Stories for 19 June 2003

Amesbury News

Soldier's wife refused time to greet him

A DEVASTATED teaching assistant has resigned from her job after she was unable to take time off work to greet her soldier husband on his return from the Gulf.   more...

Fresh hope for mum in prison

FREEDOM could be beckoning for Angela Cannings, the Salisbury mother jailed for life for the murder of two of her babies.   more...

Queen's birthday honours list announced

A POLICE officer whose career with Wiltshire Constabulary has spanned 32 years and includes a host of achievements, has been awarded the Queen's Police Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours.   more...

Stones road plan causes outrage

AN exhibition in Amesbury last week giving people the chance to have their say on the £192m A303 Stonehenge improvement scheme provoked outrage among some visitors.   more...

New conservation centre is opened

THE Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down has established a public conservation centre to provide a window on the unique grassland habitat it maintains.   more...

Plan for town is unveiled

A DEVELOPMENT blueprint which will change the face of Tidworth town centre has gone out for public consultation.   more...

Just deserts for business success

SUCCESSFUL enterprises in Salisbury and south Wiltshire received a well-deserved pat on the back last week when they were honoured at the annual South Wiltshire Business of the Year awards.   more...

Bradford On Avon News

Pervert teacher jailed for sex abuse

FORMER Bradford on Avon teacher Peter Hamilton-Leggett has been jailed for eight years for sexually abusing boys when working as a prep school teacher.   more...

Business News

Missing out on millions

Companies across Wiltshire and the South West are missing out on millions of pounds of support every year in unclaimed grants, awards and loans it is claimed.   more...

Cashing in on help

NatWest has donated a coin and note counting machine to the Sikh Temple in Gorse Hill.   more...

Boost for the small firms

A business development programme designed to boost company performance by improving employees' skills and abilities is being offered for a fraction of its normal cost in Swindon.   more...

It's even more convenient...

ALLDAYS on the High Street in Malmesbury has had a £150,000 refit.   more...

Calne News

Addict smashes granddad's furniture

HEROIN addict Guy Minnis smashed his grandfather's display cabinet in a fit of rage when he refused to lend him cash for his next fix, a court heard.   more...

Drug team in the spotlight

A CASE study of drug action team Reach Out has been included in a Government sponsored regional publicity campaign.   more...

Triple jumper puts pupils through paces

PUPILS at Fynamore School in Calne were jumping for joy when Commonwealth triple jumper Julian Golley paid a visit.   more...

Veranda with a view lands pub in trouble

A VERANDA at the newly renovated Kings Arms pub in Calne has sparked a bitter planning dispute between landlord Quenton Harflet and North Wiltshire District Council.   more...

Parish celebrates as historic church finally raises the roof

BUILDERS are on the verge of completing repairs to the crumbling roof of a tenth century church.   more...

Precinct to be redeveloped

COUNCILLORS have agreed to push forward plans to redevelop Phelps Parade amid fears Calne could become a dormitory town without significant investment in the town centre.   more...

Dad is ready to defy school's filming ban

DEVOTED Calne father Craig Gascoigne fears he is being robbed of his daughter's childhood memories by a ban prohibiting him from filming her school sports day.   more...

Sun brings out some stars

DRESSED in white and holding paper doves, Calne Brownies released dozens of white balloons into the air as they marched for peace and love at this year's carnival.   more...

Family flee from house explosions

A MUM and her two young children had a lucky escape from a fire that went on to destroy their home after they were alerted by a smoke detector.   more...

Chippenham News

Radio star gives garden tips to visitors

BBC GARDENING guru Reg Moule will be a star attraction at Pound Hill garden in West Kington on Sunday, for the National Gardens Scheme charity open day.   more...

Slim dad is measuring up

SUPER slimmer Ian McNaughton is a fraction of the man he used to be, after losing a whopping six stone in 12 months.   more...

MP visits troops

ON his return from a trip to Iraq, North Wiltshire MP James Gray has praised the skill and dedication of 9 Supply Regiment from Buckley Barracks at Hullavington.   more...

Snack bar gets a week to shut

SANDWICH bar boss Victor Mandryko was given just a week by shopping centre bosses to close his business and get out of Emery Gate.   more...

