacaroli talks to children's writer Ruth Dowley, who is not afraid to tackle tricky subjects in her books for teenagers The poet Philip Larkin had rather a pessimistic view of families "Man hands on misery to man" says it all rather succinctly. In her books for teenagers, Wolvercote-based children's author Ruth Dowley generally takes a more sanguine view of family life. "Families are precious because they nurture us and they give us a sense of belonging," she said. more...

Cinema

From a new star to an old master

The movie business lives and dies by hype. So it's always pleasing to stumble across a picture that has not been ballyhoo'd to the nines and which contains a star-in-the-making whom the media has yet to tarnish with cheap celebrity. more...

Series goes out with a bang

The fourth, and thankfully final, instalment of the Scary Movie series is the best yet. Unfortunately, given the dubious quality of the first three films, this is hardly a ringing endorsement for a franchise. more...

DVDs: Bizarre film that simply fails to cast a spell

From the moment the documentary Spellbound became an unexpected commercial success, it was only a matter of time before somebody cashed in on its popularity. Bee Season derives from an ante-dating Myla Goldberg bestseller, but it plays on the audience's familiarity with the competitive world of juvenile spelling contests to lure us into the lives of Talmudic scholar Richard Gere and his secretive wife, Juliette Binoche. more...

Country Matters

From coppice to wattle and daub

Jane Marriott talks to Alex and Nicola Marson, who are restoring their timber-framed cottage in East Hagbourne using traditional building methods Traditional skills are being combined to produce a modern-day sustainable form of building material. more...

From coppice to wattle and daub

Country of converts

Barn conversions may be commonplace, but when Eynsham resident Tim Jordan began converting a barn into a house 30 years ago everyone thought he was mad. But his love for the soft Cotswold stone and ancient timbers and a deep respect for the rural history that the barn symbolised was too great to be deterred. more...

Book in memory of 'true countryman'

A tribute in book form is being made to farmer Paul Warburton tragically killed in a farming accident nearly two years ago. more...

Book in memory of 'true countryman'

A tribute in book form is being made to farmer Paul Warburton tragically killed in a farming accident nearly two years ago. more...

How to . . . create a wildlife pond

JO CROFT offers some advice on ways to attract amphibians and other pond creatures Garden ponds are homes to a huge range of wildlife as well as being a vital source of drinking and bathing water. Creating a pond in your garden can really make a difference to local wildlife. more...

Dance

A dance with a cutting edge

Our dance critic David Bellan talked to the hugely successful creator Matthew Bourne about his version of Edward Scissorhands Edward Scissorhands is the story of a young man doomed to be eternally an outsider, because his scientist creator has left him with huge scissors for hands. more...

Food

How I came to love the tastes of the East

As Thai New Year approaches HELEN PEACOCKE recalls her introduction to Thai cuisine and discusses its various delights The Thai New Year and Easter share the same dates this year, which means that while some of us are munching hot cross buns and hunting for eggs hidden in the garden, members of the Thai community will be cooking celebratory New Year dishes. Thai New Year traditions, which include sprinkling scented water from silver bowls on a Buddha image, can be traced back to the pre-Buddist rituals of spring festivals where water was thrown to symbolise the good rain needed for the crops. This was later converted into a religius custom of cleansing the Buddha statues once a year. Naturally food plays its part in the celebrations. more...

How I came to love the tastes of the East

As Thai New Year approaches Helen Peacocke recalls her introduction to Thai cuisine and discusses its various delights The Thai New Year and Easter share the same dates this year, which means that while some of us are munching hot cross buns and hunting for eggs hidden in the garden, members of the Thai community will be cooking celebratory New Year dishes. Thai New Year traditions, which include sprinkling scented water from silver bowls on a Buddha image, can be traced back to the pre-Buddist rituals of spring festivals where water was thrown to symbolise the good rain needed for the crops. This was later converted into a religius custom of cleansing the Buddha statues once a year. Naturally food plays its part in the celebrations. more...

