CHIPPENHAM town councillor Chris Gale is threatening to stand in front of the bulldozers in a battle with developers over the future of a piece of land off Rowden Lane, Chippenham. Developers Redcliffe Homes and Laing Homes have submitted a planning application
NURSE Mandy Palframan, who jumped into the freezing river in Chippenham, in January to save a suicidal man she spotted in the water while out shopping, received an award for her bravery from police yesterday. Officers said if it had not been for her actions
CHIPPENHAM residents are being invited to have their say in the shaping of town's future. Two sites to the north and south of the railway including the Westinghouse site, Wiltshire College and the livestock market in Cocklebury Road, totalling 90 acres
THOUSANDS of real ale enthusiasts met in Chippenham at the weekend to enjoy the 11th annual Chippenham Beer Festival. The event was organised by the North West Wiltshire branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. Two thousand people gathered at the Olympiad
KEEN swimmer Joseph Selman is preparing to go the distance for charity. Joseph, 12, of Malmesbury Road, Kington Langley, who is a pupil at St Gregory's Roman Catholic School in Bath, is in training for the Sharron Davies Mile Swim Challenge in aid of
PERSISTENT offender David Gascoigne has been warned he faces jail after he and an accomplice stole £1,105 worth of clothes from Jeanius clothing store in Chippenham's Borough Parade. Gascoigne, 24, of River Parade, Chippenham, appeared before North West
MOTORISTS are being asked to be tolerant while gas pipeline company Transco replaces a gas main in Chippenham. The ten-week, £90,000 project at Bumpers Way on the Bumpers Farm Industrial Estate involves replacing the old metal pipe with a plastic one.
LEISURE centre staff and paramedics battled in vain to save the life of 29-year-old gym regular Matthew Sperring after he collapsed while working out. He was exercising in the weight training area of the gym at The Olympiad, Chippenham, when he collapsed
TRADING Standards officers are concerned that people wanting a career in showbiz were being charged £150 by a management company to have their picture taken at the weekend. Sue Wilkin, senior consumer advisor with Wiltshire Trading Standards, says that
FOR every theft there is a victim. But what makes the theft of a scanner from Princess Margaret Hospital particularly despicable is that its victims are the most vulnerable you could imagine. They are people who are literally fighting for their lives.
CHIPPENHAM is bracing itself for a Viking invasion, more than a thousand years after the first Nordic hordes descended on the town. This weekend, Regia Anglorum will create a Viking camp in Monkton Park, for a three-day living history extravaganza, culminating
CHIPPENHAM Town manager Tommy Saunders is facing up to a summer of change at Hardenhuish Park after star men Nathan Rudge and James Bent turned down new deals to stay with the club. And Matt Rawlins, who has bagged 22 goals from right midfield this term
SMITH & Williamson, the independent financial services group with a branch in Salisbury, has opened an office in Southampton. The new office specialises in tax, audit, investigations, corporate finance and corporate recovery. Chris Appleton, managing
BUSINESS adviser George Trytsman is the new chairman of Salisbury & South Wiltshire Learning Partnership, the organisation that aims to deliver "all kinds of learning to all kinds of people throughout their lives". Mr Trytsman, who began his career
STAFF at Debenhams in Salisbury have been celebrating the company's success in scooping the Tommy's Most Parent Friendly Department Store award for 2002. The award recognises Debenhams' initiatives such as its unisex baby changing facilities. The store
GRAHAM and Kim Parsons, who had waited a month for repairs to be carried out on their new Land Rover Discovery, decided enough was enough on Thursday afternoon and staged a two-and-a-half hour sit-in at their dealership. Hyams Autos in Malmesbury wanted
VANDALS urinated on PE equipment and defecated inside the old Filands site of Malmesbury School over the weekend in a £10,000 rampage. They broke in by breaking boarding at the school entrance between Friday afternoon and Monday morning. The school has
MALMESBURY will not be celebrating the Queen's jubilee. The town council confirmed that the only major event, which was being organised by the town's football club, has been cancelled because of a lack of cash. Edward Ferguson, town clerk said: "The football
