GAZETTE & HERALD: A SUPERMARKET, nursing home, pub and 195 new homes could be on the cards for land at Langley Park in Chippenham if councillors decide the area has scope for redevelopment. Initial proposals for the massive project have been submitted
GAZETTE & HERALD: Chippenham could end up hosting two Eddie Cochran festivals next year if rival rock'n'roll groups both proceed with plans for weekend events. This year a Bristol contingency led by Ken Hersey and Gwen Hale stepped into the breach
GAZETTE & HERALD: DEDICATED poppy seller and war veteran Alan England, 72, was honoured for 20 years of committed service by the Chippenham branch of the Royal British Legion on Friday. The former Frogwell School caretaker, of Charter Road, took it
GAZETTE & HERALD: TELEVISION cameras took over the swimming pool at Chippenham's Olympiad on Thursday as they filmed mum-of-three Emma Mumford revealing the results of thousands of pounds of cosmetic surgery to the nation. Mrs Mumford, 33, hated the
GAZETTE & HERALD: CHIPPENHAM Town's players could earn their club a cash windfall of at least £120,000 if they win their FA Cup First Round replay against Worcester City on Monday night. BBC Match Of The Day cameras will be at Hardenhuish Park if
Police Community Support Officers Valerie Wagstaff and Gemma Bloomfield with some of the beer they recovered 17808/01GAZETTE & HERALD: BEADY-EYED Police Community Support Officers Val Wagstaff and Gemma Bloomfield have been praised for catching three
MENACING Matt Heywood is not content with threatening to break his old mentor's good leg and now wants Alan Reeves to experience derby day agony but it's nothing personal you understand. The Bristol City defender returns to the County Ground tomorrow
Glyn Woolley, left, with staff at Coombe Castle celebrating the success of their new spread (17747/3PM)GAZETTE & HERALD: A family firm set up 25 years ago has reached the final of a competition for innovation with a sweet spread based on strawberries
Tristian Simpkins, left, with brother Leigh, dad Mick, mum Sue and dog Tammy. Mr Simpkins may pull his son from RE classes because they don't study the Bible enough (17754/1PM)GAZETTE & HERALD: CHRISTIAN dad Michael Simpkins threatened to remove son
Despite relegation last season, the Downton Robins have every reason to feel chirpy. Lesley Bates went to find out why. ROBINS do not normally live to celebrate their century but the Downton variety is still going strong. These particular Robins, aka
FOR one week in August, 14 adults, children - including babies - and grandparents moved into the Celtic round house for an experiment in living history. They did away with any vestige of modern life, exchanging 2005 for 100BC and surviving on their own
North Wiltshire District Council is defending its decision to refuse planning permission for a rally school at Castle Combe Circuit at an inquiry this week. Castle Combe Circuit applied for permission to set up a rally school track to diversify its business
A new business plan has been produced to revitalise Malmesbury's Athelstan Museum and make it into a tourist attraction. The museum is next to the town hall and is owned by the district council. But district councillors' decision earlier this year to
Businessman Robert Davis plans to build a £900,000 extension at Stanton Manor Hotel, the former home of Elizabeth I's chief minister Lord Burghley. Mr Davis has run the hotel, near the A429, in Stanton St Quintin, for the last 16 months. He has now submitted
Former bank manager Tony Pain was delighted when the first copy of his pictorial history of Crudwell rolled off the press. The 71-year-old, from The Butts in Crudwell, has written a book called The Book of Crudwell, a Parish Revealed. And it was proud
Mother Iris Baker has vowed to battle on to have her son Nick released from a Japanese jail. The 57-year-old former Oaksey resident was appalled when a Japanese judge rejected her son's appeal against a conviction for drug smuggling, at the end of last
Townspeople have still been given no date for the switch-on of Malmesbury's Christmas lights. With confusion surrounding the annual event escalating, a local celebrity has not even been approached to perform the switch-on. In previous years Malmesbury's
ACTRESS Sheila Hancock was full of apologies after missed a nature campaign celebration on Friday because she got stuck in traffic. As patron of the Malmesbury River Valleys Trust, Ms Hancock, 72, was due to join in the festivities marking Conygre Mead
Union leaders and MP James Gray were this week united in their battle to stop Malmesbury Hospital being turned into a private nursing home. Unison steward Roger Davey believes the health plans for the town will turn the clock back to pre-NHS times as
District councillor Ian Henderson at the site on Hundred Hill where the moot stone used to be. (17751/4)THE hunt is on to find an important Saxon stone in Malmesbury six months after anyone noticed it had gone missing. For centuries the 7ft moot stone
SWINDON'S biggest Tesco superstore has officially re-opened after a multi-million pound refurbishment and extension. The store on Ocotal Way was re-opened on Monday by veteran shopper Ann Sargent, who has been shopping at the Tesco supermarkets in Swindon
ANY attempt by Salisbury district council to introduce charges in Amesbury's free town centre car park will be vigorously opposed, town councillors warned at their November meeting. Former mayor of Amesbury, Richard Crook, said if the district council
