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Stories for 18 July 2008
Abingdon
Hoping gym can fix it . . .
A GYMNASTICS club planning to convert a warehouse into a gym hopes to secure a £50,000 grant to make its dream come true. more...
Farewell to 'little soldier'
He was the little soldier who fought until the end. more...
Banbury News
Burst water main slows Banbury traffic
Drivers were forced to go slow this morning in Banbury after a water main burst. more...
Business News
One millionth Mini exported
The one millionth Mini for export has now left Plant Oxford, said carmaker BMW. More than 80 per cent of Mini production is sent abroad, with the largest export market being the USA, where sales hit a record in the first half of the year, with 26,400 cars sold, an increase of 33.6 per cent. more...
Cricket
CRICKET: West ton leads Oxon to victory
A SUPERB century by skipper Richard West helped Oxfordshire to victory in their Tom Orford Trophy clash with Bedfordshire at Queen's College. more...
Didcot News
Incinerator plans on show
Villagers have rubbished controversial plans unveiled this week for a £100m incinerator on their doorstep. more...
Editorial Comment
Beacon of hope
The news that thousands of homes look set to be built on the edge of Oxford should be broadly welcomed today. more...
Features
'And now it's over to Shami...'
Shami Chakrabarti dissolves into laughter after an impromptu impersonation of the man she is to succeed as chancellor of Oxford Brookes University. more...
Headlines
From school to north of India
A GROUP of teenagers are off on a mind-expanding trip to India to broaden their horizons before going on to college or sixth form. more...
Books were silent flood victims
FLOOD victims from West Oxfordshire and other parts of the county are turning to an Oxford bookbinder to help them save their precious collections. more...
Leader
Are we prepared?
A year on from the serious flooding which affected many parts of Oxfordshire, it is sobering to remember that hundreds of families are still shut out of their badly-damaged homes. more...
Objections flood in
New concerns about flooding around the Tesco site have placed a big question mark over the expansion of the Abingdon store. more...
Letters
Accident fears as subway goes
It is a great shame that the artistically-painted pedestrian subway in Headington, Oxford, is to be filled in with concrete to make way for extra traffic lanes. more...
Gruesome death
Your picture, Head to head in the bull ring (Oxford Mail, July 11), captures one of the most depressing spectacles of human depravity since the bad old days of the hunters posing over the ragged remains of a fox after a gruelling ("thrilling") chase lasting as long as the hunt masters and their servants could contrive. more...
Dramatic change
Government policy favouring high density development threatens to alter dramatically the character of the residential section of Kidlington High Street, part of which is a conservation area. more...
Police party was sponsored
I write in response to Michael Rhymes's letter, Did we pay for birthday bash? (Oxford Mail, July 15). more...
Food waste pilot postponed
Sir - Your article on recycling and rubbish collections (July 11) left out a key fact on Oxford's system. more...
Bus numbers could be cut
Sir - Bill Bradshaw (Letters, July 11) is being somewhat disingenuous when he quotes 1988 as the basis for comparing the number of buses using the High Street since that was at the height of the bus wars' following deregulation. more...
Flawed strategy
Sir - Bill Bradshaw's letter claiming that the number of buses using the High Street has not increased (Letters, July 11) is not true. more...
Serious inconvenience
Sir - In response to the front page article Campaign to halt High desecration (July 4) suggesting a big reduction in local buses and removal of London and airport-bound coaches I would like to make the following points: 1: A great number of students, non-car owners (there are a lot of us about) and visitors using Oxford as a base, would be seriously inconvenienced by having to travel to a park-and-ride, especially if the local bus service was drastically reduced as well. more...
Weight limit for city?
Sir - I am glad to see members of the High Street colleges addressing the problems of the High. more...
Visual pollution
Sir - In the last couple years, a new form of visual pollution is affecting many parts of Oxford. As a resident of Jericho, I am faced in almost every street with a variety of notice-boards attached to houses, some saying For Sale' or To let' and others (the largest proportion) saying Let'. I have seen a similar situation in East Oxford, and can only assume that it exists largely because these areas are attractive to students and other temporary residents. more...