Receipe: Beef with peppers

The recently published Fresh Thai, written by Oi Cheepchaiissara (Hamlyn £16.99), really does help us to get into the spirit of Thai cooking and achieve an authentic Thai flavour. more...

Receipe: Beef with peppers

The recently published Fresh Thai, written by Oi Cheepchaiissara (Hamlyn £16.99), really does help us to get into the spirit of Thai cooking and achieve an authentic Thai flavour. more...

Receipe: Beef with peppers

The recently published Fresh Thai, written by Oi Cheepchaiissara (Hamlyn £16.99), really does help us to get into the spirit of Thai cooking and achieve an authentic Thai flavour. more...

Football

FOOTBALL: Didcot close in on title

It's Didcot Town's weekend of destiny, and they will wrap up the GLS Football League Premier Division title tomorrow, if they can avoid defeat at Bishops Cleeve. more...

FOOTBALL: Jackson hit by injury blow

Banbury United defender Chris Jackson has been ruled out of the rest of the season with a groin injury. more...

FOOTBALL: City duo are back

Premier Division leaders Oxford City welcome back Chris Potter and John Mitchell when they host Biggleswade United in the Spartan South Midlands League tomorrow. more...

FOOTBALL: Ardley eye final spot

Ardley United can move a step nearer to some silverware, if they get past Tytherington Rocks in their GLS Cup semi-final, second- leg tomorrow. more...

FOOTBALL: Fowler issues warning

Bicester Town manager Tim Fowler says his side cannot afford to step off the gas when they face two tricky games over the Easter break. more...

FOOTBALL: Fowler issues warning

Bicester Town manager Tim Fowler says his side cannot afford to step off the gas when they face two tricky games over the Easter break. more...

FOOTBALL: Highfield glory bid stutters

Highfield's hopes of winning some silverware suffered a blow as the Premier Division leaders crashed to a 5-1 defeat against leaders Nelson on Tuesday. more...

FOOTBALL: Lewis boosts Sports bid

Wesley Lewis hit the late winner Launton Sports kept up their bid for Premier Division honours with a 3-2 victory at Chadlington. After a goalless first half, Derek Bluett opened the scoring for Launton with a shot into the top corner. Chris Forde then levelled. more...

Horse Racing

POINT-TO-POINT: Geos in record Lockinge entry

Geos, the dual Tote Gold Trophy winner, heads a record entry at the popular Old Berkshire Hunt meeting at Lockinge, near Wantage, on Easter Mon- day. more...

POINT-TO-POINT: Hill has strong hand at Kimble

Aston Rowant trainer Alan Hill holds a strong hand in the members' race at the Vale of Aylesbury with Garth and South Berks Hunt meeting at Kimble, near Aylesbury, tomorrow. more...

Leader

Racing ahead

Everyone who played a part in Sunday's OX5 Run can feel proud of their contribution. The record figure raised £50,000 by 1,300 runners in just a few hours was a great performance, which will be a major boost to the Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign. more...

Street clutter

With the weather hopefully improving soon, the attractions of sitting outside a caf and watching the world go by, grow stronger by the day. However, we were not surprised that plans for an outdoor seating area in Broad Street has proved instantly controversial. more...

Letters

Private monopoly

Sir, With reference to recent articles in The Oxford Times regarding Thames Water's failure to repair its leaking water pipes. What is obvious is that due to an ill-advised privatisation they were handed what must be every businessman's dream i.e. a private monopoly of our water supply and consequently they can do pretty much as they like. At least if it was still state-owned, we would have a minister responsible who could, at the end of the day, be sacked. As a private company it only has a duty to the shareholders, and as long as the profits keep rolling in, it is most unlikely that anybody responsible for the present state of affairs would be dismissed. more...

Moved to tears

Sir, I would like to bring to your attention a wonderful poetry book that I have recently read. It is called Poems from Grace Cottage, and is written by a local poet called Patricia Huth Ellis (Charlbury). This is the first poetry book that I have read since leaving school 30 years ago. more...

