Police are looking to reduce trouble on Halloween this year through a poster campaign.
The plan is to distribute posters to residents saying 'Sorry, no trick or treat here' to dissuade trick-or-treaters from visiting certain houses, allowing residents to avoid disturbance. The scheme is aimed to protect elderly and vulnerable people, making the day safer and fun for all.
Steve Smith, for Thames Valley Police, said "The idea behind the campaign is to make Halloween as enjoyable as possible for those who want to celebrate the occasion.
"We don't want to stop anyone from enjoying themselves, but we do want to try, as far as possible, to reduce incidence of behaviour that may leave people frightened, or which puts people in danger or at a disadvantage."
The posters and flyers can be downloaded from http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/reduction/saferhomes/safehome/safe6.htm or picked up from your local police station.
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Former Oxford University student Benji Tucker was awared the High Sheriff's award for bravery, after he confronted a thief in October of last year.While walking home to his flat, Tucker heard screams coming from Roger Dudman Way. After deciding to investigate the noise, he discovered Priyanka Sharma fighting Elvis Springer for her handbag. Springer began to run off, and Tucker followed."I ran after the bike until I'd caught up with him. I got the bag back and then he smacked me round the head with his metal bike lock."I didn't think of it being dangerous when I initially started running after him. It was only later, when I was standing opposite him and I thought 'This guy's huge and he's got a metal bar' and then I was more concerned."Springer, a serial criminal, was jailed for 20 months.Yesterday at Oxford Crown Court, Tucker received a certificate for his courageous act, and a cheque for £250.

So says Chris Waddle and, at the moment, it’s hard to argue with him. That said, the indications of this malaise are twofold: dwindling crowds and the matches themselves. Frankly I think the latter is too dull to bother arguing about – though the Observer would likely disagree, having deemed it worthy of three full pages of coverage recently – so I shan’t.While expensive tickets, blanket television coverage and ridiculous kick off times might excite some, I, like Kate Moss, like an ample sprinkling of something extra to get me out of bed in the morning. In my case, its hypocrisy – and there’s a lot of it around in football at the moment.Many people believe that football has simply become dull. The Premiership is feted as, if not the best, then certainly the most exciting league in the world. However, it seems that the source of this discontent is not that the games themselves are less interesting – though this is arguably the case – but that the results have become too predictable. People aren’t really complaining about Chelsea and José Mourinho’s negative tactics, they’re complaining about Chelsea and José Mourinho being so much better than everyone else.I shan’t bore you with the raft of quotes which have emerged on the subject from gaming greats such as Alan Curbishley, Martin Jol and Steve Bruce (who, incidentally argued that Nicky Butt’s recent red card should have been rescinded on the grounds that fouls are ‘entertaining’), but in my mind they have done nothing more than show that the game is suffering more from a severe case of sour grapes than anything else. Arsene Wenger, who is forever hailing his team’s goal scoring prowess, is calling for rule changes to reward high scoring wins – however, it seem as though Mr Wenger has not done his maths. Even with such changes, Chelsea would still have run away with the league, beating Arsenal by 8 points rather 10. The only position change on the grounds of the proposed new point system would have been Tottenham switching places with Manchester City, neither of whom were relegated, or qualified for Europe. Ground breaking stuff.Even if this had more of an effect on the league table, it would only highlight Wenger’s true gripe. As he mentioned in the same interview: ‘if the same team or person always wins in sport, it quickly becomes boring.’ Translation: ‘Arsenal have stopped winning, I’m bored’ or, more specifically, ‘Arsenal have stopped winning, I’d rather not see ze incident’.It’s slightly worrying that John Terry seems to have a better grasp of the situation than most: ‘I do not think the top players in the world would have voted three Chelsea players in the FIFPro World XI if we were boring’. Remedial footballer that he is, he equated being good equates to being exciting – beautifully missing the point of Chelsea’s detractors that the two do not always come hand in hand.The complaint ostensibly is that if you’re the best and are going to keep winning, you could at least win in style. Then again, when Chelsea won a run of 4-0 wins last season it was apparently dull. They played 4-5-1 thoughout and no one complained – in fact, everyone else adopted the same formation. The only change was that where Chelsea had Duff, Robben, Cole and Lampard to liven up the midfield, while the majority had to make do with free transfers and loan deals. The only difference this season is that the Chelsea midfield is somewhat off their game. Hardly the club’s fault – and I doubt many people would see another cash splurge by Abramovich as a solution either.West Ham boss Alan Pardew went so far as to describe Jose Mourinho as the ‘Steve Davis of football’ – as harsh as comparisons get in the boring stakes. But the thing the two do have in common is that, like Mourinho, Steve Davis always won. The table itself reveals that Chelsea have scored 14 goals this season – four more than anyone else. The fact that they have only conceded one is less a criticism of Chelsea than it is of the rest of the league.However, there is another danger for Jose Mourinho to consider. Whether it is the neutral position or the natural arrogance of one who has won everything and done it with style – or maybe I’ve read more into it than I should – but Johann Cruyff seemed to have put his finger on the buzzer when he pointed out that ‘[Jose Mourinho]’s a very good practical coach. But in his position he should think about performances too’.The fact that ‘Paddy Power’ bookmakers have already paid out on a Chelsea title this season might be a comfort to Chelsea fans, but the man who really brought this success, Roman Abramovich, is probably beginning to think that football isn’t nearly as entertaining as it seemed two and half years ago. And if Chelsea’s golden goose stops laying eggs, it’s not just Chelsea fans who should be worried. Watch your back Mr Mourinho.ARCHIVE: 0th week MT 2005