A BYPASS for Winterbourne Stoke, a new flyover at Countess Road and the building of the Stonehenge visitor centre must go ahead regardless of the final solution to traffic problems on the A303 at Stonehenge, said Salisbury MP Robert Key this week. Mr
TWO Amesbury schools could merge next year in a bid to stave off financial problems. The governors of Amesbury infant school and the town's junior school have recommended to parents that the two schools should become a new primary school next year. The
ANOTHER year has flown by and the festive season is almost on us again. So today the Salisbury Journal launches its 16th annual Christmas Appeal. As in previous years, we are asking our generous readers to open their hearts - and their purses and wallets
HOUSEHOLDER Robert Symons claimed he dazzled the pilot of a police helicopter with a powerful torch late at night because he was tired and wanted it to get away from his house. Symons, 56, of Garraways, Wootton Bassett, will be cautioned by police after
Cascades of warm chocolate will be just one of the culinary delights set to grace the High Street of Wootton Bassett when a three-day Italian market comes to town next week. The market, which has been organised by the town council, will run from November
Leader of North Wiltshire District Council Carol O'Gorman has categorically quashed fears that free parking in Wootton Bassett's Borough Fields car park will be reduced to just one hour. The declaration came at Monday's meeting to discuss the district
NORMAL service has resumed at Highworth. The struggling Hellenic League champions looked more like the side that lifted the title in May as they crushed Shortwood 7-0. Highworth's rejuvenation has coincided with the return to form of Phil Corcoran who
GAZETTE reporter Sarah Singleton is on cloud nine after trouncing the country's top children's authors to win an influential national award. Sarah, 39, took the glitzy ceremony in London by storm on Thursday night walking away with the coveted Booktrust
MEMBERS of the public can have their say on proposals that could see Wiltshire police merged with neighbouring forces. Wiltshire Police Authority is holding three public meetings next week. They are on Tuesday, at the Civic Offices, Swindon; Wednesday
DEVIZES Town manager Nathan Sheridan said signing a natural goalscorer in the next two weeks is vital to his side's hopes of climbing the table and going on an FA Vase run. The Devizes boss saw his team squander numerous goalscoring opportunities on Saturday
SMALL village primary schools are under threat of federation or amalgamation with other schools. Wiltshire County Council, as the education authority, is to encourage schools with less than 70 pupils to consider federating with another school, but the
As the first post-ban hunting season opens SARAH SINGLETON finds the hunts out in force and the protesters watchful. The traditional colour and pageantry of fox hunting were on display all over Wiltshire at the weekend when local hunts celebrated their
WHAT is thought to be the ghost of a 12th century damsel, bricked up in a wall at Devizes Castle by her angry father, has appeared in a photograph taken by Land Registry surveyor Mike Crawshaw. Mr Crawshaw visited Moat Cottage, part of the 19th century
KENNET District Council's regulatory committee has granted planning permission for ten mews cottages to be built on the Catleys bottled gas depot in Devizes. Councillors were unanimous in their support for the plan by Renelec which will pave the way for
THOUSANDS of tourists who have viewed Silbury Hill over the last four and a half years, have probably been unaware of the crisis over its long term stability. From the ground the huge grass mound looks much the same as it has in recent centuries. But
Aldbourne residents are to be asked whether they think the village should take over and run its public loos or let Kennet close them. The parish council has agreed to call a public meeting in the New Year to see whether residents want the lavatories in
Denis Hammond with his parents Daniel Gould and Sophie HammondTEN-MONTH-OLD Denis Hammond is nursing first-degree burns after being hit with a firework. Ten-month-old Denis was enjoying the fireworks at his gran's home when one misfired and hit his leg
Dr Farzin Rahmani is set to visit the Tierra Santa orphanage Picture Ref: 100139-68SWINDON AND PROUD OF IT: A DOCTOR from Swindon is off to Honduras to visit children orphaned by Hurricane Mitch. Dr Farzim Rahmani will visit an orphanage in a town close
Wallace and GromitIT'S anchors aweigh and full steam ahead for Wallace and Gromit as they set off on a reading adventure around the world and the Swindon Advertiser is on hand to help them along their way. The Great Reading Adventure is part of the Brunel
TWO children were taken to hospital after being hit by a car at a pedestrian crossing. They were taken to the Great Western after the accident in Cricklade Road in Gorse Hill but their injuries were not serious. The road was closed for about 40 minutes
Education reporter LYNDSAY SCANLAN went to a meeting on school meals to find out how the town is going to get hot food back on the menu TAXPAYERS could hold the key to getting a hot school meal to every pupil in the town. Coun Barrie Thompson, who is
GAZETTE & HERALD: STUDENTS at John Bentley School in Calne have returned from an emotional trip to Ypres, the site of some of the bloodiest battles of the First World War. Nearly 100 pupils went on the day trip to the small Flemish market town in
