A man is in court for strangling his fiancée to death in an
Oxford hotel last year. He claims both he and his fiancée were
high on drugs at the time, and wants “mitigating
circumstances” to be taken into account . Stephen Ellis has been charged with the murder of Donna Rowe,
his fiancée, at the Travel Lodge Hotel, on 3 August. He claims
they had a couple of grams of cocaine, five or six ecstasy
tablets and were smoking cannabis throughout the night. The couple were in Oxford to attend the wedding of Ellis’
cousin at Headington Hall. Ellis later spoke of how he thanked
his cousin for “providing a dry run” after the wedding
and how he and his fiancée had been prompted by the wedding to
discuss their own ceremony, due to take place a month later,
including “what songs to play on the night itself ”. He
told police he “thought he killed Miss Rowe”. Ellis has denied murder, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter by
diminished responsibility.ARCHIVE: 6th week TT 2004 

Large numbers of Oxford children, some as young as five, are
forced to care for their alcoholic and drugabusing parents,
according to figures recently released by Oxfordshire County
Council. The shocking statistics suggest that about 4,000 children
between the ages of five and 19 are looking after adults
classified as suffering from ‘mental health or substance
misuse problems.’ Furthermore, the work of these children is neither
acknowledged nor classified by the authorities, since they are
not included in the estimates of those with relatives who are
diagnosed with physical and mental illness or disability.
Officially, there are 54,435 unpaid carers in Oxfordshire, while
1,300 of those are young people. This figure, however, does not
take into account children with alcoholic or drug-addicted
parents. The estimate of 4,000 children acting as carers for
their parents was provided by the Social Services for the
district. Caring for disabled parents within the family saves the
state millions of pounds each year. In an attempt to ameliorate the situation, an officer has been
appointed for the support of children who find themselves in this
predicament.ARCHIVE: 6th week TT 2004 

Oxford witnessed an astronomical spectacle not seen in living
memory when Venus crossed the face of Sun last Tuesday. Earth’s closest planetary neighbour became visible as a
black dot on the Sun’s surface at 6.19am for the first time
in 122 years. The University’s Museum of the History of
Science and the Hanwell Community Observatory set up special
equipment, such as telescopes fitted with solar filters, in the
University Parks, where the transit could be viewed by members of
the public from ten to twelve o’clock. Viewing was aided by
good weather and relatively clear skies. Other events planned to mark the transit included an
exhibition entitled ‘The most noble problem in nature’,
about how astronomers hoped to use the event to measure the size
of the solar system, as well as a play at the Burton-Taylor based
on records from the last transit in 1874. The next transit
visible from Britain will be in 2247.ARCHIVE: 6th week TT 2004 

A new book claims that life expectancy is linked to education:
the longer you spend learning, the longer life you will have. Sir Michael Marmot, professor of epidemiology and public
health at University College London, has challenged conventional
thinking that genes and lifestyle choices such as smoking are the
key factors in life expectancy, and argues in a new book that the
key factor is actually social standing. Critically, he has collected data showing that people with
PhDs live longer than those with masters degrees. Those with a
masters live longer than those with an undergraduate degree,
while those with an undergraduate degree live longer than those
who left school early. Sir Michael calls it “Status Syndrome” and explains
that “the evidence is overwhelming. It suggests that higher
society position creates good health.” The social hierarchy
he talks of could be as simple as the various levels of education
within a university. Alternativley, they may be as complex as the
relative importance of individuals within the Civil Service. Sir Michael argues that an individual’s position in that
hierarchy is influenced by two things: how much control we have
over our lives and what role we play in society. “Do
individuals feel in control and have opportunities for full
social engagement?” he asks. He claims that income is relatively unimportant as long as an
individual is near the top of their social hierarchy, hence
impoverished academics can still live long into old age.
“More money does not buy better health, it is only important
as a marker. Income per se is not important.” Sir Michael has been part of an independent government inquiry
since 1997 which has explored health inequalities. He believes that, by giving people more control over their
lives and by ensuring that they play a full part in society,
health can be boosted and lifespan extended.ARCHIVE: 6th week TT 2004 

Three thousand women from Oxford took part in a charity race
to aid the struggle against cancer last Sunday. The organisers
hope that £180,000 will be raised for cancer research. The
‘Race for Life’ has been run in Oxford since 1996
around a 5km course in University Parks. Participants in the
event also released pink balloons to remember those affected by
the illness. Over the last ten years, a million women across the country
have participated in the ‘Race for Life’ campaign,
making it the UK’s largest fundraising event. During this
time, it has raised £50 million for Cancer Research UK. More
than a quarter of a million people are diagnosed with cancer in
the UK every year. The disease is the cause of over a quarter of
all deaths annually. Jane Tomlinson also passed through Oxford, last Thursday, as
part of a 2,000-mile charity cycle ride that has taken her
through Florence, Monte Carlo, Lyon and Paris. She has battled
through breast cancer to raise £135,000 on her ride for a number
of charities, including MacMillan Cancer Relief and Leeds Acute
Paediatric Services. She arrived in Oxford at 2.30pm ahead of an
overnight stay at the Oxford Business Park, in Cowley. Tomlinson was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 26 and
in 2000 was told that she had secondary metastatic bone cancer.
She was given six months to live. Throughout her ride she has
battled against her disease. “My illness doesn’t go
away,” she said, “it’s progressive and I have to
get on top of that.” Tomlinson has also run three marathons,
a half Iron Man triathlon and completed a cycle ride from John
O’Groats to Land’s End, raising over £600,000 for
charity. She arrived home on Monday.ARCHIVE: 6th week TT 2004 