Biker dies two weeks after fatal on road

THE second Lyneham airman to die in a motorcycle crash in just two weeks, has been identified as Junior Technician Andrew Nuttall.   more...

Organs save three lives

MOURNERS at the funeral of binman Chris Jefferies, who died last week of a sudden brain haemorrhage, were told that some of his organs have been used to save the lives of three other people, including an eight-year-old boy.   more...

Police injured in drunken yobs' brawl

POLICE officers were assaulted and patrol cars attacked and a string of arrests were made, as mob violence swept Chippenham town centre in the early hours of Saturday.   more...

Chief back in the classroom

EDUCATION chief Peter Wanless took a trip down memory lane when he went back to school after 20 years.   more...

Industrial site plan sparks new row

PLANS to build new offices, industrial units and warehouses on 12 hectares of Chippenham's green fields have sparked a row about the need for new local job opportunities.   more...

Fury as fight to save parking land is lost

A LAST ditch attempt to save Chippenham's New Road car park from housing development has failed.   more...

Top tastes for lunch treats

CHEESE and corned beef came top of the menu when youngsters at East Tytherton Primary School organised a sandwich tasting session for a healthy eating project.   more...

Bollards bar park vandals

FIXED wooden bollards will be set up to stop cars driving on Pewsham Park, after residents complained young vandals were turning the green into a mud bath.   more...

Pupils are in glass of own

PUPILS at Redland School, in Chippenham, are backing a campaign to persuade North Wiltshire residents to recycle more glass.   more...

Events promote Child Safety Week

CHILDREN and adults will be learning about the consequences of accidents during Child Safety Week starting on Monday.   more...

Star joins charity chief for movie

FILM and television star Ray Winstone joined Chippenham charity boss Ed Deedigan and 18-year-old Pewsham actress Katherine Clisby in London this week to shoot a hard-hitting movie about forced prostitution.   more...

Hospital is just magic, says Ali

VETERAN magician Ali Bongo, who was injured in a car crash in Chippenham, has thanked staff at Swindon's Great Western Hospital for their extremely good care.   more...

Corsham News

Flak flies over housing plans

TOWN councillors have voiced their strong objections to a controversial plan for more than 200 houses at Pockeredge Farm, Corsham.   more...

Past comes to life

PEOPLE could have been forgiven for thinking they had stepped into a time warp when they visited Wiltshire this week.   more...

Slim dad is measuring up

SUPER slimmer Ian McNaughton is a fraction of the man he used to be, after losing a whopping six stone in 12 months.   more...

Ctfc Sport

Mings op will mean search for another front player

TOMMY Saunders will use early pre-season friendlies to run his over a at least eight triallists in a bid to find a striker before the start of the season.   more...

Devizes News

Beer festival set for record

THE fifth Devizes Beer Festival is forecast to be bigger and better than ever before.   more...

Police bid to rid town of trouble makers

DEVIZES police have appealed for public help in ridding the town of a small group of men who regularly cause trouble in the town centre.   more...

Health staff in protest march

UNION official Roger Davey believes disgruntled staff at Devizes Hospital will turn out in force at a protest march next week.   more...

Anguish as biker dies in car crash

THE fiancée of motorcyclist Terry Brown, who died in a crash on the A4 near Marlborough this week, says she has lost her soul mate.   more...

Charity day lands staff in trouble with the law

WHEN staff at the Devizes charity shop Tenovus set up a stand in The Brittox as part of a cancer awareness campaign, they put out a bucket for donations.   more...

Birds get jump start in life. . .

WILTSHIRE Fire Brigade's training centre at Hopton, Devizes, has an additional complement at the moment, after a blackbird built a nest in a Land Rover which was brought in for repair.   more...

Addict is jailed for dealing

DRUGS dealer Mark Matthews, at one time earning up to £500 a week selling cocaine and cannabis, is this week starting a two-and-a-half year jail sentence.   more...

New plea for a skatepark

DEVIZES Town Council has renewed its pleas to locate a skateboard park on Devizes School's campus.   more...