PARISH councils may be considered by some to be irrelevant, powerless and out of touch but the simple truth of the matter is that villages would not function without them and many communities might have disappeared altogether without their intervention
MALMESBURY will enter the 2002 season without key overseas man BK Majumder after the recent clampdown on visas and work permits in India. The Wiltshire club had hoped to secure the services of the influential Majumder in time for Saturday's opener against
DEVIZES and Box tied their 40 overs a side friendly on Sunday. Devizes were reeling at 28 for three but recovered to 174, with a partnership of 94 from Mark Colyer (41) and Alex Muse (63). Crawford was the pick of the Box attack with six for 60. Box made
MAGIC, the Ford Motor Com-pany's Swindon-based information service for people with disabilities, is celebrating the fact that it has now assisted more than 200,000 people. Roger Putnam, the new chairman of Ford UK, who recently visited the MAGIC centre
SHOWJUMPING legend David Broome was in south Wiltshire last Friday at the inauguration of a new outdoor riding arena. Invited by Gerry Dunne, owner of Grovely riding school, Wilton, David passed on his expertise to groups of selected riders as he schooled
POPULAR Wootton Bassett GP Dr Bill Bliss, received an unusual retirement gift on Friday a classic car. The 1973 Humber Sceptre, was in immaculate condition, complete with MoT Dr Bliss, who has a passion for restoring and driving classic cars, said: "I
ACTRESS Marion Aspell knew the show had to go on evn though she was dripping blood all over the stage after a freak accident. The age-old adage said to thespians before going on stage is 'break a leg' but the leading lady in Wootton Bassett Light Operatic
MEMBERS of Wootton Bassett's Clarendon Players have paid tribute to comedian, pop star and actor Dave King who died recently. Mr King, who appeared as Clifford Duckworth in Coronation Street, became president of Clarendon Players when he moved to Wootton
NEXT week is Red Cross Week and the Wiltshire branch of the charity, based at the former site of St James Hospital in Devizes, will be organising events across the county. There will be street collections and Red Days at schools throughout Wiltshire when
A FORMER BT operator is organising a reunion in Chippenham for past friends and colleagues. Debbie Smart, 37, of Studley near Calne, worked at the British Telecommunications exchange in Chippenham from 1988 until 1992 when it closed down. Although the
PEWSEY Vale all but guaranteed the second promotion spot in the Hellenic League Division One West with a comfortable win over local rivals Shrivenham at the Recreation Ground on Tuesday night. Don Rogers' side are now three points clear of third placed
A TRAINEE soldier has been fined nearly £500 for vandalising a bus ticket machine and trying to use a forged £20 note in Devizes. The 16-year-old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is originally from Devizes but is currently more than half-way
PEWSEY Vale moved to within three points of the Hellenic League Premier Division on Saturday after drawing for the second time in little more than a month with third placed Winterbourne United. The home side, trailing Pewsey by five points at the start
DEVIZES is to open the Queen's jubilee celebrations on Monday June 3 with a royal walkabout. Her Majesty may not actually be appearing in person, but the town has found its own celebrity impersonator, Wharf Theatre actress Merrily Powell, to take on the
JOBLESS Ian Van Meir was so desperate for cash that he drove a known criminal to Melksham to steal a car stereo, only to be caught with the stereo after the other man did a runner, a court heard. Van Meir, 20, of Hartcliffe, in Bristol, pleaded guilty
MID-WILTSHIRE SUNDAY LEAGUE: JB LIONS ensured a third placed finish with a 7-1 win over nine-man Netheravon in their final game of the season. The visitors began the game two players short and paid the penalty ten minutes before the interval when Mick
MARKET Lavington and Erlestoke are to compete for the first time in the Wiltshire Best Kept Village competition, helping to swell the entry to 78. The contest is organised by the Wiltshire branch of the Council for the Protection of Rural England with
SKURRAY'S WILTSHIRE LEAGUE: TOP game in the Junior Division was at Wroughton, where the home side ruined Wootton Bassett United's hopes of going through the season undefeated, beating them 3-0. Bassett had gone 30 games with just four matches to play