34 live shotgun cartridges were found abandoned in a green
Nike bag in Christ Church Meadows last Friday. The cartridges were found by a resident of Oxford’s night
shelter who approached a constable in Bonn Square to hand over
his discovery. The man later showed the police the exact spot between Christ
Church gardens and the Meadows where he found the shells in an
abandoned hold-all bag. How the ammunition got to one of the most
picturesque spots in Oxford remains a mystery. PC Treherne, the
man to whom the shells were handed over said that in his five
years of working in Oxford he had “certainly never been
handed anything like this before”. There has been no sign as yet of a weapon and the
cartridges’ discovery have not been linked to any other
incidents or crimes so far, but the police are still
investigating the matter. Anyone with any information can contact
PC Treherne via the Thames Valley Police.ARCHIVE: 6th week TT 2004 

Members of Mansfield College JCR have voted to continue to
allow students to smoke in the college bar. Passions were raised amid divided opinion between those who
believe smoking is an inalienable individual right and those who
support the ban because of the detrimental effects of passive
smoking. The current JCR policy won a vote with a majority of 63
votes to 44. The vote has checked a growing trend to ban smoking in public
places. Early this term, smoking was prohibited in Teddy Hall
JCR. On Tuesday the Health Secretary, John Reid, angered
anti-smoking groups by saying smoking is one of the few pleasures
the poor had left. He said, “The only enjoyment sometimes
that they have is to have a cigarette.”ARCHIVE: 6th week TT 2004 

Hollywood Cocktails
124 Walton St
(01865) 511 668 As you come to the end of the Jericho “bar crawl”
from the north of Oxford into the centre of town, you are likely
to decide to omit one new addition to the scene from your
drinking schedule, on the basis of its unpromising exterior.
Hollywood Cocktails is situated on the corner of Little Clarendon
Street, opposite the more aesthetically pleasing peppermint green
façade of Raouls, and seems to promise a pretty seedy
experience. Maybe, however, this is simply a result of the
permanent dirtiness of its windows: bar owners take note: these
things do get noticed. I strongly advise that you give Hollywood Cocktails a closer,
more penetrating look and venture inside. This bar is a welcome
new addition to the Jericho bar scene, providing an oasis of calm
and a sense of groundedness amidst the sometimes overwhelming
atmosphere of those more fashionable and well-known jericho bars.
It plays vintage ‘30s and ‘40s jazz and boasts a
collection of posters of film noir & classic stars alongside
the standard huge mirrors & luxury leather seating. Hollywood Cocktails is run by a couple who decided to take the
ethos for their new venture from their favourite cocktail recipe
book, and it has certainly paid off – there is a unusual and
wide selection of dinks, including non-alcoholic versions of old
favourites – ones to try include the cinammon daquiri and
the raspberry tart. Snacks and table service are also available. Part of the charm of Holywood cocktails is the fact that it is
as yet relatively undiscovered, so it will be well worth a visit
before it becomes (as it is bound to do) more popular. The only
down side is the lack of outdoor seating, but come the winter
this will matter less. Above all, Hollywood Cocktails has
something different to offer, cocktails with a twist, and should
definitely be visited at least once.ARCHIVE: 6th week TT 2004 

The White Hart
Wytham
(01865) 244372 The White Hart is set in Wytham, (a treesy hamlet just past
Godstow), and has recently been converted into a gastro pub. The
refurbishment has removed some of its old world charm, and
compared with the cosy, smoky ambience you would expect of a
country pub, it is slightly sterile and soulless. But in the
evening its stone walls are beautifully lit and candles and
simple décor allow it to maintain a rustic feel. To start we had the beef Carpaccio with truffle oil, parmesan,
balsamic vinegar and rocket. The beef was incredibly tender and
the combination of flavours worked well. Although not usually a
fan of fish, the smoked haddock risotto was unbelievable, and the
tomato soup was surprisingly good. The mains were equally impressive. The rump steak was
succulent and was served with creamy mash, although the
overcooked ratatouille let the dish down. The fillet steak,
however, was beautifully presented and combined an unusual and
delicious array of flavours. Although pasta can sometimes
disappoint, the mushroom tortellini with truffle oil and rocket
was delicious and easily competed with the high standard of the
fish and meat. The puddings were more mixed. Both the crème
brulee and the vanilla ice cream were average, but the chocolate
fondant was obscenely good. In general, the menu provided a good variety (despite an
alarming obsession with rocket and balsamic vinegar). The
portions were generous and the standard consistently high. There
was a good choice of affordable red and white wine and the
service was excellent. Although on the pricey side for a pub and even for a
restaurant, the price was only indicative of its quality. Not
only is it the best pub food I have ever tasted, but the best
meal I have had in Oxford. On a free evening I strongly recommend
it; it is worth the taxi ride ten times over.ARCHIVE: 6th week TT 2004