Mum tells of upset at thefts from graveside

MOTHER Nichola Szymanski is appealing for people to respect her baby's grave after a number of toys were stolen from it.   more...

Guten tag to pedal pushers

DEVIZES firefighters pride themselves on their fitness but the gauntlet has truly been thrown down by their opposite numbers from German twin town, Waiblingen.   more...

New minister urged to help

DASH2, the action group set up to fight for services at the new Devizes Hospital, is to write to the new Health Secretary Dr John Reid.   more...

Man told offences mean stiff penalty

MARK Few, who habitually entered Devizes off-licences, helped himself to alcoholic drink and walked out despite the protests of members of staff has been told he faces a stiff community sentence.   more...

Drugs case is adjourned

A DEVIZES drugs "mule" who admitted possessing more than £7,000 of cannabis intending to pass it on to a dealer has been sent to Salisbury Crown Court for sentence.   more...

Drama at corner shop

POLICE were called to the One Stop Shop in the Market Place, Devizes, following an alleged assault last Thursday afternoon.   more...

Entire crew gets award

ALL the retained firefighters in Devizes have received a certificate of commendation from Chief Fire Officer Neil Wright for their efforts in tackling a house fire at Sleight, near Devizes, which resulted in the deaths of Dawn Hughes and her three children.   more...

New town signs fly into flak

COUNCILLORS should have been consulted about the new directional signs that have appeared around Devizes, it has been claimed.   more...

Wharf Theatre refutes gossip

A SUGGESTION the Assize Courts building in Northgate Street could become a new home for Devizes' Wharf Theatre has been discounted by the theatre chairman and district council staff.   more...

Huge crowd turns out to cheer on those who turned up the heat to help charity

MORE than 1,000 people turned out on Saturday night to witness 43 intrepid fundraisers walk across red hot cinders to raise nearly £30,000 towards a new sports hall at Rowdeford School.   more...

Love story set to attract solstice visitors

A GENTLE love story set among the crop circles of deepest Wiltshire has become a massive hit with cinema goers in Devizes.   more...

Spanish idyll breaks 400 year village link

VIVA Espana former poultry farmers Barrie and Eileen Lovelock are selling up their Wiltshire home and setting off to sunny Spain.   more...

Amenity skips to go in recycling drive

A MAJOR expansion of recycling schemes is to happen in the Kennet district over the next three years.   more...

Crime figure leap explained

CRIME statistics for the Kennet area have shown a huge increase because of a new system of collating figures.   more...

Primary school's quality is consistent

ST Nicholas Primary School in Bromham has received a glowing inspection report from Ofsted.   more...

Woman stole from parents

A DEVIZES woman has been sent to Crown Court for sentence after admitting siphoning off nearly £8,000 from her parents' joint bank account.   more...

Sharing cuts down miles

MORE than 40 employees at Kennet District Council shared lifts with colleagues to cut down on congestion and pollution.   more...

Firm pays price for accident at work

IAN MacDonald, the boss of stone wholesaler firm McMarmilloyd, said he was put on medication for stress after a prosecution brought against the firm under health and safety legislation.   more...

Mistakes made over rave, chief admits

POLICE have admitted they were caught out by the May Day bank holiday rave in Savernake Forest and had no intimation it was to take place.   more...

Star joins charity chief for movie

FILM and television star Ray Winstone joined Chippenham charity boss Ed Deedigan and 18-year-old Pewsham actress Katherine Clisby in London this week to shoot a hard-hitting movie about forced prostitution.   more...

Events promote Child Safety Week

CHILDREN and adults will be learning about the consequences of accidents during Child Safety Week starting on Monday.   more...

I'll carry on fighting

MUM Iris Baker has vowed to continue her battle to free her son Nick, who was sentenced to 14 years in jail in Japan on drugs trafficking charges.   more...

Cuts put housing plan in jeopardy

PLANS to build thousands of low cost homes in Kennet and north Wiltshire are in jeopardy following the abolition of funding by the Government.   more...

Hospital is just magic, says Ali

VETERAN magician Ali Bongo, who was injured in a car crash in Chippenham, has thanked staff at Swindon's Great Western Hospital for their extremely good care.   more...