Wrong direction

Sir, It is very disappointing that Patricia Hewitt has refused to come to the help of the cash-strapped NHS in Oxfordshire. For all concerned, the future looks grim, but particularly for the mentally ill who are facing savage cuts to services. We are told that difficult decisions need to be made', but with the Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHS Trust needing to make savings amounting to around ten per cent of its patient care budget, these difficult decisions' are going to have a serious impact on the lives of many people who struggle with a mental illness. more...

Cathedral to horror

Sir, Cherwell District Council has taken a bold decision in awarding conservation status to the former Cold War air base at Upper Heyford. more...

Housing to pay for conservation

Sir, North Oxfordshire Consortium complain about the proposal, made at this stage in the planning process, to designate the Cold War air base at Upper Heyford a conservation area (Report, March 31) and suggest that this could jeopardise the building of new housing. more...

Most useful fruit

Sir, Thank you for the article on walnut trees (Country Matters, April 7). It reminds me of the time when living deeper in the countryside than now. There were several omissions from the uses of the walnut. It has several culinary uses including walnut sauce and candied walnut, well known to Mrs Beeton; and most important, pickled walnuts a great delicacy. My father used to do these every year using the soft walnuts in early July from a neighbour's tree. Most important that they are not woody. more...

Promoting fun

Sir, Like, I'm sure, many Oxford residents, I have been puzzled by the Thames Water hosepipe ban as I watch the rain come down and observe the River Thames at a very high level. more...

Students are guests

Sir, The arrogance of Barney Williams (Boat race hero's night in cells, April 7) is typical of what residents in this city have become used to from some members of the University. Nowhere in your report does Mr Williams offer an apology for the damage he and his friends did to public and private property in the course of their "exuberant celebration". more...

Better chance of success

Sir, Adrian Percival is right not to apologise for his analysis of the school he took over in 1999. Matthew Arnold School was indeed a depressing place. more...

Welcoming space

Sir, I must disagree with Helen Burlingham's comments (Letters, April 7) about the new plans for Bonn Square. The city should be commended for commissioning world-class designs which will transform the whole area. The square will become, once again, a welcoming space for all residents and visitors alike. And a line of trees forms an important component of the new design. more...

Uncomfortable read

Sir, You deserve your readers' gratitude for the excellent full account in Friday's paper of the district auditor's full-term report on Oxford City Council's financial activites, and the council's reaction. Your report did not make comfortable reading, and one may hope that the same is true for the city councillors involved. more...

Breaking law

Sir, As a self-employed gardener, I often have to go into Oxford and work on private gardens. more...

Bus complaints

Sir, I read with interest your report (April 7) on the response that Stagecoach gave Mr McManners regarding his complaint that one of their employees had been using a mobile phone while driving a bus. more...

Welcome reminder

Sir, Irritating though it may be for Christopher Gray to see disabled parking spaces standing empty (Gray Matter, April 7), I can assure him it is nowhere near as irritating as it is for disabled drivers to see their designated spaces being used by lazy able-bodied people. more...

Imaginative facilities

Sir, Your headlines claim anger at new health centre in Jericho because extra cars may come into the area. In truth this is a matter of very little concern as compared to the pleasure of welcoming such excellent health services into the area and gratitude to both doctors and the NHS for the forward-looking and imaginative facilities being planned here. more...

Crowded city

Sir, I feel sorry for the people of Jericho. They are going to have extra traffic from the Berkeley Homes development near the canal. How did they get permission for all the cars, the development just the other side of the railway from them, I think it is called Venniet Close, was not allowed car parking because it was supposed to be the policy of Oxford City Council to deter cars from the centre. That was about four years ago, have they changed their policy? more...

Footway fears

Sir, Perhaps cyclists in Warrington can have a dig at Wantage (Town where cyclists are unwelcome, April 7) because they are all exemplars of good cycling practice and do not realise that there are many places where cyclists would not be bothered, even if they noticed, that a cycle path was obstructed by a bus shelter (unless they hit one instead of a pedestrian) because they go anywhere on any pavement. I wonder if Warrington Pedestrians' Association would consider it something peculiar to Oxfordshire to be shown photos of cyclists, or cycle racks, or badly-parked cycles, on what are misguidedly still referred to as footways. more...

