Crime & Safety
Former Royal Mail postman died in Kawasaki motorbike crash
Chris Howard was on a blue Kawasaki motorcycle was fatally involved in a single vehicle crash on the Wantage Road north of Streatley near Wallingford.
The crash happened on April 24 and since then a 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
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In a tribute, Mr Howard’s family said: “Chris was a much-loved brother, uncle, great uncle and cousin who lived life to the full.
“He was the third child of four, son of Colin and Maureen. Chris enjoyed a rural childhood, having fun in a village close to the River Thames.
“After completing A-levels at Henley college, Chris started work for Royal Mail as he wanted to buy a motorbike.
“Chris moved to post office counter roles and was then promoted to senior manager level.
“He was well-liked and respected as a leader and for his extensive knowledge of the business and spreadsheets.
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“Chris had experience of the counter business and his colleagues enjoyed tales of his trips abroad and of his taste in music.”
Mr Howard’s family added that he enjoyed being with people, eating “well” and drinking rare IPA brews.
“He retired early and was living the best life he’d planned,” they added. “This included gardening, holidays, our cats and motorbike trips to places like India and Albania.
“He’d recently volunteered with the local Camino group, as a coordinator and walker. He’d just raised over £1,100 for cancer research on the Portuguese route.
“Chris loved retirement and was content and happy. He never forgot a birthday and kept in touch with friends from all stages of his life.
“Chris made regular trips to visit his beloved family. He was self-assured, positive and caring. Chris was loved dearly and will be greatly missed by all his family and partner Hayley.”
Investigating officer police sergeant Rob Oliver-Clayson, of Thames Valley Police, issued an appeal for witnesses to come forward as part of the force’s investigation.
He said: “Firstly, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family of the man who sadly died in this collision.
“I am appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision, or the moments leading up to it, to please get in touch.
“If you saw anything, or have any information that may assist our investigation, please come forward. If you captured dash-cam footage, you can upload it to our dedicated online portal.”
Wantage Road is a rural, single-carriageway stretch which runs between Streatley in Berkshire and Blewbury in Oxfordshire, alongside the River Thames.
The popular coach service, run by Stagecoach, had collided with an Oxford Bus Company X3 electric bus in Carfax at around 2pm on Sunday, May 17.
A witness told us that the traffic had been backed up for almost an hour due to the incident, understood to have resulted in no injuries.
Witness Charles Halsey said the buses collided with “loud bang and crunch” and added: “The drivers then got out.
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“The traffic was backed up 45 minutes to Queens Lane. All drivers were out discussing it. People shouted for them to stop as at first they unaware.”
Stagecoach and the Oxford Bus Company have been approached for further comment.
The presenter, who starred on the BBC’s Top Gear and Prime Video’s The Grand Tour alongside James May and Richard Hammond, lives in Oxfordshire.
It is here that he runs Chadlington’s Diddly Squat Farm as well as The Farmer’s Dog pub in Asthall near Burford, which he opened two summers ago.
When not farming or reviewing cars, Mr Clarkson enjoys travelling, and his latest trip has seen him find “the best hotel in the world”.
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Writing in his latest column for The Sunday Times over the weekend, Mr Clarkson spoke about his recent jaunt over to Aberaeron.
Stopping over at the Harbourmaster hotel in the Welsh seaside town, the 66-year-old was left very pleased with his stay.
Mr Clarkson remarked: “I stayed recently at the Four Seasons in Miami, and that was very good, but this is better. This is the best hotel … in the world.
“The staff were fantastic, the view was pretty, they sold Hawkstone, and for dinner, I had deep-fried cockles followed by sea trout. Which were, to use a traditional Sunday Times word, historic.”
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After his dinner, Mr Clarkson had a walk along the new sea wall and watched a particularly colourful sunset.
He added: “We were in the UK, but it didn’t feel that way.
“Were it not for the fact [that] it was about 12 degrees, we could have convinced ourselves we were in the Caribbean.”
Mr Clarkson will return to screens next month with the highly anticipated fifth series of Clarkson’s Farm on Prime Video, which is scheduled to release on June 3.
A temporary closure notice has been issued to The Leys Play Park in Witney this week by Witney Town Council.
A statement has been published on the council’s Facebook social media site, alerting parents to the short closure.
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“Please note that The Leys Play Park will be temporarily closed for a short period this week while essential maintenance works are carried out ahead of the opening of the Splash Park on Friday, May 22,” said a spokesperson for the council.
“Signage will be displayed at the park during any closures to keep residents informed.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience while these important improvements are completed.”
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