Researcher earns her own place in history

DEDICATION to producing a historical account of the village of Poulshot has led to resident Nora Dixon being made an MBE in the Queen's birthday honours.   more...

Going straight

THE weekend's warm weather has resulted in a new spate of crop circles in Kennet.   more...

Love story set to attract solstice visitors

A GENTLE love story set among the crop circles of deepest Wiltshire has become a massive hit with cinema goers in Devizes.   more...

Caring for the carers

THIS week, National Carers Week has celebrated the work of those unsung heroes of the county who provide unpaid care for others.   more...

It's witching hour

BOOKSHOPS, libraries and even postal workers are waiting with baited breath, as Potter mania prepares to weave its magic spell once more.   more...

Winner keeps mum about conservatory

HELEN Price and her husband Jason had a nice surprise when they returned home from holiday - they had won the £8,000 conservatory in the Gazette's competition.   more...

Past comes to life

PEOPLE could have been forgiven for thinking they had stepped into a time warp when they visited Wiltshire this week.   more...

Devizes,Calne,Chippenham,Marlborough,Highworth,Corsham,Malmesbury,Wootton Bassett News

Keep families in the picture

IN this day and age every parent wants to make sure their children are as protected as possible.   more...

Devizes,Calne,Marlborough,Highworth,Chippenham,Corsham,Malmesbury,Wootton Bassett News

New hospital will be nothing of the sort

THE claim by Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust that it is building a new hospital in Malmesbury is misleading in the extreme.   more...

Questions on health trust need answers

WHEN planning our move to this area the presence of a hospital played a large part in our consideration, so you can imagine how disappointed we are to find that our hospital is to close.   more...

CCTV is needed

Once again we read in the Gazette about the criminal damage in Devizes over the last week or so. Shop windows have been smashed and flower tubs overturned.   more...

River runs clean

The River Kennet has now been thoroughly cleaned between Treacle Bolly and Stonebridge Lane, in Marlborough.   more...

Boost for hospice

THROUGH your newspaper, may we sincerely thank everyone who supported our annual plant sale on May 18 which benefited the Children's Hospice South West.   more...

Generous givers

ON June 6 we made our annual town collection on behalf of the charity Cancer Research UK.   more...

Gifts welcomed

May I, on behalf of the young people who use Calne's Drop In centre thank everyone who donated gifts for our raffle stall at the carnival last Saturday.   more...

Make us equal

REPLYING to Mr Pierce, Gazette June 12. First Mr Pierce we have the Wessex Wyvern and now the Welsh Dragon.   more...

Gardens valued

Who is the interfering busybody who reported Malmesbury's Abbey House Gardens to the council over possible planning infringements?   more...

If democracy is aim, ask us what we want

Replying finally to Richard Pierce's letter in the Gazette of June 12 I must say that we need a Rhodi Morgan like a hole in the head.   more...

Highworth News

Jury will hear treasure trial

A METAL detector user from Highworth has pleaded not guilty to stealing Roman coins and other archaeological artefacts from a site at Mildenhall near Marlborough.   more...

Malmesbury News

Maternity unit wins award for excellence

WITH its future still in the balance, Malmesbury maternity unit has been recognised by the National Child Birth Trust for its excellence.   more...

RAF biker dies in crash

THE second Lyneham airman to die in a motorcycle crash in just two weeks, has been identified as Junior Technician Andrew Nuttall.   more...

Puzzle fit for a Queen

THE Queen was presented with a puzzle made by Sherston company Wentworth Wooden Jigsaw last week.   more...

Village sign of defiance

ORGANISERS of a music festival at Lea, near Malmesbury, have cocked a snook at the authorities by putting up a large sign outside the village.   more...

Sad to bid auf wiedersehen

STUDENTS from Malmesbury's German twin town of Niebull visited pupils at Malmesbury School on a week-long exchange last week.   more...

Villagers are on the boule for carnival

RED, white and blue bunting will be out this weekend as Sherston prepares for this year's boules day and the carnival week in a fortnight's time.   more...

