Archive

  • Vicar has earned our sympathies

    Upper Stratton vicar the Reverend Carol Stone finally faced the world today and spoke of her relief at having undergone a sex change. It was the culmination of a lifelong dream for the 46-year-old, born Peter Stone, a twice married father-of-one. Ever

  • Chairman Brady blasts players for ruining his dream

    TERRY BRADY has issued a blistering attack on his players, claiming they are killing his dream of turning Swindon Town into a footballing power. He was so disgusted with Saturday's performance that he nearly walked out at half-time. The dismal 3-0 defeat

  • Set your video

    HOW many councillors watched Sir David Attenborough on the State of the Planet on BBC1, Wednesday night? If they did not please get a video of it before making a final decision on the Front Garden. Can they see how they are going to destroy plants and

  • Hayward treble brings first win joy to villages' side

    Minors League: In the under 11A league a Hayward hat trick earned Shrivenham & Watchfield their first points of the season with a 3-1 win over Eastville Boys. This lifted them of the bottom of the table. Eastville scored through Pike. A super display

  • Going a long way to meet up with old school friends

    A transatlantic voyage has proved the catalyst for the first ever reunion of pupils from a Swindon school. It's being organised for people who were in the seniors at Pinehurst School between the years 1958 and 1962/63. Swindon born George Dykas, who now

  • Lucky escape for driver as lorry overturns

    A lorry driver had a lucky escape when his vehicle overturned on the A4361 near Wroughton Science Museum. Two ambulances, a response car, three fire crews and police were called after being told he was trapped inside. But he managed to free himself and

  • Lack of money closes Railway Village Museum for the winter

    Steam is to temporarily close the town's Railway Village Museum as part of its latest attempt to save money. It will free up £5,000 for the financially crippled attraction which is facing losses of up to £1 million because of poor visitor numbers and

  • Jury hears of sword battle

    Lunchtime shoppers looked on in horror as a group of Kosovans with weapons including a Samurai sword battled in the town centre, a jury has been told. The group from the former Balkans are said to have fought in the precinct around Regent Street while

  • A new lease of life

    Vicar Carol Stone prepared to face the world today just a few months after having a sex change operation. Talking exclusively to the Evening Advertiser ahead of a press conference, the 46-year-old said she has been given a new beginning. "What I have

  • Sorry Bart's hands held up

    Bart Griemink was in downcast mood after his goalkeeping blunder sealed Town's defeat on Saturday. The Dutchman's shanked clearance ballooned vertically into the air and presented visiting striker Kyle Lightbourne with an unmissable opportunity to score

  • Making best of waste lands

    This is where the rubbish goes. Every black bag, crisp packet and old cardboard box thrown away in Swindon gets sent here. When the rubbish arrives it gets compacted and ploughed into this massive hole in the ground. This is Chapel Farm, a waste disposal

  • At last! Labour group finally meets minister

    A North Wiltshire Labour party group finally got to meet education minister David Blunkett. Two previous attempts to meet Mr Blunkett were cancelled once because of a motorway accident and the second time because Paddington station was closed. This time

  • On the catwalk for the main event

    MEMBERS of the Wiltshire Womens' Institute took to the catwalk on Monday for the group's main event of the year. Women from across the county came along for the WI fashion show which was held at the Ellendune Centre in Wroughton. With more than 180 people

  • A sad day for town

    November 25 was an extremely sad day in the history of Swindon. Yet another area of Swindon's green and pleasant countryside has been lost to the developers at the expense of our quality of life. Many people, including my wife and I, enjoy walks in that

  • It's a swamp

    THE idiotic decision by Swindon Council over the Front Garden is beyond belief. Councillors who voted FOR should be compelled to live in houses built on that swamp. Croft Road is built on springs and streams, people have found freshwater shrimps when

  • A reek of hypocrisy

    SWINDON has been ill served by its council which voted on Thursday to build on the Front Garden. Not only was the decision wrong in every way, but the manner of taking it distasteful. To some of us in the public seating, the tone of many of the speakers

  • Somewhere to go for support

    The North Swindon Family Centre was officially opened by TV actress Belinda Lang yesterday, and should prove a lifeline for parents at times of stress. As the actress said, no-one teaches you to be a parent, you learn as you go along. And many parents

  • New energy source for EMI CD factory

    WILTSHIRE'S EMI factory has changed from electricity to Ecotricity a new form of renewable energy. All of its CDs at the manufacturing plant in Penny Lane, Swindon, will now be produced using green energy sources. It is believed EMI, one of the world's

  • Muppets sunk in 12-goal thriller:

    Leisure Leagues: Southside continue to lead the division after a 7-5 win over The Muppets. Muppets dropped into seventh. GK Stone moved up into second place after they completed a 10-3 win over LNJ Mechanical Services who are in ninth place in the table

  • Eight survive downpours

    Skurrays wiltshire League: Yet another Skurrays Wiltshire League programme was ruined by waterlogged grounds, with just eight games surviving the soggy conditions. Wiltshire League fixture secretary Philip Cook said: "Despite all the recent postponed