GAZETTE & HERALD: Special forces spy Leah Mates broke down in tears this week as she told an employment tribunal of a catalogue of sexual abuse and harassment that has left her feeling suicidal and is forcing her out of the Army. Corporal Mates, who
AN Egyptology expert from Egypt is to come to Devizes to explain his theory that the ancient seat of the pharaohs at Luxor is the site of the Biblical Garden of Eden. Sayed Mahmoud Youseff, chief inspector of antiquities and head of documentation at Luxor
A fire at Gore Cross Farm near West Lavington is likely to have cost farmer Simon Collins more than £100,000. Firefighters struggled to control the blaze, which broke out on Wednesday last week at about 6.30pm. High winds fanned flames that threatened
TOWN councillor Judy Coom has started a petition to object to a plan to build shops on the central car park in Devizes, with the expected loss of up to 158 parking spaces. Mrs Coom, who owns Upstairs Downstairs antique centre in the Market Place, said
THE future regeneration of Devizes could be in jeopardy without a new town manager, a town councillor has claimed. Coun Ray Taylor told the Devizes Development Partnership's annual meeting last week: "The town is standing still without a town centre manager
A FAMILY of six escaped without serious injury after a fire broke out at their home in Potterne. Gary Gaynor, 44, his partner Lyn, 38, and their four children will not be able to live in their converted bungalow I Highlands for several weeks due to considerable
MARLBOROUGH College is among a list of private schools which have broken competition laws by sharing their plans for fee rises, the Office Of Fair Trading has said. The OFT criticised 50 independent schools in a provisional ruling, including Eton, Harrow
David Lukens Picture Ref: 100124-33AMATEUR wordsmith David Lukens reckons most people have a novel in them. And he's already written two, although he has yet to send them off to publishers. Now the married father-of-three, of High Street, in Wootton Bassett
THERE is still time to sponsor a light on this year's Tree of Thought. The tree gives families the chance to celebrate absent loved ones. For £5 people can sponsor a Christmas tree light at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Village to remember a lost loved
WHAT is thought to be the ghost of a 12th century damsel, bricked up in a wall at Devizes Castle by her angry father, has appeared in a photograph taken by Land Registry surveyor Mike Crawshaw. Mr Crawshaw visited Moat Cottage, part of the 19th century
RESEARCH into a species of bird has been boosted by co-operation between the Cotswold Water Park and a local company. The Cotswold Water Park Ringing Group has been studying the pied wagtails that gather for a mass winter roost at the Masterblock site
PLANS to rebuild a petrol station in Dorcan have been thrown out by councillors. Esso wanted to demolish the petrol station on Dorcan Way and replace it with a new redesigned forecourt and building including a caf. Several residents and Stratton St Margaret
Norman Merritt discovered the Roman coins, top (17802/3)A HOARD of Roman coins will be the subject of a treasure trove inquest in Devizes tomorrow. Metal detectorist Norman Merritt, of West Lavington, unearthed 73 Roman coins while he was searching fields
RANGERS in Swindon are holding a remembrance event at the Radnor Street Cemetery this Sunday. At noon they will lay a poppy wreath and will also hold a two-minute silence. Afterwards volunteers are invited to help with the rejuvenation of the site. The
A START could be made on the multi-million pound golf resort at Tottenham House in Savernake Forest in the New Year after a last planning hurdle has been overcome. Kennet district councillors voted 12-1 in favour of the development in May, subject to
THE RIVERBANK Project in Marlborough is holding a film night to raise funds. The Kennet Valley Arts Trust was recently granted planning permission for a new theatre in Marlborough and has now set about trying to find an estimated £4.5m to turn the dream
A STRATTON mother and toddler group is looking for new members. The baby and toddler group meets at St Margaret's Centre, on Kenwin Close on Wednesday and Friday mornings between 10am and 11.30am. Sessions cost £1.50 per visit but the first session is
SWINDON police are appealing for witnesses after two elderly women were burgled in the Blackman Gardens area within three days. The first burglary happened last Saturday between 10am and 12.30pm. A large amount of cash was stolen. It is believed that
JEWELLERY and cash worth nearly £2,000 was stolen from a house in Exmouth Street in Swindon. The burglary took place between 12pm and 5.30pm on Monday. Anyone with any information should contact PC Nick Bishop at Swindon Police on 01793 528111 or Crimestoppers
RESIDENTS near the County Ground face another wait before redevelopment plans are revealed. At a meeting South Swindon Labour MP Anne Snelgrove, Labour representative Bob Wright and Coun Peter Mallinson (Lab, Walcot) discussed the outline proposals for
SWINDON residents are being given a chance to quiz councillors before meetings. Under Swindon Council's constitution, members of the public have the right to ask questions at the start of meetings but there is limited time for them to do so and strict
SCHOOL children in Swindon need protecting from the 24 hour society, a MP has warned. Round-the-clock shopping is leading to pupils staying out too late and affecting their education, Anne Snelgrove said. The MP for South Swindon attended a seminar in