Blow for hall revamp as college pulls out

MALMESBURY Town Hall's £1.2million redevelopment was dealt a blow after Wiltshire College pulled out of a leasing agreement with the district council.   more...

It's even more convenient...

ALLDAYS on the High Street in Malmesbury has had a £150,000 refit.   more...

Primary plan is welcomed

PLANS for a new primary school for Sherston have been endorsed by the parish council.   more...

Council threat hangs over garden's future

MALMESBURY people have reacted strongly to the news the internationally renowned Abbey House Gardens could be in jeopardy because of a planning dispute.   more...

Chief back in the classroom

EDUCATION chief Peter Wanless took a trip down memory lane when he went back to school after 20 years.   more...

Marlborough News

Safety plea after fatal bike crash

FAMILIES in the Kennet Valley villages west of Marlborough say they are fed up with taking their lives in their hands when they turn out of junctions onto the A4.   more...

Pervert teacher jailed for sex abuse

FORMER Marlborough town councillor Peter Hamilton-Leggett has been jailed for eight years for sexually abusing boys when working as a prep school teacher .   more...

PC slashed with bottle

POLICEMAN Richard Oakman will be off work for two weeks recovering from a slash wound he received when he was called to a domestic incident in Burbage on Sunday.   more...

Villagers batten down hatches for solstice siege

VILLAGERS at Avebury are expecting to be living under siege at the weekend when thousands of travellers arrive for the summer Solstice.   more...

Pub makes it a double gift

THERE was double cause for celebration at a presentation night at the Old Crown pub at Ogbourne St George.   more...

College is urged to rethink pavilion

MARLBOROUGH College is to be asked to rethink its plans for a two-storey pavilion in the middle of its Hyde Lane playing fields, following opposition from people living nearby.   more...

Plea for blight order on war memorial site

TOWN councillors in Marlborough have asked Kennet District Council to serve a blight order on the semi derelict forecourt on the former Dobson's Garage.   more...

Victory for protesters over homes scheme

DELIGHTED objectors left smiling from Kennet District Council's chamber on Thursday after councillors refused a controversial planning application in Marlborough.   more...

Go-ahead for surgery move

COUNCILLORS at Kennet have given the go-ahead for the doctors' surgery in Ramsbury to relocate from the village centre to Whittonditch Road.   more...

School's pilot scheme gets results

A NEW style curriculum pioneered in St John's School, in Marlborough, has been hailed a national success with students showing a considerable improvement in core subjects.   more...

Jury will hear treasure trial

A METAL detector user from Highworth has pleaded not guilty to stealing Roman coins and other archaeological artefacts from a site at Mildenhall near Marlborough.   more...

Pewsey News

Glass dumped in jump pits

SPORTS teachers at Pewsey Vale School have had to cancel all jumping events after vandals left broken glass in the sand landing pits.   more...

Salisbury News

Fresh hope for mum in prison

FREEDOM could be beckoning for Angela Cannings, the Salisbury mother jailed for life for the murder of two of her babies.   more...

Queen's birthday honours list announced

A POLICE officer whose career with Wiltshire Constabulary has spanned 32 years and includes a host of achievements, has been awarded the Queen's Police Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours.   more...

Soldier's wife refused time to greet him

A DEVASTATED teaching assistant has resigned from her job after she was unable to take time off work to greet her soldier husband on his return from the Gulf.   more...

Stones road plan causes outrage

AN exhibition in Amesbury last week giving people the chance to have their say on the £192m A303 Stonehenge improvement scheme provoked outrage among some visitors.   more...

Five Rivers gets dynamic manager

HE'S dynamic, he's young, he's fit and he has taken the helm of the Five Rivers leisure centre, in Salisbury.   more...

Headteacher looks forward to a challenge

A HEADTEACHER will be putting his aspirations into practice when he takes the helm of Westwood St Thomas' School on Salisbury's Bemerton Heath in September.   more...

New conservation centre is opened

THE Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down has established a public conservation centre to provide a window on the unique grassland habitat it maintains.   more...

Mayor launches bike week in city

MAYOR of Salisbury Bobbie Chettleburgh donned a cycle helmet along with her chain of office when she launched Salisbury's participation in National Bike Week on Saturday.   more...