Oh, this is certainly the best Ashes series since 1981,” “I’ve not seen England show guts like this since Headingley in 1981,” on and on it went during this summer’s Ashes. Barely a day passed without some comparison with the last Ashes series triumph to have truly inspired the nation, and in particular England’s victory in the match they’d looked so certain to lose that odds of 500 to 1 were available against them. Last week, after a well earned cricket break, I read Rob Steen and Alistair McLellan’s account of the match to find out why it is still viewed as England’s most dramatic victory. The build up to the 1981 was nothing like so perfect as England’s five successive series wins preceeding to the 2005 series. Its last tour, to the West Indies, was a disaster. The selection of Robin Jackman, a professional player in Apartheid South Africa, caused such an outcry in Guiana that he was expelled from the country, precipitating the abandonment of the second Test and, many felt, the heart attack which caused the death of England’s beloved coach, Ken Barrington, days later. England lost the series 2-0. Ian Botham, England’s talisman and captain, had failed to win a match in ten attempts and was in an unprecedented form slump.Events continued in this vein as the Ashes began. A supreme bowling effort gave Australia the first Test by four wickets. By the second, Botham had had enough. He resigned the Captaincy after scoring a pair of ducks. England had to bring Mike Brearly, a batsman with an average of 23, out of retirement. England endured three torrid days at the start of the Third Test, played at Headingley in Yorkshire. Australia won the toss and hit 401 as England failed to use a difficult pitch, poor bowling exacerbated by five dropped catces. In England’s innings, Terry Alderman’s late swing and Geoff Lawson’s pace removed the top order and Lillee skittled out the tail; England were all out 227 runs behind. Australia enforced the follow on and Mike Gatting was immediately out for a duck. As the third day ended Labdrokes’ match odds flashed on the scoreboard: Australia, 1-4; draw, 5-2; England 500-1. The only upside for England was Botham’s return to form. His spell of 5-35 had kept England in it, while with the bat he had top scored with 50, his first half century for two years. The next day, England were soon facing an innings defeat. A harsh LBW decision removed the tenacious Boycott and Australia were into the tail with a lead of 78. England’s remaining batsmen went on the attack through desperation, lacking the technique to bat defensively. Graham Dilley swung at everything; amazingly, after missing a couple, he started hitting and soon Botham followed suit. As Australia’s bowlers tired, Botham attacked with such venom that mishits flew to the boundary. With Dilley (57), Old (29) and Willis (1) in support, he ended the day unbeaten on 145.The fifth day was just as remarkable. Willis was soon out, leaving Botham stranded on 149 and England 130 in front. Hoping to build on their heroics with the bat, Brearly opened with Botham and Dilly; but Botham was hit for two fours in his first over and Dilley was injured after two. Willis was back in the attack for what was suspected to be his last spell for England. After five ineffectual overs, Brearly swapped him out, only to put him on again at the other end. Willis was visibly inspired. He launched a series of vicious, throat high balls, claiming three wickets for no runs before lunch. With Old tying down an end at an economy under 2 an over, Willis kept at the Australians. Dilley took an amazing catch, running backwards to the boundary rope to save a six and remove Rod Marsh. With Australia at 74-7, the match turned as Dennis Lillee and Ray Bright attempted a Botham-esque attack. They smashed 35 in four overs to bring Australia to within 20. Willis was puffing, but he rose to the challenge; a change of length and Lillee was gone. The game was England’s ; Willis sent Bright’s middle stump into the air with his very next ball. England had won, by 19 runs, a match in which they had trailed in every single session. Despite Willis’ innings figures of 8-43, Botham claimed man of the match. England were not to lose again in the series. They won two of the remaining three Tests to reclaim the Ashes 3-1. “The 1981 Ashes,” says McLellan’s introduction, “changed my life. I suspect I’m not alone in that.” Steen agrees – he credits the series for inspiring him to quit a job he hated and begin his dream career. To modern eyes this seems a ludicrous over-reaction to a game of cricket, but to an England suffering the bitterest years of Thatcher’s reforms, this match, and series, produced a genuine shot in the arm to the nation.ARCHIVE: 0th week MT 2005