SCARECROWS have taken over two Wiltshire villages as they stage festivals for the corny characters. In Kington Langley, residents surpassed themselves at the weekend in the village's second annual Scarecrow Weekend. Based on a royal theme, the weekend
DR MARTENS LEAGUE: JIMMY Fraser ensured Chippenham Town's fairy tale season ended in triumph as his late volley clinched a win on the Bluebirds' final day trip on Saturday. The promoted visitors had taken an early lead through Matt Rawlins, only for Carl
WASTE firm Hills has been told to clean up its flies or face further action. The Environment Agency served a compliance notice on the company last week after an investigation revealed an infestation of flies at its Compton Basset site. Paul Scotford,
DEVIZES Town all but cemented a top five Premier Division finish for themselves after Dave Hopkins' winner ended Bridgwater Town's long unbeaten run at Nursteed Road on Saturday 27 April. Brian Newlands' side, who won 12 of their final 16 matches to move
A FOURTH person has been arrested in connection with the alleged fraud on the TV programme Who Wants to be a Millionaire, said to involve a man from Easterton, near Devizes. Last week Metropolitan police interviewed a 35-year-old man, who has not been
MARLBOROUGH brothers Max, Harry and Tom Etheridge all tasted the bitter pill of defeat in their respective cup finals on Sunday 28 April. Parents John and Christine faced a race against time to see all three of their sons in action, with two of the games
YOUTH FOOTBALL: FC CHIPPENHAM have clinched the championship of the under 16s Blue Division of the Wiltshire Times and News Mid-Wilts Youth and Minor League. They beat title rivals Croft Juniors 2-0 in a title decider on Sunday. Both sides battled against
A SCHOOL football team is set to represent England in an international tournament. Pupils from Bradon Forest School in Purton were runners up in the English Schools Football Association National Cup Finals and are now going forward to play for their country
THE library in Chippenham will be hosting a musical celebration of the wartime generation on Wednesday, called Thanks for the Memory. Community entertainer Rose Lunt will be presenting her one-woman show at 3.30pm, with song, monologue, drama and original
DEVIZES Police are appealing for witnesses after seven cars were attacked on the forecourt of Wiltshire Auto Market at the Garden Trading Estate on London Road, Devizes, at the weekend. Some time on Sunday night, damage was caused to the vehicles. Two
A LADIES' night organised by Helen Pocock-Smith, wife of the worshipful master of the Lodge of Loyalty in Marlborough, raised more than £2,230 for charities, which Swindon firm Innogy is doubling. The money is to be shared between the Savernake Hospital
COUN Ken Beard marked his last full council meeting as the chairman of Kennet District Council by presenting money to two charities last week. He handed cheques for £300 each to the Danbi Children's Trust, based in Etchilhampton, which raises money for
RESIDENTS on the Fiddington Clay estate in Market Lavington are furious that Kennet councillors have capitulated to developers three months before a public inquiry was due to consider a proposal to build an estate of 17 homes there. Those living close
THE latest production by Pewsey Vale Amateur Dramatic Society, the comedy Out Of Order, has been hailed one of its greatest successes in recent years after playing to packed houses. Nick Mitchell-Briggs, one of the cast of eight in the play, which is
A TEENAGER suffered head injuries after being assaulted by a baseball bat wielding youth in a "totally unprovoked and motiveless attack". The attack happened when the 16-year-old was approached by an Asian youth in Salisbury Street, near the Broadgreen
CASH-strapped Swindon Town may not have to fork out millions for a footballer to help them climb out of the second division. Footy-mad actor Ralf Little, better known as gormless teenager Anthony in television's The Royle Family, has revealed his secret
CROWDYS Hill School has been inundated with offers to replace the 40 trees stolen by thieves. Pupils at the Swindon special school were bewildered by the theft of the saplings, planted six weeks ago. But following the Evening Advertiser's story on Monday
POLICE believe this man may be responsible for a brazen theft in which a £30,000 ultrasound scanner was stolen from Princess Margaret Hospital. He is thought to have walked into the hospital in a suit, entered the toilets and emerged wearing a doctor's