Just deserts for business success

SUCCESSFUL enterprises in Salisbury and south Wiltshire received a well-deserved pat on the back last week when they were honoured at the annual South Wiltshire Business of the Year awards.   more...

Salisbury Sport

Orienteers crowned champs

SALISBURY orienteerers have found their niche at the top of the sport, after becoming the new national small club orienteering champions.   more...

A double for Frankie

FRANKIE Dettori enjoyed a winning double in the sunshine at Salisbury on Sunday in front of more than 6,000 racegoers.   more...

Title ambitions intact as gamble pays off

South Wilts 213-6 bt Liphook & Ripsley 212   more...

Emily back for cup win

WOMEN'S rugby star Emily Cooke reported no injury worries after making her return to the full England side in their opening Churchill Cup international at the weekend.   more...

Horror fall jockey Tibbatts is on the mend

AMATEUR rider Lee Tibbatts who suffered serious injuries after a fall at Salisbury Racecourse last week has now regained consciousness.   more...

Young athletes smash records

COUNTY records tumbled at the weekend as the area's young athletes shone at the Wiltshire Schools Championships held in Salisbury.   more...

So close for Louisa

A NEAR-PERFECT performance ended in defeat by the narrowest of margins for Louisa Lockwood at the weekend's horse trials in Burgie, Inverness.   more...

Angling news in brief

Waldens Farm Fishery - Bishops Lake: Plenty of carp, mainly ghosts off pegs along bottom of lake while chub, roach, rudd and perch coming off top pegs around tree area.   more...

Steve's sunny success

CITY of Salisbury athlete Steve McGuiness won the Fire Brigade's ten-mile road race on Sunday. Despite the hot conditions, Steve strode away from the 212 strong field to complete the Woodford Valley course in a time of 58.05 minutes.   more...

Rangers host football festival

DURRINGTON Rangers Football Club are now taking entries for their annual Soccer Festival/Tournament and Fun Day being held at their Recreation ground home over the weekend of July 12-13.   more...

Tennis - Unbeaten pairs lead the way

THE men of Riverside A, Downton A and Victoria Park held heads highest at the weekend to improve their position in respective divisions of the Hants and IOW League.   more...

Hockey - Winning start for skipper Tim

LESS than a week into his reign as first team skipper, Salisbury Hockey Club `keeper Tim Green secured his first success after his team won the Fordingbridge sixes.   more...

Sport Angling

Hooking youngsters

CHIPPENHAM Angling Club hopes to reel in the youngsters at a special fishing workshop on Saturday.   more...

Sport Bowls

Ladies storm to fine win

WILTSHIRE Ladies produced a fine performance to beat Herefordshire by 15 shots in the Walker Cup.   more...

Sport Cricket

Batsmen sparkle as Calne increase lead

WILTSHIRE CRICKET LEAGUE: CALNE retain their lead in Division One with a comfortable victory against visiting Nationwide House.   more...

Corsham set sights on Lord's showpiece

CORSHAM skipper Craig Gibbens is dreaming of playing in a Lord's final after leading his team to the south regional final of the ECB national club championship.   more...

Bath v Corsham

CORSHAM suffered a major blow to their championship hopes when they went down to a seven wicket defeat against one of their major rivals for the Stroud and Swindon Premier Division title.   more...

Marlborough v Lydney

LYDNEY were the visitors to Savernake on Saturday, with skipper Tom Norris looking for his side to carry on last week's good win over Box.   more...

Injury-free Bedbrook back in the county side

FORMER Devizes seamer Richard Bedbrook has been included in the Wiltshire squad for the first time for two years.   more...

Exiles make cup progress

LADIES' CRICKET: Purton Exiles v Twickenham Riverside - PURTON gained a five wicket win in their Plate knockout competition match at Corsham.   more...

Howzat for a great festival of cricket?

KWIK CRICKET: MORE than 1,000 children from all over Wiltshire vied for a place in the county final of the National Kwik Cricket competition on Friday.   more...

Swindon v Trowbridge

SWINDON, despite welcoming back skipper Will Nichols from injury, could not break their sequence of defeats as they slipped to defeat against Trowbridge in Saturday's home Gloucestershire & Wiltshire League Division One match.   more...