Utterly indifferent
Sir - After a man has got away with a fine less than the cost of his bike for dangerous cycling causing death, I wish to add comment. more...
Loving trees
Sir - In March, Oxford City Council adopted a new policy to improve inspection of tens of thousands of trees, and how it decides whether to prune or fell any unsafe ones. more...
Avoid frustrations
Sir - At 10.30 this morning I joined the queue at the main Post Office. There were two active counters that I could see apart from the bureau de change where you could walk up and get instant service even though Oxford has dozens of other outlets for this facility. more...
Help needed
Sir - I would like to make a very special appeal to your readers, who would be interested in offering voluntary help at The CLA Game Fair, which is being held at Blenheim Palace from Friday, July 25, to Sunday, July 27. more...
Rapid change
Sir - Government policy favouring high density development threatens to alter dramatically the character of the residential section of Kidlington High Street, part of which is a Conservation Area. more...
Strikes no answer
Sir - At a time when all families in Oxford are feeling the pinch due to the soaring cost of living under Labour, council tax bills for hard-working families and pensioners across the city risk soaring in the future if Ministers let trade unions leaders have their way, and raid council reserves to pay for an inflation-busting pay increase for town hall workers in response to this weeks strike. more...
Mixed message
Sir - Last week you reported that whilst 95 per cent of the county's State schools have produced plans in response to a county council initiative to encourage pupils to walk, bus or cycle to school, only seven per cent of the independent schools have done so. more...
Calls filtered
Sir - Following the article by Matt Wilkinson on June 20, it appears that the Thames Valley Police force's inability to do anything about difficult crimes is because a triage system is in operation by the call centre operators, who decide for themselves which crimes to record, which ones to deal with immediately, which ones to deal with later, and which ones not at all. more...
Motors
Wallace headlines Silverstone classic
OXFORD sportscar driver and Le Mans winner Andy Wallace will get back behind the wheel of the Silk Cut Jaguar at the 2008 Silverstone Classic. more...
Wallace headlines Silverstone classic
OXFORD sportscar driver and Le Mans winner Andy Wallace will get back behind the wheel of the Silk Cut Jaguar at the 2008 Silverstone Classic. more...
Renault bids for green vote
Renault clearly anticipated the rush towards downsizing which has been accelerated by the combination of soaring fuel prices and a harsher road tax regime. more...
New 7 Series to set luxury pace
REMEMBER the date: November 15, 2008. That's when BMW puts the new 7 Series on sale in Britain This fifth-generation, top-of-the-range Beamer is set to beat everything else in the luxury car market and raise the benchmark for automotive excellence. more...
Motorsport
Wallace headlines Silverstone classic
OXFORD sportscar driver and Le Mans winner Andy Wallace will get back behind the wheel of the Silk Cut Jaguar at the 2008 Silverstone Classic. more...
Wallace headlines Silverstone classic
OXFORD sportscar driver and Le Mans winner Andy Wallace will get back behind the wheel of the Silk Cut Jaguar at the 2008 Silverstone Classic. more...
Music
Evan's above: No show without Dando!
A much-anticipated warm-up concert for this weekend's Truck Festival has been cancelled - because its headline star is still in America. more...
News
Burst main slows traffic
Drivers were forced to go slow this morning in Banbury after a water main burst. more...
Woman arrested after 'arson'
Two people were rescued from a burning house following a suspected arson this morning. more...
Girl, 13, goes missing
Police are appealing for help to trace a 13-year-old girl missing from her home near Banbury. more...
Snow vision of joint university
The idea of Oxford's two universities joining to form a single seat of learning has been floated by Jon Snow, the retiring chancellor of Oxford Brookes University. more...
Upmarket arcade plan unveiled
PLANS for an upmarket new shopping area in Oxford city centre are being unveiled today. more...
Party in the streets
An area of East Oxford is set to clear its streets - so members of the community can sit down for a meal together. more...
Pupils create buzz in insect world
Children at a school near Oxford are creating a buzz in the insect world after discovering one of the rarest bees in the country. more...
Update: 'Eco-warriors' attack 4x4s
Owners of 4x4 vehicles in Oxford have been targeted by anti-car environmentalists. more...