PEOPLE on low incomes that have no heating system are being encouraged to apply for a grant from a council- backed initiative. Swindon Care and Repair are offering money to people who live in the Swindon council area to put a heating system in their homes
POLICE in North Wiltshire are warning householders about a door-to-door raffle scam. Two men have been spotted knocking on doors selling raffle tickets which they claim are to raise funds for the RSPCA. But the animal charity says the raffle is nothing
THE Home Office has confirmed the Wiltshire Constabulary will be abolished under restructuring of the police force in the region. The Home Secretary Charles Clarke has written to Wiltshire Police to say that it will either become part of a new regional
A WHEELCHAIR bound man who admitted possessing child porn has escaped being sent to jail. John Everitt, 42, of Crawford Close, Freshbrook, pleaded guilty to seven charges relating to indecent images at Swindon Magistrates Court last month. Everitt, who
National Adoption Week aims to highlight the need to find loving homes for thousands of children. Victoria Ashford asks Coun Garry Perkins how people apply to be parents "GIVE a child a better life," is the message from the Swindon Family Placement Team
Michael Titcombe of Michael's Workwear, Gorse HillTRADERS in Gorse Hill claim they are dying a slow death due to competition from a supermarket giant. Some in Cricklade Road blame nearby Tesco, which has recently expanded, for the slow trade. Others blame
TONY Blair's Government is today reeling after controversial anti-terrorism plans were crushed by MPs. The Prime Minister suffered his first defeat since sweeping to power in 1997 after failing to win support for proposals to lock up suspects for up to
AMANDA Ponting landed herself in court after ringing the emergency services and hurling abuse at them. The 34-year-old from Kerrs Way, Wroughton, admitted being drunk in Swindon town centre on Monday night when she decided to ring 999 from her mobile
Salt Way Primary School pupils and their parents protest against the proposed closureSHAW Ridge Primary School could be knocked down and rebuilt under the latest plans for West Swindon schools. But Salt Way Primary now seems doomed with Swindon Council
When his wife left him when his daughter was five, Steve (not his real name), a 48-year-old car mechanic from Swindon didn't realise he would face a battle with the Child Support Agency. He tells his story to LYNDSAY SCANLAN "MY ex-wife left me for another
SO Nick Martin is concerned about benefit claimants? If the council was that concerned, they would never have privatised the service in the first place and would now stop Liberata from moving these jobs up north. The way staff have been treated is appalling
WITH regard to your news article regarding Sergeant Andy Fortune's comments about drivers being careful at the M4 junction 16 roundabout, I am surprised that there are not more accidents. What Sergeant Fortune did not mention was that there is no indication
I WAS amazed to read the attack on the Vegetarian Society in the Adver. Does Shirley Mathias live in the 19th century? Why would responsible parents want to feed their children items containing animal parts when there are healthy alternatives available
HAVING been a city and town dwellers for more than 75 years my wife Beryl and I have found Utopia, heaven, real people, good friendly neighbours and volunteers operating our Blunsdon shop a heaven of delights and happy, friendly staff who serve, and care
RUMOURS of my confusion have been greatly exaggerated (SA, Letter, Festive tune? Not till later, Oct 28). Where was Brunel Centre director Nick Beaumont-Jones on October 20 at about 5.45pm? I was at Cafe Revive in Marks & Spencer listening to Paul
SWINDON Borough Council has now employed a large number of traffic wardens who will be patrolling all parking zones and issuing tickets up to 10pm. If you return home to find nowhere left to park except on double-yellows, you will run the risk of being
I see that the district council is to decide on December 1 whether to accept Malmesbury Town Council's plan to save the Town Hall. In principal, I agree that every effort should be made to retain the fabric of the Town Hall, but so far no information
Having recently been a patient in the Brunel Treatment Centre at the Great Western Hospital (Aldbourne Ward), I would like to thank the surgeon, doctors and nurses and the rest of the staff for the excellent attention which I received after a knee operation
May we thank the Scout Association members of George Lane, Marlborough, for their excellent and safe firework display on Saturday evening. Thankfully the expected rain did not materialise and a good time was had by all. Remembering the past bonfires held
The Devizes branch of the British Heart Foundation would like to thank all who attended our recent quiz night at the Bell on the Green where we raised just under £200. We hope to see you all at our next event. S A Jones (Mrs) Secretary of the Devizes
GAZETTE & HERALD: A Christmas Carol Concert raising money to promote friendship between young people in Chippenham, France and Germany will take place at the Cause Music and Arts Centre on Thursday December 9. The event has been organised by Karin
I agree with everything said by Gil Brookes (Gazette & Herald, November 3). Could I, though, correct one important point? Remembrance Day is not on November 13. Remembrance Day is Armistice Day, November 11, thus the famous '11th hour of the 11th