Goatacre v Devizes

KEVIN Iles, Goatacre's captain during their National Village Knockout glory years, rolled back the years to hit a match-winning 163 against Devizes in Saturday's Gloucestershire & Wiltshire League Division One game.   more...

Sport Football

Ciren Ladies pick top trio

Cirencester Town Ladies, who finished fourth in the league last year, have announced their players of the season.   more...

Back with a bang in sunny Seend

SEEND Football Club's annual six-a-side tournament for youngsters made a successful comeback last Saturday after a three-year break.   more...

Sport Rugby

Tag contest is a success

TAG RUGBY: WELSH International rugby may be in the doldrums, but at a local Anglo-Welsh tag-rugby tournament its junior teams proved there is plenty of roar left in the dragon.   more...

Swindon News

Council jobs need to be evaluated

I REFER to the front page report June 13, `Council finance chief to lose job', which said that Ian Thompson, Swindon Council's director of resources, was being made redundant.   more...

Having trouble finding a public toilet?

THE members of the Swindon Coalition of Older People have, for some while, received comments that there is a shortage of public toilets in parts of Swindon, for example in the Town Hall area.   more...

Time will be the judge

A WEEK or so ago, Alistair Cook in his Letter from America which I always listen to on Sunday mornings said this.   more...

No oil was given to UK

As a point of interest, with regards to those so expansive on the theme of oil being the motivating force behind this country's participation in the Iraq conflict, in the first sale of Iraqi oil since the conflict, we didn't get any.   more...

Collect stamps

I would like to encourage your readers to start collecting all their used stamps from home and work and send them to CALM at PO Box 1191, Marlborough, SN8 1WG.   more...

Personnel search

RAF St Eval Cornwall 1939-1959, would like to contact all ex WAAF, WRAF and RAF personnel, as well as those on detachment, all ranks, for reunions, membership and newsletter. There is over 100 in contact at the moment.   more...

Nothing but praise

FURTHER to recent correspondence, I have nothing but praise for the competence and courtesy shown by the drivers of the 901 Park and Ride bus service.   more...

Union wins 3.7 per cent rise for Honda workers

LAST NIGHT CABINET MEETING: EMPLOYEES at the Honda plant in South Marston have been awarded a 3.7 per cent pay rise after conciliation service ACAS supported trade union Amicus' pay claims.   more...

A great night for charity

Preparations are in full swing for the Abby Smith Cancer Fund's summer fundraising evening.   more...

Not out at 103!

ONE of Swindon's oldest people celebrated her 103rd birthday with an old-fashioned sing-song.   more...

Jamaica is coming to town

Cool reggae vibes from Morgan Heritage will recreate the hot, vibrant and colourful feel of Jamaica in a Swindon park this weekend.   more...

Small is the new way of policing

A PAIR of mini police stations are due to be opened in the town.   more...

Masking smiles of delight at Lydiard weekend

Youngsters unleashed their creative skills in a craft carousel event at Lydiard House.   more...

Enjoying the delights of twinning

Twenty members of Wootton Bassett Choral Society sampled the attractions of Blain, Wootton Bassett's French twin town, during a recent visit on which they performed several concerts, directed by Ursula Barham, and accompanied by Frank Harvey.   more...

Website a boon for disabled

A SWINDON charity is launching a website to help combat the discrimination faced by people with disabilities.   more...

Just the job for getting rid of graffiti

OFFICIALS from the Home Office were given a demonstration of a graffiti removal machine when they visited Swindon, witnessing the machine in action in Cavendish Square, Walcot.   more...

Golf day help for minibus

Wootton Bassett School's gleaming new minibus was on show at the Wiltshire Golf and Country Club during a charity golf day which raised over £6,000 towards its purchase.   more...

Pedalling the right message

A PAIR of consultants have been putting across a message at Great Western Hospital on a bicycle made for two.   more...

Council hope pool will reopen Saturday

HEALTH and safety inspectors were called in to examine the paddling pool at Coate Water Country Park after a girl cut her leg while playing there.   more...