After the disappointment of missing out on promotion to South West Division One at the weekend Chippenham turned their attention to the semi-final of the Bath Combination Cup with the visit of Westbury to Allington Field. After a day of persistent rain
HUNDREDS of people descended on Tidworth leisure centre last week in the hope of having their prized family possessions valued by experts from the BBC Antiques Roadshow. They began queuing with their heirlooms - some wrapped in paper and others in boxes
A VERSE for the golden jubilee sparked jubilation for a Durrington poet Christina Watkinson. She received a special thank-you from Buckingham Palace, acknowledging the work she does as a student in IT workshops for the visually impaired at Salisbury College
WOOLLEY & Wallis smashed records when jewellery auctioned in their Salisbury sale rooms on Thursday made £287,000. It was the highest total ever achieved in a jewellery sale at the Castle Street fine art sale rooms, with four items alone making £114,000
A BURST water main flooded the premises of Salisbury jewellers Tribbeck & Son on Tuesday in the latest dilemma to hit traders on that side of the city. Contractors relaying pavements in Bridge Street were digging through the kerb when they accidentally
THE emergency services and representatives of the telecommunications industry are getting together to try to prevent a repetition of last week's problems in south Wiltshire and Hampshire that put the 999 system out of action and left thousands of people
FORMER Salisbury businesswoman Jill Fuller, who ran Land - the upmarket handbag shop in Fish Row - was found guilty this week of helping to hide millions of pounds of drugs money. During a two-week trial at London's Snaresbrook Crown Court, a jury heard
MUM Kay Sarraff is furious after the last evening bus from Chippenham to Calne drove off, leaving her teenage daughter stranded in the town late at night. Mrs Sarraff, of Azalea Close, Calne, said her daughter Amy, 16, and her friend, Cherie-Anne Punshon
DRUG dealer Perry Kirby sold ecstasy tablets in a nightclub to help him pay off fines for other offences, a court heard. The 23-year-old, of Ogilvy Street, Calne, bought hundreds of the pills for £1 each and started selling them to clubbers in the Brunel
YOUNGSTERS at Key Day Nursery in Calne were able to get a closer look at some weird and wonderful creatures when students dropped in with some of the collection from Wiltshire College Lackham. The toddlers were able to stroke a chameleon, get close to
THE pupils will be doing the teaching at John Bentley School when foreign students arrive to study English in June. Sixth form language students are to receive instruction in teaching English as a foreign language before giving conversation classes to
WORK has started on renovating the magnificent organ in St Mary's Church, Calne. The organ, which was given as a gift to the church in 1907 by the Harris family, is in remarkable condition considering its age. The first phase of renovation will cost £38,500
JODIE Foster makes a welcome return to the big screen in Panic Room (15) a psychological thriller from director David Fincher. Fincher's previous credits include Seven and Fight Club, films where visual style held sway over content. In Panic Room a determined
He has his share of knockers, but everything Tommy Saunders touches seems to turn to gold. Three cup wins, two promotions and a trip to Wembley inside of four seasons. His side were the model of consistency this season. While they might not have the flair
August Swindon Supermarine and Chippenham experienced different levels of success on their Dr Martens debuts. Marine didn't look out of place in the higher flight, but lost 1-0 to Atherstone. Then boss Clive Maguire saw his side go on to lose each of
KENNET councillors have approved a planning application to convert the Bell Inn at Potterne, which has been empty for 18 months, to homes. The owners, Clenche Properties, applied to convert the existing listed building into two homes and build another
Swindon Supermarine boss John Murphy has played down his chances of scooping the Dr Martens Western Division manager of the year. After leading Marine's stunning revival, many respected non league names have tipped Murphy for honours at the Dr Martens
LONDON Road, Devizes, was blocked for two hours on Monday morning after a gust of wind blew over a farm trailer loaded with tonnes of straw. The trailer lost its load on the Cannings Hill roundabout, sending 40 huge bales of straw across the main A361