One-DayCambridge (191-5) beat Oxford (190 all out) by 5 wicketsFour-DayOxford (610-5 dec) beat Cambridge (129 & 268) by an innings & 213 runsOxford extended their run of dominance of the four-day first class Varsity Cricket match in the most emphatic fashion possible, defeating Cambridge by the astounding margin of an innings and 213 runs at Fenner’s. Oxford were in record breaking form both individually and as a team as they posted a record team total of 610-5 declared led by a record individual score of 247 from Salil Oberoi. The Merton first year, who has played first class cricket in India, broke Nawab of Pataudi’s record score after it had stood for 72 years.Oxford’s batsmen utterly destroyed the Cambridge bowling. Playing with extreme aggression, they scored at a strike rate not far short of a run a ball. Oberoi’s record innings was supported by an excellent 184 from Dan Fox during a third wicket partnership of 408, which saw the Cambridge bowlers cut and pulled to despair. Captain Paul McMahon (62 not out) and Chris Stearn (33 not out) also posted a century partnership in quick time before Oxford declared just after lunch on the second day. The Tabs’ response with the bat never looked likely to match Oxford’s extraordinary performance. A fine spell of left arm swing bowling from Amit Suman quickly reduced the light blues to 54-3 in reply, with only bouts of heavy rain preserving the Tabs’ hopes through the second and third day. However, just when the downpours looked to have scuppered any chance of a result the heavens finally closed and Oxford were able to use an hour’s play to decisive effect. Nottinghamshire off-spinner McMahon found surprising turn and bounce to rip the heart out of the Cambridge middle-order, taking four wickets in the space of six overs. Mike Munday and Suman also weighed in with one wicket apiece to leave Cambridge nine down. Oxford now had the entire fourth day to finish off the Tabs’ first innings, enforce the follow on and dismiss Cambridge again.The day began well. The Tabs’ first innings lasted just three balls, and the Blues’ new ball partnership of Suman and Ed Morse dismissed both Cambridge openers cheaply. However, time looked to be running out as Anirudh Singh batted obdurately to a career best 75, while Tom Savill rode his luck to post an attractive 59. However, when Singh was deceived by a Suman slower ball and Savill misread McMahon’s arm ball, the arrival of the second new ball looked certain to do for the Cambridge tail. However, Suman was strangely lacking in menace, and it required the intervention of leg-spinner Mike Munday to seal the victory with just 7 overs remaining. He turned one ball enough to get Ben Jacklin caught behind at the second attempt by Doran and then deceived Kemp with a googly off his very first ball to give Oxford their third Varsity triumph in a row.Whilst it was Oberoi’s record breaking innings that caught the headlines, Oxford coach Graham Charlesworth was fulsome in his praise of Blues captain McMahon, stating “Both his bowling and his captaincy have been of the highest order. Whilst it was very much a team effort, both him and Salil [Oberoi] showed the ability and temperament that it takes to succeed at first-class level. I’m confident that, although we have some good players leaving, we will remain successful because of the sound system that we have in place.”The win helped gloss over the surprise defeat suffered by Oxford in the one day showpiece match at Lord’s. Oxford batted disappointingly. Despite an impressive 56 not out from Chirs Stearn, they lost wickets at regular intervals throughout the innings and were ultimately bowled out for 190 off 49.5 overs. The Dark Blues’ bowlers rose to the challenge of defending such a low total, but Timms’ early innings of 58 proved to be a sufficient platform on which Cambridge could build. Keeping wickets in hand, Cambridge overhauled Oxford’s total with just four balls to go.ARCHIVE: 0th week MT 2005