Landlord fined for unsafe house
A landlord has been fined £6,000 after pleading guilty at Oxford Magistrates' Court to two counts of breaching housing regulations. more...
Council 'disappointed' at estate plans
South Oxfordshire District Council has reacted with "disappointment" at the news a 4,000-home estate could be built on the edge of Oxford. more...
Lorry crash closes road
Police this afternoon closed a road near junction seven on the M40 after a collision between a car and a lorry. more...
Gig cancelled but Truck still on
A much-anticipated warm-up concert for this weekend's Truck Festival has been cancelled - because its headline star is still in America. more...
School's out for ever
Cheers, tears, hugs and applause greeted an assembly to mark the end of an era as an Oxford school closed its doors for the last time today. more...
Final salute
A Guide leader is retiring from the youth movement after 50 years. more...
Tesco expansion decision delayed
A decision on the expansion of a Bicester superstore has been postponed. more...
Former England star visits young patients
Former Arsenal and England legend Martin Keown put a smile on the faces of young patients at Oxford Children's Hospital. more...
Other News
Log on to rate your doctor
A new website has been set up by an Oxford doctor allowing patients to rate and review the experience they get from a visit to their GP. more...
A year on from the floods
A year on, anyone wishing to discover how last July's devastating floods changed lives should meet Bill Bowell and his wife, Edna. more...
Review could clear way for city growth
A REVIEW of Oxford's Green Belt has been endorsed by the Government, which could clear the way for an urban extension of Oxford. more...
Stadium could be bike test centre
Oxford United's car park could double-up as a motorcycle test centre if plans are given the go-ahead. more...
Millionth Mini leaves Cowley
A million Minis have been exported to countries all over the world from BMW's plant in Cowley. more...
Customs offices to close
HM Revenue & Customs has announced it is to close two of its Oxfordshire offices after a two-year review into the future of the department. more...
Scheme tackles super-bugs
An innovative scheme to give germs like MRSA and clostridium difficile "barcodes" to try to track the sources of infection is being piloted at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital. more...
M40 drivers face delays
Motorists faced delays on the M40 in north Oxfordshire this evening. more...
Other Sport
GREYHOUNDS: Curtin and Wills on top
Paddy Curtin and Ian Wills hold sway at the top of the champion trainers list at Oxford Stadium, but don't rule out six-time champion Angie Kibble, who is within shooting distance after ten winners this week. more...
GREYHOUNDS: There's no stopping Kibble
Angie Kibble, cock-a-hoop after getting three runners through to the next round of the British Breeders Produce Stakes at Swindon on Saturday, returned to Sandy Lane with a vengeance. more...
GREYHOUNDS: Bomber can give rivals the blues
Bomber Blue should leave his rivals feeling just that to take command in the £1,500 Tech Shop UK Maiden Derby trophy final at Oxford Stadium tonight. more...
Oxford News
Environmental campaigners target 4x4s
Environmental protesters have targeted owners of 'gas-guzzlers' and 4x4s in Oxford. more...
New shopping arcade unveiled
Plans for an upmarket shopping area in Oxford city centre are being unveiled today. more...
Pupils create a buzz in insect world
Children at a school near Oxford are creating a buzz in the insect world after discovering one of the rarest bees in the country. more...
'Yes' to 4,000 new homes
A housing estate roughly the size of Blackbird Leys looks like being built on land south of Grenoble Road in Oxford. more...
Millionth Mini leaves Cowley
A million Minis have now been exported to countries all over the world from BMW's plant in Cowley. more...
Woman arrested after Banbury 'arson'
Two people were rescued from a burning house following a suspected arson this morning. more...
South Oxon 'disappointed' at estate plans
South Oxfordshire District Council has reacted with "disappointment" at the news a 4,000-home estate looks like being built on the edge of Oxford. more...
Man banned after drinking four beers and driving
A 47-year-old drink driver has been banned from getting behind the wheel for 16-months and ordered to pay £445. more...
Alcoholic stole aerial to pay for drink
An alcoholic who admitted stealing an £80 television aerial to pay for drink has been handed a conditional discharge. more...
Decision delay over Tesco plan
A decision on the expansion of a Bicester superstore has been postponed. more...