  • Greyhound slump to first defeat in two years

    Honda Logistics Swindon Sunday League: Division One champions Greyhound lost their first game in two years, going down 1-0 against The Globe. Steve Shaw hit the winner in the 80th minute, and 17-year-old goalkeeper Lee Jefferies saved a penalty to wrap

  • Hard labour at the Gulag

    Swindon and District League: Division Two leaders Moredon Gulag crashed to their first defeat of the season at home to Swindon Eagles. The game was one of only a handful to survive the monsoon-like weather. Eagles cruised to a 5-0 victory, with Stuart

  • Join In the spirit of this year's season of giving

    A SPECIAL delivery from Santa Claus would be a welcome present for children and staff at Koalas Swindon Opportunity Group. This is just one of several organisations hoping for some seasonal generosity from This is Wiltshire readers during this year's

  • Top artists' work to be presented to schools

    Pupils from three Swindon primary schools are to receive exclusive framed reproductions of paintings by famous artists. The pictures, by David Hockney, Thomas Gainsbor-ough, Howard Hodgkin and Jan Van Eyck, will soon be hanging in the Swindon schools.

  • Clamping down on drink drivers

    Swindon police have launched a hard hitting campaign to cut the number of drink related road traffic accidents. They hope to continue their success of recent years, which has seen the number of drivers testing positive nationally fall from 20 per cent

  • TV star opens NSPCC family centre

    Television actress Belinda Lang was in Swindon for the official opening of the NSPCC'S purpose built North Swindon Family Centre. Belinda, who plays Bill in the BBC1 comedy 2Point4 Children, cut a celebratory cake to mark the opening of the centre in

  • We are not a good side

    TOWN boss Andy King said that he will be bringing in a new face for this week's trip to Northampton after his side's dismal defeat against Stoke. He said: " It's my job as a manager that if I don't think it is good enough then I'll make changes. "There

  • Mayor's classy visit

    Piupils at St Mary's RC Primary School were delighted to hear stories of how the Mayor's macebearer is allowed to use his mace to stop people getting to the mayor. The Mayor, Coun Arthur Archer and his mayoress wife Doris, visited the school to talk to

  • Planting a lot of hope

    A group of youngsters from Swindon made their way to the town's bus station at the crack of dawn yesterday for the start of a journey of a lifetime. The ten strong group of teenagers will spend three weeks helping the people of Swindon's twin town in

  • Yule just love this carnival!

    A festive carnival has become a regular Christmas cracker on Swindon's social calendar. The growing popularity of the event is good news for both Swindon's image and prosperity. Bernie Maguire, town centre manager, said: "We continue to provide something

  • Awash with baked beans

    Dave Evans admitted he enjoyed spending 24-hours sitting in a bath of beans to raise money for a good cause. The 34-year-old took up the challenge at Highworth Town football club to raise funds for 12-year-old Richard Hestor, who has cerebral palsy. Dave's

  • Quality awards for parcel firm

    Express delivery company DHL International(UK), which has a depot in Swindon, has scored two major quality accolades. The international express carrier, has become one of the first companies in the UK, and the first company in the UK air express industry

  • Video used to trap man found burning waste

    FINES amounting to £2,000 have been imposed on a Cricklade man found guilty of keeping and burning waste without a licence. The case was brought against Robert Cooper by the Environment Agency who had suspected him of polluting land at Hicksleaze in Cricklade

  • Sides should reach compromise

    While the passion of Terry King and the FRAG is well intended I am afraid that he has to face the facts that if the town wants to prosper his group must understand that in order to bring industry to the town, and workers, space must be found to accommodate

  • Money at the root of decision to allow scheme

    I am responding to E J Bailey's letter "Others suffer to give a few their view" in last night's (EA, November 22) issue. I live in Okus myself, and I cannot see the Front Garden from my house. Nor, I know, can Terry King. Mr Bailey totally misses the

  • Who will pay to take this to High Court?

    What do 30-100 people think they are doing for democracy, with their verbose leader, self elected Terry King, proclaiming that he's taking their fight to the High Court. Who is going to pay for this expensive and unnecessary action and what are their

  • Decision means mourning for countryside

    Having recently surveyed the beautiful countryside that is still earmarked for houses in the Northern Development area of Swindon, I can't help laughing at councillors' comments that they would plan differently now. It was predicted that this vast expanse

  • Noise and flooding will be problem

    Swindon Borough Council should reconsider its majority voting in regard to allowing housing developments on the Front Garden. It should give extra thought to seeing the completion of housing at Abbey Meads, the utter and complete usage of brownfield sites

  • People will not let this go ahead

    I ATTENDED a "flawed" debate in the Civic Offices (Thursday, November 23) when SBC voted for development of the Front Garden. May I be allowed to make a number of observations? Contributions to the debate from various councillors clearly indicated that