Stories for 3 March 2003

Bath Leisure

New golfing paper launched

A NEW monthy publication called The South West Golfer has been launched and is expected to become the leading golf publication in the region.   more...

It's showtime for the alpacas

MAY 28-31, SHEPTON MALLET: FUN for all the family is promised at this year's Royal Bath & West Show.   more...

Shakespeare from all around the globe

MARCH 3-15: AS the Bath Shakespeare Festival marks its 5th anniversary artists from four continents prepare to perform in the city.   more...

Business News

Get ready for the big boom

With the publication of property consultant King Sturge's latest quarterly review, Jeremy Sutton, a partner in the Swindon-based firm, considers the future for property in the town   more...

And the winners are...

For many of Wiltshire's leading firms and businesses, the most important date on the company calendar is not April 5, the end of the tax year, but the night of the Wiltshire Business of The Year Awards 2002.   more...

Bank helps pupils solve spelling teasers

LLOYDS TSB Bank in Calne has donated plastic wallets to children at Calne's Priestley School to help them remember difficult sums and spellings.   more...

Wish you were here

DEVIZES Chamber of Commerce thought the town was so ill-served by the postcards currently on sale in local shops it has commissioned a new set of views by local photographer Richard Pearce.   more...

Chefs ready to fry the flag

CHEFS in Wiltshire are being invited to take part in the county's own version of the BBC programme, Ready, Steady, Cook.   more...

Shop change after 27 years

SHOP owners Audrey and Brian West are closing women's fashion shop, Mary Leybourne in St John's Street, Devizes, after 17 years.   more...

Calne News

More clues needed says big cat expert

AS sightings of Calne's mysterious panther-type cat continue to stir local interest, the west's leading big-cat expert says he will need conclusive evidence before carrying out any investigation.   more...

Chippenham News

RAF base pushed as site for airport

PROTESTERS fighting against a new airport at Bristol are urging RAF Lyneham to be used instead.   more...

Tiddled pink at new recognition

CAMPAIGNING residents of the little-known hamlet Tiddleywink are toasting their new-found notoriety, after council chiefs put their village back on the map.   more...

Comedianin the pink for naked TV show

COMEDIAN Will Hodgsons has just enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame, an all-over naked tanning treatment, on national television.   more...

Corsham News

Grave misgivings on car park

THE final plans for the controversial redevelopment of a graveyard in Corsham town centre have now been revealed.   more...

Visit drums up some interest

PUPILS at Corsham Primary School have been raising the roof during their drumming and dancing workshops this term.   more...

Devizes News

Learning the lesson of how to save lives

FEATURE: EVERY week 30,000 employees are admitted to hospital in the UK because of accidents at work, resulting in a total annual loss of 23 million working days.   more...

This is no safe haven

WILTSHIRE'S top police surgeon has called for action to stop vulnerable mental health patients having to wait in police cells before assessment.   more...

Marlborough News

Outbreak of virus closes wards at hospital

AN outbreak of the Norwalk virus at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon has resulted in the three wards and a rehabilitation unit being closed to new admissions.   more...

Next stop is Harry Potter for veteran

EVERGREEN actor Jimmy Gardner, who grew up in Marlborough, has won a part in the latest Harry Potter film.   more...

Racehorse adoption is odds on favourite

IF YOU want to be on to a sure-fire winner but at a fraction of the cost of keeping a horse in racing stables, then why not adopt a retired racehorse?   more...

Sport Football

Shattered dream

DEVIZES' FA Vase run came to a sorry end as they were out-battled and out-thought by their hungry visitors from Essex in front of a bumper crowd at Nursteed Road.   more...

Gutted Godley suffers cup heartbreak again

DAVE Godley suffered FA Vase heartbreak for the second time in three years as Devizes bowed out to Maldon.   more...

Defences on top as Bluebirds see title hopes fade away

CHAMPIONS elect Tamworth were the only real beneficiaries as title pretenders Worcester City and Chippenham cancelled each other out for the second time this season.   more...

Marine look to pull off the great escapeonce more

SWINDON Supermarine have renewed hope of a second `great escape' after a fine 2-0 win at fellow Western Division strugglers Shepshed Dynamo.   more...

Hulbert at the double as Highworth return to winning ways

HIGHWORTH bounced back from their dismal midweek defeat at Bishops Cleeve with a convincing 4-0 away win over Almondsbury Town.   more...