I, like thousands of other children, was an evacuee during the Second World War. I lived in Stitchings Lane, Hilcott, for six years with two caring and lovely people. I am in the process of making a picture story of my life during that time, and consequently
I have just read both Nigel Carter's letter and Jill Crooks' article (November 3) concerning Gillespies' proposals for the so-called revitalisation in Devizes. The sums simply do not add up. Central car park is almost always full with cars cruising round
My wife and I have lived in Bromham for the last 25 years and we have read with interest that the local authority has once again engaged consultants to determine the way ahead for the rejuvenation of Devizes town centre. Why ask strangers to do what local
November 11 follows hard on the heels of November 5 and, if the area in which I live is anything to go by, it'll be an awfully long time before the kids tire of letting off fireworks. For the men in the trenches in 1918, it must have seemed unconscionably
Hoover the dog, who was recovering from an operation on his foot, has been missing since the weekend and owner Malcolm Gingell fears that he may have suffered due to the fireworks (17798/10)GAZETTE & HERALD: MALCOLM and Maureen Gingell have been desperately
Kenny Baker prepares to start signing autographs, watched by organiser Gary Errill and his son Jordan, right (17760/6)GAZETTE & HERALD: Stars Wars fans turned out in their hundreds on Saturday to meet film star Kenny Baker, who played robot R2D2 in
GAZETTE & HERALD: SATURDAY saw a bumper crowd cram into Hardenhuish Park in anticipation of yet another cup upset as Chippenham Town hosted higher-league Worcester City in their first FA Cup First Round match for 54 years. An hour before kick off
Springboard manager Jane Cross, centre with young Oscar and staff (17789/6)GAZETTE & HERALD: STAFF and children at Springboard, the Gazette's adopted charity, are preparing for the biggest day in its 28-year history after it was revealed Camilla,
GAZETTE & HERALD: TWENTY-FOUR more affordable houses will be built at Corsham's Pockeredge Farm estate after council bosses agreed to a £1 million grant. More than 100 affordable homes have now been secured at the site. The scheme caused controversy
GAZETTE & HERALD: THE Duke of Cumberland in Corsham, reputedly the oldest pub in the county, has been turned into a completely smoke-free venue. The new landlady Val Hodge made the brave decision to ban smoking when she took over the pub six weeks
GAZETTE & HERALD: TEENAGER Philip Bartlett has been banned from driving for 19 months after admitting drink driving. Bartlett, 19, based at the Joint Services Unit in Corsham, was almost two times over the legal limit when stopped in Chippenham on
Lesley Bates meets Cranborne's very own time team and finds history in the making. DRIVE your car up the track beside Cranborne Middle School, park it beside the wooden building at the top and then leave the 21st Century behind. Paying a visit to the
PEOPLE disposing of bulk waste are being encouraged to club together with their neighbours to cut the cost of council collection. At a meeting on Thursday, North Wiltshire District Council discussed a new charge restructure and how items are defined.
Chippenham Without Parish Council has slammed North Wiltshire District Council for its plans to bring Cepen Park into Chippenham Town, which would oblige residents to pay as much council tax as other Chippenham households. As present, people living in
THE final plans are being laid for Christmas events in Pewsey and Marlborough at which their seasonal lights will be switched on. The Marlborough Traditional Street Fair, formerly a Victorian fair, will be on Thursday December 1 starting at 6pm. Pewsey's
Green guru Jonathon Porritt spent a day inspiring and advising at North Wiltshire District Council on Friday after councillors Doreen Darby and Carol O'Gorman won his services in a quiz. Mr Porritt, a leading writer, broadcaster and commentator on sustainable
Jake the Staffordshire terrier takes another sniff of the piece of pipe he bit through while getting a comforting cuddle from owner Paul Dowse (17801/7)STAFFORDSHIRE terrier Jake caused the evacuation of a Pewsey pub on Saturday when he sank his teeth
POSTMEN and villagers in Pewsey are concerned that the village's Royal Mail sorting office could close. It would mean the postmen and women having to travel eight miles to sort their mail and then return to Pewsey to deliver it. The Royal Mail confirmed
Parents and teachers have launched a £2,000 fundraising project to buy new fiction books for children at Crudwell School. Supported by The Friends of Crudwell School, it is planned to buy new furniture for the school library, as well as helping children
A comedy gig in Oaksey this weekend could raise hundreds of pounds to help victims of natural disasters proving that laughter is the best medicine. Comedian Dominic Holland hopes to entertain people in Oaksey Village Hall on Saturday, from 9pm, with his
Sue Webb, Malmesbury's ex-deputy town clerk, has thanked the community for their support during her 16 years of service to the town council. Mrs Webb, from Haddon's Close in Malmesbury, resigned from the town council at the end of August. During her 16
An incredible 121 potential millionaires live in the pretty little village of Oaksey, according to a survey by the private bank Coutts & Co but Lord Oaksey says he is not one of them The bankers also reckon a 70 millionaire residents live in Great