Oxford (203-7) beat Cambridge (200 all out) by 3 wicketsOxford’s women claimed victory in an oustanding Varsity match, edging out a resurgent light blue side by just three wickets.Oxford won the toss and invited Cambridge to bat. Georgia Gale Grant and Lottie Waller took a quick wicket each to remove both Tab openers within overs and Oxford had the early advantage. However this brought together Cambridge’s Jane Allison and Kate Hawton who, after a watchful start built a strong partnership, dispatching wayward bowling towards the very short boundaries. Oxford were very thankful for a trademark miserly spell from Helen Turner who eventually removed Hawton and followed this with a second wicket to leave Cambridge 118-4, with the game well balanced.The spectators were treated to an exceptional innings from Jane Allison, who demonstrated a superb array of shots and frustrated the Oxford bowlers by successfully keeping the strike. Cambridge looked to be running away with the game until Gale Grant brought herself back into the attack with the score on 156-4. She took wickets with her fifth and sixth balls, and with the first ball of the following over became the first woman ever to take a hat-trick at Lord’s.Oxford, taking heart from their captain’s tremendous bowling performance, raised their game and Alexis Blane secured a run-out with a tremendous direct hit as Allison tried to secure the strike. Allison reached her hundred off 141 balls and put on 35 for the ninth wicket with Kim Roach before she was last out to Blane for an exceptional 109. The Cambridge side seemed sure they had already wrapped up the game, forgetting that on a field as small as the Nursery Ground, 201 was definitely an achievable target.Oxford lost Sarah Berman early, leaving Gale Grant to anchor the innings. She built partnerships with Emma Collins, who made 18, and Natalie Wells, 23, but after 25 overs Oxford only had 86 on the board. Helen Turner began to up the tempo, playing beautifully until she was dismissed for 29. Gale Grant reached fifty off 126 balls, having held the innings together and allowed her partners to score freely. Most people on the ground were wondering whether she had left it too late to accelerate, but 14 runs were scored off the 44th over and for the first time, Oxford looked to be favourites. In a final twist in a see-saw match, Gale Grant fell for 53 in the 45th over, leaving Oxford 16 to win with two new batsmen at the crease and most of the team with no fingernails left.ARCHIVE: 0th week MT 2005

Big changes are planned for St Aldate's over the next few years. Development plans will see the previously unused part of the city transformed from derelict buildings and waste land to an exclusive new shopping area.
The site, which streches from Marks and Spencer to St Aldate's, will play host to a new shopping centre, offices and further student accommodation. A new restaurant is planned for the basement of the site, which is currently home to the Post Office's storage area.
Oxford-based planning consultants  John Phillips Planning are acting on behalf of Merton College in the proceedings, and believe that real progress will be made by the end of the year. Development consultancy company the Carlyle Group have already signed long lease agreements with the college.
Nik Lyzba, from Oxford planning consultants John Phillips Planning, reported "It will not be a large shopping arcade and will not be in competition with the new Westgate centre. But it will add a new dimension to shopping in Oxford, which many people believe has become pretty poor."

This album comes complete with an accompanying essay booklet which explains the story behind every song. The essays themselves are fascinating, but leave the lyrics looking facile and pedestrian. It’s tough to weave a strong narrative through a song, and much harder still if everyone already knows how the story goes.

The other real issue with Elegies is that when you listen to 11 iLiKETRAiNS songs in a row, they tend to form a miserable, homogenous blur. So I was interested to hear whether, in a live setting, they would be able to shake off the strangely flat feeling that pervades the album.

They start well, opening with 25 Sins, which details the Great Fire of London in 1666 and is one of the more memorable moments on the new album. Next up is Terra Nova, from Progress Reform, which remains their best song by a long way. It’s a towering piece, glacial and magnificent, and is a clear marker for what this band is really capable of.