Last-minute goal grabs a point for Melksham

MELKSHAM Town staged a great comeback at Welton to do neighbours Devizes a big favour.   more...

Title chase is hotting up

Stratton Crosslink and Wroughton both picked up maximum points to keep them in the frame for the Premier Division championship.   more...

Sport Rugby

Elvis rocks 'em!

ELVIS is alive and kicking ­ and Saracens were left all shook up as Bath's Samoan signing got the Rec rocking with a dramatic first 15 seconds in English rugby.   more...

Super stuff!

Supermarine avenged an earlier defeat in style as they romped to a thumping 71-5 victory over Marlborough in Saturday's Dorset & Wilts Division Two North encounter.   more...

Swindon overrun by Olney forwards

Swindon succumbed to Olney's much bigger pack as they went down to a 28-18 home defeat in Southern Counties North on Saturday.   more...

Perfection is so close for Minety

Minety are just one game away from a clean sweep in Dorset & Wilts Two North after a 57-3 thumping of Pewsey Vale.   more...

Swindon News

How are we going to Pay?

I would like to get an answer from Kevin Small, leader of our marvellous Labour council. How can his party justify an increase of 15 per cent in the council tax?   more...

Budget is brave and honest, not prudent

I find Coun Mike Bawden's statement "I think the taxpayers of Swindon will probably be confronted with another 15 per cent tax increase next year", (EA February 22) rather misleading.   more...

The people should decide

With all the monies that the local council has generated in the past few years, with the sale of properties and land, Swindon should be a very profitable town.   more...

Waste of time!

The Jubilee Clock has to be a joke, of course. I mean, what person in their right mind would dream of salvaging what looks like some bits of concrete reinforcing wire from a demolished building and bunging a clock on top of it?   more...

Don't be afraid, Frank

I WORRY about Mr Avenell (letters February 19). I really do. He is obsessed with the idea that what he calls uncontrollable immigration is bringing the UK to its knees.   more...

ElasticBands danger

A FEW weeks ago I found my cat choking on an elastic band which he had found just outside our back gate.   more...

A crazy maze of red tape to have a swim!

IN support of A Magill's recent letter on the subject of the council's new SwindonCard, I must say the person who dreamed this up must be a maze mapper or a compiler of Italian-style red tape in his/her spare time.   more...

Close the paths

IN response to the article "Footpaths could be closed to cut crime". Yes, as a resident of Penhill I totally agree with the residents of Emerson Close.   more...

Just so scruffy

ON the return from a coach trip to London recently I overheard two people saying London was a beautiful city but it was a pity that some streets were covered with litter.   more...

Anti-war marchers make voices heard

ANTI-WAR protesters marched the streets of Swindon in the biggest demonstration the town has seen since dissent over the poll tax.   more...

Find out more about £6m restoration plan for Lydiard

A SERIES of events will be held at Lydiard Park on the theme of its proposed £6m restoration.   more...

Unruly children can be barred from class

TEACHERS' unions in Swindon have welcomed a ruling which allows them to refuse to teach unruly and violent pupils.   more...

Sleigh ride boosts cash for three charities

THREE Swindon charities have been presented with a late Christmas present.   more...

Row breaks out over plans to site two gipsy caravans

A PLANNING application to site two gipsy caravans on land at Bradenstoke, near Lyneham, has encountered opposition from nearby residents.   more...

Youngsters in the saddle Blue Peter Bikeathon

CHILDREN from Swindon have been invited to take part in the Blue Peter Bikeathon to raise money for Leukaemia Research.   more...

Elderly are not second class people

AGE Concern Swindon has held it biggest general meeting for the last 15 years.   more...

Ring seals our bride's delight

A RING has been a symbol of love and commitment for thousands of years.   more...

Self-harm group dispels the myths

A Swindon charity has been trying to dispel the myths which surround the problem of self-harm.   more...

Reaching their full potential

A SECOND course to help people from Parks, East Walcot, Pinehurst and Penhill develop to their full potential is to be launched.   more...

Kung-Fu to keep fit

Kung-fu lessons are now being run at the Western Community Centre in Somerset Road in Rodbourne Cheney for everybody who wants to keep fit or learn self-defence.   more...

Plea to keep site in use

THE future of the St Ivel factory site in Wootton Bassett remains uncertain, but town councillors want to see it stay a centre of employment.   more...