Historian Bob Browning highlights the romantic inscription on a beam that has surfaced after 50 years 17792/1/11The discovery of a 50-year-old romantic inscription has sparked a flood of loving memories for widow Margaret Hazzard, a former worker at a
Christine and Neil Hamilton (17764/11)A DESCENDENT of one of the original gunpowder plot conspirators has watched a 20ft model of the Houses of Parliament burnt to cinders. Four hundred years ago, Robert Catesby and Guy Fawkes's plot to blow up the Houses
Malmesbury potter Clive King with his plaque and mug for Springboard (17791/1)STAFF and children at Springboard, the Gazette's adopted charity, are preparing for the biggest day in its 28-year history after it was revealed Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall
Show hosts Jessica Ridgwell and Jake Chard (17804/07)Sixth formers at Wootton Bassett School will tonight be polishing their performances in time for next week's opening night of the school cabaret. So far about 15 acts have signed up for the theatrical
A SWINDON courier firm has entered into an agreement with another courier network to offer a state-of-the-art service. Road Runners has joined with Klicka Couriers, of Peterborough, to ensure customers no longer have to pay a premium for the pick-up and
TRAVELLERS on First Great Western trains can get into the festive spirit with the launch of their Christmas menu next week. The festive food will be served on the operator's Pullman fine dining restaurant carriages from Monday, November 14 until Friday
RETAILERS in Swindon are feeling the pinch from weak sales. Figures from the CBI, compiled from across the Thames Valley region, have revealed that for the fifth month running retail sales volumes are well down on a year ago. Retailers are currently hoping
MORE than 200 soldiers from 12 (Mechanised) Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron based at Bulford were at a special service at Bulford Garrison Church last Friday to remember their 12 colleagues killed while on service in Iraq. The first victim was
DISABLED Salisbury rugby player David Rhodes helped Great Britain to a gold medal at the recent European Champion-ships in Denmark. The 23-year-old from Netheravon, who broke his neck in an accident three years ago, took up the sport at Stoke Mande-ville
Thirty new jobs will be available when extension work at Wootton Bassett-based Miranda House Care Home is completed later this month making it the largest elderly mentally infirm nursing unit in Wiltshire. The care home, near the Catholic Church on the
Wootton Bassett's new look carnival team is plotting and planning for next year's celebrations as ideas pour forth into the bubbling melting pot. The ten-strong carnival team gathered last week for a brainstorming session after the town gave newly appointed
Union leaders and MP James Gray were this week united in their battle to stop Malmesbury Hospital being turned into a private nursing home. Unison steward Roger Davey believes the health plans for the town will turn the clock back to pre-NHS times as
BIDDESTONE returned from their 300-mile round trip to Saltash United with a point, although disappointed not to get all three. Biddestone created numerous chances against their hosts but failed to put them away on Saturday. Manager Graham Learmonth said
PLAYER-MANAGER Robbie Lardner praised the character of his Calne side after they bounced back from their 5-0 hiding the previous week with a 5-1 away win at Exmouth Town on Saturday. Calne's players and management team had vowed to return to winning ways
MALMESBURY Victoria managed to hold table-topping Winterbourne United for an hour before shipping in four goals as they succumbed to a third straight league defeat. Malmesbury should have been given a penalty in the first minute when Ben Fitch knocked
MELKSHAM Town kept their first clean sheet in seven games as they beat Barnstaple Town at The Conigre on Saturday. Manager Kelvin Highmore admitted he was "delighted with a 1-0 win" after seeing his side see off the challenge of their Toolstation rivals
CORSHAM Town manager Colin Bush said his side wiped away his pain from their FA Vase defeat with two strong performances in the last week. After drawing away to high-flying Brislington, Corsham hosted a strong Bristol Manor Farm team on Saturday with
ST JOSEPH'S is a good school and everyone there knows it. That's according to headteacher Peter Wells, who is not happy with the school's recent Ofsted inspection, which said the school is providing a satisfactory level of education. Last time the school
DRIVERS are being asked how fast they want to travel along one of Swindon's most used roads. Around 25,000 cars drive along Great Western Way every day but since a temporary speed limit was introduced on one stretch last year they have been forced to
Adam Beasant, 13 Picture REf: 100130-37TEENAGER Adam Beasant is hoping to become the next dot.com millionaire tycoon. Adam, a 13 year-old delivery boy for the Advertiser, has set up his own worldwide website in a bid to break into the Guinness Book of
SWINDON residents are being warned to be on their guard against identity thieves. The advice comes after a man was seen opening bin bags in the Abbey Meads area on Monday night. It is believed he may have been looking for discarded utility bills or bank
GAZETTE & HERALD: CALNE Town Council will have no representation at next year's North Wiltshire Festival after refusing to pay the £3,000 needed. The council believes the money would be better spent on Calne, possibly with the town's own festival.