Nurses helped to prepare for the inevitable

SWINDON CANCER APPEAL:IF you have ever bought an Adver in the town centre, the chances are you probably met Bryan Partridge who died recently from cancer.   more...

A community man right up to the end

OBITUARY: A MAN whose participation in the Swindon community saw him given an OBE has died.   more...

A well-loved man of the theatre

OBITUARY: A MAN who played a key part in some of the most popular musicals staged at Swindon's Wyvern Theatre has died after a long illness.   more...

In the firing line for good causes

EVERYBODY in Swindon has a part to play in a new fundraising drive being launched tomorrow by some of the town's major organisations.   more...

Mike's special pub crawl has wheel appeal

KEEN cyclist Mike Sheppard has kick-started the fundraising campaign for Swindon Cares.   more...

Keep your clothes on, building workers are told by bosses

CONSTRUCTION firm Bluestone has banned its builders from going topless on worksites.   more...

Putting nature in the spotlight

The sale of an area of land in the Cotswold Water Park looks set to become a key site for nature lovers. MARTIN VINCENT looks at the plans   more...

Digging and restoration create top tourist location

THE Cotswold Water Park is an entirely man-made feature resulting from 50 years of sand and gravel extraction.   more...

Robins pick a prime spot to nest

A FAMILY of Robins who have set up home among a stack of strawberry baskets have left a farmer with a tricky dilemma.   more...

Falling apart

THE bill for fixing our crumbling schools = £51m. Education reporter JAMES WATSON looks at the problem of Swindon's crumbling schools and finds out the cost of repairs could be far more than originally thought   more...

Mother is fined as sons play truant

A MOTHER from Swindon has been fined £100 and ordered to pay £150 in court costs after her two sons persistently played truant from school.   more...

Humps add to the danger say mums

CHILDREN risk being involved in a road accident on their way to school because of speed humps intended to make their journey safer, their headmistress and parents say.   more...

Scooby Dopey Doo training for action

A SPECIALIST drug-detecting police dog is being trained to sniff out unsuspecting drug dealers and users in Swindon.   more...

Travellers with a mission

WOOTTON BASSETT has seen an invasion of more than 100 gipsy families.   more...

Rescued from paradise

Having just been airlifted out of Liberia, communications technician Brian Barber is not a stranger to the world's political hot spots. KEVIN SHOESMITH talks to him   more...

Alive with the sound of music

MUSIC is set to play a key role in this year's Old Town Victorian Festival.   more...

Tax forecast has come under fire

LAST NIGHT CABINET MEETING:THE former leader of Swindon Council has accused the new Conservative administration of playing party politics with its forecast for future council tax rises.   more...

Work to start on sorting out the mess

LAST NIGHT CABINET MEETING: CHIEF Executive Simon Birch hopes to start drawing a line through each stage of Swindon Council's 80-point improvement plan as the year goes on.   more...

Don't blame, just get the work done

A GREAT deal of time could be wasted in determining who is to blame for the fact that our crumbling schools need £51 million to put them into good shape.   more...

New weapon in drugs war

IF Scooby the black Labrador passes his training course, he will be sniffing out something far more sinister than his cartoon namesake ­ and he won't run away.   more...

Wiltshire News

Safety plea after fatal crash

FAMILIES in the Kennet Valley villages west of Marlborough say they are fed up with taking their lives in their hands when they turn out of junctions onto the A4.   more...

Wiltshire Sport

Howling start

TOWN'S mission to escape from Division Two will start with a mouthwatering clash against Sheffield Wednesday on August 9.   more...

Wootton Bassett News

Travellers with a mission

WOOTTON BASSETT has seen an invasion of more than 100 gipsy families.   more...

Enjoying the delights of twinning

Twenty members of Wootton Bassett Choral Society sampled the attractions of Blain, Wootton Bassett's French twin town, during a recent visit on which they performed several concerts, directed by Ursula Barham, and accompanied by Frank Harvey.   more...

Golf day help for minibus

Wootton Bassett School's gleaming new minibus was on show at the Wiltshire Golf and Country Club during a charity golf day which raised over £6,000 towards its purchase.   more...

  
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