Referendum may decide assembly

VOTERS in Swindon could go to the ballot box to decide whether an elected regional assembly for the South West should be established.   more...

Chef cooks a pancake in shape of the FA cup

Nationwide building society is asking football fans to send in FA Cup shapes made from weird and wonderful things.   more...

Build your own home scheme in doubt

BRINKWORTH residents may not have the chance to build their own homes.   more...

Farewell Sonia

STAFF at the Great Western Hospital bid farewell to their former chief executive on Friday.   more...

Flower power

A SWINDON florist is today back in business in the town centre after her stolen market barrow was returned.   more...

New facility for silver surfers

A NEW £250,000 computer suite has opened in Penhill to enable pensioners and the unemployed to make use of the latest technology.   more...

All the world's a stage for these players

THE Bradford Players Theatre Company has won the top award at this year's One Act play festival.   more...

Prehistoric pots are restored

THE progress of a five-year project to conserve prehistoric pots is the subject of a new exhibition at the Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Devizes.   more...

This is no safe haven

WILTSHIRE'S top police surgeon has called for action to stop vulnerable mental health patients having to wait in police cells before assessment.   more...

Outbreak of virus closes wards at hospital

AN outbreak of the Norwalk virus at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon has resulted in the three wards and a rehabilitation unit being closed to new admissions.   more...

MP Julia announces her pregnancy

MP Julia Drown and her husband Bill Child have annonced they are expecting a baby, due at the end of July.   more...

Naked ambition

NUDITY can bring a sense of freedom and the Swindon Naturists want more people to join their group so they can share this experience.   more...

RAF base pushed as site for airport

PROTESTERS fighting against a new airport at Bristol are urging RAF Lyneham to be used instead.   more...

Hercules have been used to help war and peace efforts

RAF Lyneham has been at the centre of every British war effort for the past 60 years.   more...

`We don't just scrub loos for a living'

HOTEL housekeeping may not sound glamorous or romantic ­ but a Hollywood film could transform the image of this ordinary job.   more...

`We don't just scrub loos for a living'

HOTEL housekeeping may not sound glamorous or romantic ­ but a Hollywood film could transform the image of this ordinary job.   more...

Making the right moves

A RECORD number of youngsters played in this year's Wiltshire Junior Open Chess Championships.   more...

Where will it end?

IN reply to Daniel Lake, age 17, (EA, February 23).   more...

Have a heart

Can I please ask the so and so who pinched the CDs plus rack, also videos and tapes, which I left for a charity shop in Old Town, to have a heart and donate a little money for their crime . . . otherwise the bogey man might come to get them.   more...

Tax rich more

It makes me very angry to hear council leader Kevin Small describe the decision to increase council tax by 15 per cent as "brave".   more...

Be independent

I have lived in Swindon for 25 years and the council tax always goes up by a figure exceeding inflation but this takes the biscuit.   more...

We can vote too

I FEEL disgusted that four Tory councillors were absent at a crucial meeting for the council tax.   more...

Keep police cells for the criminals

THE police get called to deal with all kinds of situations every day, simply because they are the first point of call for many people needing help.   more...

No shame in going naked

It's refreshing to see hobby groups take the initiative and set up their own activities. And the Swindon naturists have done just that.   more...

Trowbridge News

This is no safe haven

WILTSHIRE'S top police surgeon has called for action to stop vulnerable mental health patients having to wait in police cells before assessment.   more...

Wiltshire News

RAF base pushed as site for airport

PROTESTERS fighting against a new airport at Bristol are urging RAF Lyneham to be used instead.   more...

Wiltshire Sport

Sam's the future

ANDY King will `fight to the death' to keep Sam Parkin at the County Ground and wants him to play a big part in building a bright future for the club. The 21-year-old striker blasted his 20th goal of the campaign in a 3-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers and the Town boss hopes this is just the first in a series of memorable seasons for the youngster.   more...

Wootton Bassett News

Plea to keep site in use

THE future of the St Ivel factory site in Wootton Bassett remains uncertain, but town councillors want to see it stay a centre of employment.   more...

Captured by Falklands

FEATURE: FORMER SAS adviser Roger Edwards was one of the soldiers who liberated the Falklands, but after falling in love with the place he ended up returning as a civilian to live out his dream.   more...

  
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