GAZETTE & HERALD: DRAMA students from The John Bentley School travelled to New York over half term to experience life on Broadway. The school took 50 pupils, aged 14 to 19, to the Big Apple to take part in drama workshops held in the world famous
GAZETTE & HERALD: A SECURITY guard in war-torn Iraq is to move his family out of Calne after its members became the latest victims of a growing yob culture affecting the town. The man, who wished to remain anonymous, said he would fear for his family
Youngsters from White Horse Juniors with club secretary Ross Allking (17729/3NW)GAZETTE & HERALD: Sport in Calne is set to undergo major changes if funding for the project can be won. GORDON SIMPSON looks at the background. THE face of sport in Calne
ENTERTAINMENT will be a feature of this year's Devizes Christmas Festival, taking place in the town centre on Friday November 25. Among the street performers will be Sugar and Plum, two greedy fairies and an Ice Queen on stilts accompanied by her friend
KENNET District Council has defended a decision not to close Thursday's market in Devizes despite claims high winds made conditions dangerous. Trader Bob Green, who runs a dried fruit stall, said: "Things got so bad that 12 traders pulled off but Kennet
VIDEO shop proprietor Gordon Terrell was this week increasing security after determined thieves stole a safe with more than £900 in it. The raiders tore up slates to break in through the roof behind Supreme Movies in St John's Street, Devizes, on Sunday
EPILEPTIC Nicola Wade lay dead in her flat for almost a month, an inquest heard. Wiltshire Coroner David Masters heard Miss Wade, 28, had suffered from epilepsy since she was a teenager but despite that insisted on living an independent life away from
ANGRY parish councillors in Aldbourne are hoping to root out the person responsible for cutting down trees by the village allotments without asking the council for permission. The council leases the allotments field from Sarsen. At the side of the field
ROTARIANS in the Marlborough and district club have donated £1,000 towards an appeal to supply emergency homes for the earthquake victims in Kashmir. The Rotary International Shelterbox scheme, which proved so successful in the aftermath of the tsunami
A SUPPORT group for women is hoping to be the pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. Rainbow Ministries, a group for women desperately seeking someone to talk to, is holding its first support seminar at the Pilgrim Centre, on Regent Circus today at
LAST year's Marlborough Rotary Club president Gordon Spiller died on Tuesday at Swindon's Great Western Hospital. He was 64. Mr Spiller had been admitted to the hospital with suspected pneumonia at the weekend. The father-of-two who lived in London Road
ROCK star Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, who features in today's Life supplement, is urging Swindon people to support a charity dinner that will be the town's biggest Asian meal. Curry and entertainment will be served up to 500 people at the Punjabi Community
The pupils at Urchfont celebrate the good news (17782/02)THE village school at Urchfont, near Devizes, is even better than it thinks it is, says its latest Ofsted report. The inspection team, which descended on the 107-pupil school last month, found aspects
Pupils and headteacher Malcolm Irons show their delight after an Ofsted inspection, held at just two days' notice, found improving standards and a caring atmosphere at the school (17773/1DV)STAFF at Devizes School are basking in the glow of a report from
TOWN councillors in Marlborough have been ordered to read up on their own code of conduct to avoid further accusations of improper behaviour. This was part of the decision by an appeals tribunal that cleared Coun Marian Hannaford of an allegation of impropriety
Danger signs adorn the walls of the fire ravaged home, warning people to keep away, but work is already under way to get the cottage restored and inset, Sara Burton (17781/2)ARTIST Sara Burton is determined that her 17th century cottage in Bulkington,
COUNCILLORS have gone against advice to allow a Wanborough woman to build a driveway for her house. Swindon Council's planning department thought Mrs L Daltrey's plans for 13 Church Road should be refused because they would damage the special architectural
THOUSANDS of tourists who have viewed Silbury Hill over the last four and a half years, have probably been unaware of the crisis over its long term stability. From the ground the huge grass mound looks much the same as it has in recent centuries. But
POLICE are investigating whether a hunt which took place near Devizes was illegal after a couple claimed hounds chased a fox throug their garden . Ron and Pat Thomas said they saw a fox being chased by about 20 hounds through their garden by the Avon
THE friends of St Catherine's Catholic School will be holding a sale to raise cash for the school. The car boot and table top sale at the Upper Stratton school will be held on Saturday, November 12 from 11am to 3pm. Sellers can arrive from 10am. Car boot
GREAT crested newts will be protected when hundreds of homes are built in North Swindon. Detailed plans for 194 homes in Haydon End, which had already been approved in principle, were given the go-ahead by Swindon Council's planning committee on Tuesday
VETS from across the country descended on the Blunsdon House Hotel in aid of the charity VetAid. A hundred vets and veterinary nurses attended and enjoyed a meal and dancing with local band Locomotion providing the entertainment. The evening was made
Horse whisperer Gary Witheford tends to injured foal Rioja, who was left fighting for life in the slash attack. (17749/1)Horse slashers have struck again at horse whisperer Gary Witheford's stables at Burbage leaving a six-month-old foal fighting for
COTSWOLD Water Park will be helping to sow the seeds of interest in nature among the fertile minds of our youth. Children and adults are welcome to take part in a Seed Safari on Saturday at Keynes Park. There will be a chance to collect seeds and make
AGE Concern Swindon's most travelled wheelchair returned home this week after a trip through the Panama Canal. The director of Age Concern Swindon, Jo Osorio, said: "A local family had arranged a trip to South America and happily an older family member
BRAINIACS still have a chance to get their hands on tickets for a quiz with a difference. The Rotary Club of Swindon Old Town is hosting the event later this month. And there will be more than £1,000 worth of prizes up for grabs. The contest will also
TEACHERS have the chance to learn about phonetics at a conference on Friday. Two experienced teachers who have been using phonetics to teach literacy will be on hand to demonstrate to Swindon teachers how it works. Former Ofsted director Jim Rose is currently
Katie Wicks, 3A THREE-YEAR-OLD girl was collecting eggs in a henhouse when she was amazed to find one with her initial on it. Katie Wicks was helping out at the Swindon and District Animal Haven in Wootton Bassett when she made the unusual discovery.