Sadly, it turns out that listening to 11 iLiKETRAiNS songs live is also a bit of a homogenous experience. Songs from the new album blur inoffensively but unrecognisably into one another, while being painfully shown up by early single A Rook House For Bobby. More than anything, you just wish vocalist David Martin would, just once, break out of his cut-glass baritone and let his voice show some emotion (unless, of course, arch historical doom-mongering counts as an emotion, in which case he’s possibly the most emotional man in Oxford).

Not that their set is without its highlights. The background visuals are hypnotic and genuinely add to the songs’ content (when they’re not hidden behind the drummer, that is), and when the band climax into storms of violent noise it’s hard to deny their raw instrumental power.

At one point, someone in the audience shouts “This is an awful place,” echoing a line from Terra Nova and referring, of course, to the shiny new Carling Academy Oxford. “It’s not that bad,” frontman Martin replied, and he’s right. It really isn’t that bad, just lacking somewhat in character. And for all their unusual subject matter, iLiKETRAiNS’ music could also do with a little more character. A little heart. And a lot more variety.

Vice-Chancellor John Hood stood up to recent pressure from government over policing campus extremists yesterday.Recent government policy suggested heavier 'policing' at campuses, as a way of tackling political extremism. In his annual speech, marking the start to the new academic year, he stated that he was aware of the need to stay vigilant, particularly after concerns were raised that campuses were potential breeding and recruitment grounds for terrorists.He said that it was a 'major priority' to increase awareness of Islam in the West, but that the university should not be made into a 'quasi-secret service'. Hood warned that the university must be aware of any threats to free speech and their academic freedom and that 'public policy, designed to address the undeniably real security worries about terrorism, does not undermine that very scholarly endeavour which can help to build and propagate knowledge and understanding in society.'

Health and safety inspectors have closed St Peter’s college bar after "significant failings" were unearthed during the summer, leading to the bar manager’s departure.

The bar, which was managed by the College rather than the JCR, failed a random health and safety inspection during the summer vacation and has subsequently been declared a health hazard, unfit to serve food and drink to students.

Its closure prompted the departure of the manager, Nick Tilley, who declined to comment and is now working at St John’s College.

The College’s Domestic Bursar, Jean Wright, also refused to comment.

Members of the JCR have taken matters into their own hands to ensure that its closure will not have a negative impact on Freshers’ Week by setting up a temporary bar until it reopens in January next year.

One third-year St Peter’s student criticised the College’s neglect of the bar, accusing them of "seriously neglecting their responsibilities by allowing the bar to become, and continue to be, unfit to serve students."

Another student at St Peter’s added, "This raises questions about why the College allowed the bar to get into such a state."

St Peter’s JCR President, Joel Mullan, agreed that the situation had resulted from negligence on the part of the College, but was positive that a temporary student-run bar would provide a satisfactory solution.

"The bar should not have been allowed to reach this stage of disrepair, and it’s unfortunate that these problems were not discovered earlier so that the work could have been completed during the vacation. Whilst a temporary bar is not ideal, we are making the best of a bad situation."

Despite the temporary solution, third-year student Matthew Sherman said he felt that the bar’s closure would still have a negative impact on Freshers’ Week. "The bar was a big part of the social life of the College, so this is a shame for all of us, but especially the freshers. The bar was certainly important for me in my early days at Oxford for meeting people and settling in," he said.

During Freshers’ Week, the temporary bar will be located in a marquee on the College’s Hannington Quad, before being moved to a small room between the St Peter’s JCR and gym.

Second-year St Peter’s student Kris Doyle, who is helping to run the temporary bar, is confident that the disruption to new students’ social lives will be minimal. "While the closure of the bar was unexpected it will not prove to be a problem. A dedicated group of students have rallied to ensure that there will be a college bar of some description and that the freshers will still have the same opportunity to get drunk as generations of previous St Peter’s students," he said.

"Far from being an outright negative, this turn of events has brought many of the current students together in order to preserve an essential part of college life and ensure that the new students feel the same sense of community spirit that the rest of us felt in our first few days."When the bar re-opens in January after renovation, it will be managed by students at St Peter’s.