Barbaric practice

Sir, I read with interest Sarah Brown's comments (Letters, April 7) about the creation of "virtual" humans in the pursuit of drug testing and experimentation. more...

Enlightened scheme

Sir, I was heartened to read in your pages of a renewed plan to upgrade the currently drab Worcester Street area of the city. more...

Enlightened scheme

Sir, I was heartened to read in your pages of a renewed plan to upgrade the currently drab Worcester Street area of the city. more...

No excuse

Sir, I read with great interest the article about Narnia Under Threat (Report, March 31). A personal visit to the CS Lewis Nature Reserve confirmed the scene as described by Ronald Brind. The destruction I witnessed was breathtaking an entire row of trees embracing the path now gone; remnants of an exquisite tree at least 15 inches in circumference waiting to be chopped up while squirrels scampered over their former home; ancient vines which had hugged sycamore trees now lying in piles for kindling. There can be absolutely no excuse for this ravishing of the woods. How on earth will destroying trees prevent vandalism and at what cost? The remark of Sophie Lewis about Mr Brind only wanting a lovely place to take American tourists reveals how off the mark she and the BBOWT truly are. more...

Wildlife haven must be protected

Sir, The Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust acquired the CS Lewis Nature Reserve in 1969 from Henry Stephens with the express wish that the site be managed for its wildlife interest. more...

Motors

Roadtest: Sporting hero of range

A Range Rover designed specifically with on-road use in mind? Surely some mistake. more...

Suzuki's new weather-beater crosses over in style

Sudden climate change here is one of the reasons why more and more motorists are turning to cars with decent all-weather capability, as opposed to buying big, overly expensive, off-roaders. Two vehicles announced at the Geneva Motor Show will see owners safely home through light snow, or severe ice. more...

Peugeot adds punch

Peugeot has just added weight to the argument for ultra-green big diesel engines to replace powerful petrol units by adding potent oil-burning newcomers to the 407 saloon and estate range. more...

Cadillac cruises into Europe

The new Cadillac BLS range of executive saloons offers a choice of 12 models featuring one diesel and three petrol engines, each with manual or automatic transmission, and three trim levels. more...

Super flagship

The Range Rover Sport, the most dynamic Land Rover ever, has a new flagship, the Supercharged 'HST' specification. more...

Super flagship

The Range Rover Sport, the most dynamic Land Rover ever, has a new flagship, the Supercharged 'HST' specification. more...

Music

A notable success

Forty inexperienced singers from the Blackbird Leys estate are heading for the Royal Albert Hall and they are going to be TV stars, writes Nicola Lisle The conductor was poised, arms aloft, seemingly unconscious of the camera just centimetres away. In front of him, 40 singers sat alert, trying to ignore the microphone hovering above their heads. A rare sight indeed in the rather run-down community centre at the heart of Blackbird Leys, but then this was a rare experience for all involved. more...

A notable success

The Burford Singers

Brahms' German Requiem Performing a Requiem rather than a Passion on the Sunday before Easter might seem, initially, rather inappropriate. But when that Requiem is Brahms's German Requiem, with its focus on hope and comfort for the living, and its strong central message of the certainty of resurrection, its aptness becomes readily apparent. more...

'Beautiful festival'

Peter Cann applauds yet another triumph at this year's Oxford Folk Festival From the moment the Old Swan Band kicked off proceedings at the Friday night ceilidh, through to haunting traditional chants from Iceland which drew the event to a close on the Sunday, the third Oxford Folk Festival was nothing short of a triumph. more...

What’s on in Jazz

There are two chances to hear master keyboard player Phil Peskett this week, writes Paul Medley. more...

Obituaries

Mr Kenneth Kilbee, Former publican and sportsman

A LEADING sportsman and former publican in Abingdon, Kenneth Kilbee, has died after a short illness. He was 77. more...