A SWINDON peer's controversial bid to allow doctors to help terminally-ill people to die has been introduced in the House of Lords. Lord Joffe's Bill has been rejigged since it was last considered by the upper chamber in October. The legislation now advocates
A BEAUTY and massage salon is offering reduced rate therapies but the process might make your hair curl. This week the Consol Suncenter in Gorse Hill is offering Swindonians the chance to indulge in a range of beauty treatments to raise money for Children
A TAXI driver has appeared in court charged with the kidnap and rape of a young woman. Timothy Harris, 38, of Penhill, pleaded not guilty to one count of rape, and one count of kidnap during yesterday's hearing at Swindon Magistrates court. Both offences
REPAIRS are needed to 55 gravestones, Wroughton churchyard's annual inspection has found. And about a dozen tombstones have had to be laid down to prevent them from falling over. Cannon Michael Johnson, vicar of Wroughton Parish Church, said most of the
PUBS and clubs are being asked to put up posters advertising their opening hours as new licensing laws come into force. On November 24 the controversial Licensing Act which allows for 24-hour opening becomes law. But in Swindon only two venues have been
Ethan Harvey at the Rodbourne Cheney Pram Club with mum Lisa Picture Ref: 100120-10MUMS and toddlers in Rodbourne Cheney have used their artistic talents to raise cash for a charity close to their hearts. Members of the Pram Club at Rodbourne Cheney Baptist
Re: Scott Watson. CAN'T be expected to remember to put by the fare he needs. Oh dear, what hardship. I feel sorry for him. We oldies remember and we have a good bus service too. P CARTER Harber Court Swindon
WITH reference to Councillor Thompson's letter published November 8. It appears that he has forgotten about the Swindon electorate, that he is supposed to represent 2,000 of whom have written to the council to object and a further 26,000 have signed a
May I attempt to reach those responsible for organising public events and in particular those associated with organising the event in Crudwell last Saturday evening. This is one date that I am now not likely to forget in a hurry. As we are, supposedly
Further to the letter from Mr J Parsons (November 3), he hit the right spot with his comments regarding the traffic chaos in Calne. However, this is not the complete reason for the decline of Calne as a town and its amenities. The butcher, the baker and
The European Commission, with the active consent of the Government, has begun to licence the growing of genetically modified crops in Europe. This means that unless the public say that this is unacceptable, both farming and food grown in Wiltshire will
I am currently in the process of completing a book regarding Swindon Town Football Club and am especially keen to obtain information for the period 1945 to 1955 and in particular the football programmes for those years. I will return any material lent
GAZETTE & HERALD: Widower Jack Konynenberg is working on a grand design for a ground-breaking 21st century town centre home in a bid to create a new life for himself after the tragic death of his wife Vicki in February this year. Mrs Konynenburg,
GAZETTE & HERALD: A CASH boost, totalling over £1.8 million, will be injected into a bus service in Chippenham next year. The money will be invested in Service 55, which connects the town with Swindon, over three years. It is expected that the Monday
CHIPPENHAM Rugby Club coach Rob Alford said the club would fight all the way to Twickenham if Clevedon's appeal against their defeat is accepted by the South West Appeal's Committee. The dispute comes from their match on October 22, which saw Chippenham
GAZETTE & HERALD: Chippenham Arts Festival 2005 kicks off on Saturday, bringing two colourful weeks of art, drama and music for all the family. This year the festival has some new events including its first ever poetry slam and a special family creative
GAZETTE & HERALD: THE rope rescue team from Chippenham Fire Station was called to help an elderly man who collapsed in a bell tower at Westbury Church on Tuesday night. The man, who was in his 70s, was thought to have suffered a stroke during bell
The new millennium does not seem to have added any sparkle to Devizes Town planners. We are yet again given the same old ideas on filling in open spaces with more housing and building more shops that have no requirement in Devizes without a much more
GAZETTE & HERALD: STRESSFUL traffic jams spilling from Chippenham's Borough Parade car park could become a thing of the past with a £228,000 plan. At a meeting last Thursday, North Wiltshire District Councillors agreed to refurbish and revise the