Hunt for missing girl
Police are hunting for a teenage girl missing from home for the past two days. more...
Road closed after crash
Police closed a road near junction seven of the M40 after a collision between a car and a lorry. more...
Soccer legend visits young patients
Former Arsenal and England legend Martin Keown put a smile on the faces of young patients at Oxford Children's Hospital. more...
Final salute
A guide leader is retiring from the youth movement after 50 years. more...
Abuse may have sparked Campsfield troubles
Violent disturbances at Oxfordshire's Campsfield immigration detention centre were probably sparked by alleged assaults detailed in a new report, say campaigners. more...
Abbey site safe, says owner
The owner of one of Oxford's most important historic sites has hit back at claims the building is endangered. more...
School's out for ever
Cheers, tears, hugs and applause greeted an assembly to mark the end of an era as an Oxford school closed its doors for the last time today. more...
Wacky racers head for Mongolia
More intrepid adventurers from Oxfordshire are geared up to set off today on a 10,000-mile charity challenge - at the wheels of old bangers. more...
Lemonheads gig cancelled... but Truck date still on
A much-anticipated warm-up concert for this weekend's Truck Festival has been cancelled - because its headline star is still in America. more...
Eco-protesters let down 4x4 tyres
Owners of 4x4s and gas-guzzlers have been targeted by anti-car environmentalists. more...
Fond farewell to 'little soldier'
He was the little soldier who fought until the end. more...
School Sport
SCHOOLS: John Hampden star
Youngsters from John Hampden, Thame, shone in the national finals of the Tag to Twickenham rugby tournament at a rain-sodden Rugby School. more...
SCHOOLS: Kwik title shared
Shrivenham and St Mary's (Chipping Norton) were crowned joint champions in the Asda Oxfordshire Under 10s kwik cricket tournament. more...
SCHOOLS: Warriner chasing treble
Cricketers from Warriner (Bloxham) have been in superb form to book their places in three Oxfordshire League finals. more...
SCHOOLS: Warland claims gold
Lightning struck twice in the same place for Oxfordshire's Kirsty Warland as she won gold in the ESAA Sainsbury's English Schools' Track & Field Championships at Gateshead. more...
Shape Up For Summer
The Man In The Mirror
Skin rejuvenation, anti-fatique and even emulsion, the terminology may be man-friendly but one thing's clear, beauty has been taken off the back burner for guys. Don't be fooled by male bravado - vanity creeps in for even the most rugged blokes, writes Lisa Haynes more...
Insect Bites
Out comes the sun, and with it all the bugs too. more...
Holiday Tummy
After waiting months for your holiday to come round... more...
Sunburn
After all those months of pasty skin, who wouldn't be in a hurry to get a five-minute tan? more...
Share Prices
Local share prices
18/07/2008 pm AEA Technology 50.5 BMW 2379 Electrocomponents 154 Nationwide Accident Repair 113.5 Oxford Biomedica 8.3 Oxford Catalyst 163.5 Oxford Instruments 215.5 REED 561.5 RM 183.75 RPS Group 297.5 more...
Sport
Wallace headlines Silverstone classic
OXFORD sportscar driver and Le Mans winner Andy Wallace will get back behind the wheel of the Silk Cut Jaguar at the 2008 Silverstone Classic. more...
Wallace headlines Silverstone classic
OXFORD sportscar driver and Le Mans winner Andy Wallace will get back behind the wheel of the Silk Cut Jaguar at the 2008 Silverstone Classic. more...
U'S News
U's finalise Cole deal
GOALKEEPER Jake Cole, 22, yesterday completed the formalities on a three-month loan deal from Championship side QPR. more...
United games moved
Oxford United's scheduled trip to Torquay on Tuesday, October 7, has been moved to Thursday, October 9, to enable Setanta to show it live. more...
Constable lays down the law!
OXFORD United's new striker James Constable has warned his fellow forwards that they face a battle for a place in the starting line-up. more...
Wallingford News
Homes plan disappoints
South Oxfordshire District Council tonight reacted with "disappointment" at an announcement that paves the way for a 4,000-home estate on the edge of Oxford. more...
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