Mr Ken Coggins, Ran pub in St Clement's

A PUBLICAN who spent 26 years pulling pints and providing a listening ear for customers has died, aged 84. more...

Opinion

Test scores help decide on car safety

How much protection does your car provide? You may have checked its safety score on the European New Car Assessment Programme's convenient and quite enjoyable website (www.euroncap.com). Within each class of car Euro NCAP finds huge safety differences between different models. Euro NCAP tests a car's protection of three types of accident victim: adult occupants and child occupants when driven into a wall, and pedestrians when hit at 40km/h (25mph). more...

Ot News

Health authority abolished — and more changes planned

GOVERNMENT plans for a major reorganisation of the health service in Oxfordshire threaten months of upheaval as it grapples with massive debts. more...

College must move Wren's sundial to get bequest

OXFORD librarian John Simmons did not forget his old college in his will. But he has certainly set All Souls a monumental challenge before it can hope to receive a share of his £888,000 estate. more...

Government funding for school partnerships

SCHOOLS are to receive thousands of pounds to set up partnerships between struggling and excelling schools. more...

Leaked report damns city council

OXFORD City Council is poor value for money, according to public spending watchdog the Audit Commission. more...

Nurse jailed for Eastern Bypass crash

A NURSE has been jailed for two years after killing four people in Oxford's Eastern Bypass crash ten months ago. more...

Looking for Lyra in Oxford

THOUSANDS of girls came hoping for stardom but there can only be one Lyra. more...

Running up grand total for Children's Hospital

RUNNERS in this year's OX5 Run at Blenheim Palace are on course to raise a massive £50,000 for the Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign. more...

Cameron left red-faced over local women

DAVID Cameron has made an appeal for the Conservative Party to elect more women candidates locally and nationally. more...

Specialist schools are above average

MILLIONS of pounds invested in Oxfordshire schools which have achieved specialist status is paying off in the shape of GCSE success, according to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. more...

School facility could be used as cinema

A THEATRE, cinema and conference venue are among the potential uses of a £1m multi-purpose school building being created at The Marlborough School, Woodstock. more...

Oxbridge essays go on sale to students

AN ENTREPRENEUR who set up a company selling essays written by Oxford University students has denied his business encourages plagiarism. more...

Oxford will not bid for casino

THERE is to be no 'super casino' in Oxford after the city council said there was no support for a gaming venue. more...

Other Sport

BADMINTON: North Abingdon net double

North Abingdon have claimed Mixed Division 2 of the Oxford & District League. more...

GOLF: Giles wins the masters!

Kirtlington captain Dave Copley presents Matt Giles with his green jacket and framed trophy after he won the club's Masters Competition. more...

ANGLING: It's just Amazon-ing!

Joe Taylor, owner of J&K Tackle of Bicester, landed an enormous 81lb red-tailed catfish while on holiday in Brazil. Taylor tempted the huge cat while fishing in the Amazon Delta on the Brazilian/Venuzuelan border. He also caught stingrays and dorados during his time in south America. more...

Oxford News

Chocolate makers put on the Ritz

Well-heeled guests at one of London's top hotels will soon be greeted by a mouth-watering piece of architecture every time they step into the lobby thanks to the artistry of an Oxfordshire chocolate producer. more...

Strong medicine

A university department responsible for training nurses and midwives for local hospitals is to be a victim of NHS cutbacks. more...

Audit argument

Taxpayers in Oxford get high-cost services, offering poor value for money, from the city council, according to a report obtained by the Oxford Mail. more...

Professor sets challenge over sundial

Oxford librarian Prof John Simmons did not forget his old college in his will. But he has set All Souls a monumental challenge before it can hope to receive a share of his £888,000 estate Prof Simmons had always maintained that the college had made a terrible mistake when it moved its famous sundial designed by Christopher Wren from a wall of the chapel. more...

Now or never

Polar bears can be forgiven for rubbing their eyes and doing a double take as three Elvis impersonators ski past them at the North Pole. more...

Iraqi to speak about the war

A former Iraqi political prisoner will speak in Oxford to mark the third anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq. more...

Bike thieves target city

Cyclists in Oxford are more likely to have their bike stolen than almost anyone else in the country. more...

Accountants win running challenge

The OX5 Run added up to a great result for a team of Oxford tax accountants who managed to calculate their assault on the five-mile course to perfection. more...

Accountants win running challenge

The OX5 Run added up to a great result for a team of Oxford tax accountants who managed to calculate their assault on the five-mile course to perfection. more...

County NHS to face a merger

Government plans to reorganise the health service in Oxfordshire threaten months of upheaval as it grapples with massive debts. more...

Challenging operation

A hospital relocation team is counting down to its 'D-Day' with military precision. more...

Kids take dip at last

Seeing smiling youngsters splashing around for the first time in Barton's brand new swimming pool was a very special moment for one woman. more...

No end for us

Julie and Graham Hillsdon watched as Angela Dublin was jailed for killing their son in the Eastern Bypass crash, but they are still tormented by many unanswered questions. more...

No end for us

Julie and Graham Hillsdon watched as Angela Dublin was jailed for killing their son in the Eastern Bypass crash, but they are still tormented by many unanswered questions. more...

No end for us

Julie and Graham Hillsdon watched as Angela Dublin was jailed for killing their son in the Eastern Bypass crash, but they are still tormented by many unanswered questions. more...

Results And Fixtures

SPORT: Weekend fixtures

SATURDAY FOOTBALL COCA-COLA LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd v Barnet. more...

SPORT: Weekend fixtures

SATURDAY FOOTBALL COCA-COLA LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd v Barnet. more...

SPORT: Weekend fixtures

SATURDAY FOOTBALL COCA-COLA LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd v Barnet. more...

Rugby

RUGBY: Quins bid to go out with bang

Oxford Harlequins director of rugby Matt Maudsley is urging his players to finish the season on a high, starting with Sunday's final. more...

RUGBY: Merriman double?

There will be a double celebration in the Merriman family if Witney RFC and Carterton FC win their respective county cup finals. more...

RUGBY: Merriman double?

There will be a double celebration in the Merriman family if Witney RFC and Carterton FC win their respective county cup finals. more...

RUGBY: Bicester wreak revenge

Bicester gained revenge over Wallingford with an eventful 33-27 home victory and also kept up slim hopes of winning promotion from the Berks, Bucks & Oxon League Premier Division alive. more...

Sport

Sarrazin keeps Subaru in the hunt

BANBURY'S Subaru World Rally Team driver Stephane Sarrazin picked up the final point for Subaru with eighth place in the Rally of Corsica. more...

Tennis

TENNIS: Woodstock off to flier

Woodstock got off to a winning start in Ladies Division 1 of the 3-Pair League, easing to a 7-2 victory at newly-promoted Bicester. more...

Theatre

The Best of Friends: Milton Keynes Theatre

'Get thee to a nunnery," Hamlet famously said to Ophelia. But, nowadays, you must have a very real vocation if you are to live out your life in a religious order. And those vocations are falling: according to a recent survey, only 18 men and 13 women entered British monasteries and nunneries last year. more...

20,000 Leagues under the Sea: Watermill Theatre, Bagnor

While the centenary of the death of French novelist Jules Verne last year passed largely unnoticed in this country, Newbury's Watermill Theatre is staging a tribute to that author's tremendous imaginative skills. more...

Lady Windermere’s Fan: Oxford Playhouse

What a shame the scriptwriters for Frasier weren't around in Oscar Wilde's day how they could have upped the comic ante in Lady Windermere's Fan, as well as all that social commentary and satire for which Wilde is so constantly celebrated. more...

Death And The Maiden: Burton Taylor Studio

Death and the Maiden is not an easy play. Its central theme of torture as a tool of political repression serves as a backdrop to a multi-layered debate on the subjects of memory and truth, retribution and forgiveness, culture and barbarity and moral courage and its absence. more...

Witney News

Housing site set to stay in plan

Councillors have endorsed a controversial proposed site for 100 new homes on the edge of Eynsham. more...

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