STAFF and governors at Dauntsey's Aided Primary School in West Lavington are celebrating an Ofsted report which says the school has improved so much in the last two years it no longer suffers from serious weaknesses. Former headteacher Phillip Sampey
CROP circle maker Matthew Williams, who was the first to be prosecuted for creating formations, is to give a talk on how and why he and his colleagues constructed the controversial designs. Mr Williams, of Bishops Cannings, was fined £100 with £40 costs
A POLICE operation to try to curb the speed of hundreds of bikers who converge on Avebury every Wednesday, has had some surprise results. It is picking up more car drivers for breaking the law than bikers. The weekly meeting of bikers in the village during
MEMBERS of Marlborough Floral Club are celebrating the news that they have been chosen to mount a display at the world's most famous floral event, the annual Chelsea Flower Show later this month. The Marlborough club, which has about 50 members and meets
COUNCILORS in Marlborough agreed that a large modern house would look out of place next to a terrace of Victorian homes. Several letters of objections from residents have been received by the town council's planning committee over plans to build the house
TWO druids who were visiting the Avebury area for a full moon ritual have become the latest victims of thieves who target cars parked at the area's beauty spots. Marion Bridger, from Farnham, Surrey, and her friend parked at the West Kennet layby at 5.45pm
POLICE made three arrests after an event booked as a supervised young people's birthday party turned into a mini-rave at the Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge. Officers visited the scene of Friday's party three times and, on one occassion, found two home-made
SOME 200 young pedal pushers from Swindon are getting set for the Blue Peter Bikeathon at Coate Water on Sunday. The children will be joining an estimated 25,000 young people across Britain taking part in one of the largest cycling events ever held, to
PETER Bowen's plans to move home were going smoothly until he had to deal with telecommunications firm NTL. He says he sent letters to NTL asking for his phone to be disconnected, prior to moving house from Moredon, Swindon, to Essex. But they went unheeded
PARLIAMENT has discussed banning vehicles from the Ridge-way. The Friends of the Ridgeway have waged a long running cam-paign to stop non-essential vehicles using the 6,000 year old route. The group claims that 4x4 vehicles, quad bikes and trail bikes
LIDDINGTON Art Group is holding an exhibition over the first weekend of May to raise cash for Wiltshire Air Ambulance. Admission is free but the work of local artists will be on sale with 15 per cent of all sales going to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal
THE bland statement on the Gazette's front page last week that Marlborough council tax payers will have to pay more if security cameras are installed in the town certainly requires some comment. We can never have enough security but surely law and order
TWO audio tours to the former GWR works and Railway Village will help people with disabilities appreciate Swindon's railway history. One of the tapes, the basic language tape, is aimed at people with learning disabilities as well as those who would like
TERRY Pratchett, best selling fantasy author, is perfectly down to earth and grows his own vegetables to prove it. Besides selling millions of books about wizards, sorcery and all things surreal across the world, he also has a more unusual claim to fame
I wonder if any of the Gazette's readers are aware that there is about to be another great train robbery? The difference is, it is about to be committed by this Government. The Government is robbing the railway of the investment that it desperately needs
HUNDREDS of people descended on Tidworth leisure centre last week in the hope of having their prized family possessions valued by experts from the BBC Antiques Roadshow. They began queuing with their heirlooms - some wrapped in paper and others in boxes
A VERSE for the golden jubilee sparked jubilation for a Durrington poet Christina Watkinson. She received a special thank-you from Buckingham Palace, acknowledging the work she does as a student in IT workshops for the visually impaired at Salisbury College
I WOULD like to say an enormous thank you to all the staff of Avon Ward at Devizes Hospital. This week, a very special uncle of mine passed away after suffering a terminal illness. The last three days of his life were spent in a beautifully decorated
I apologise to Mr Colcomb for not making it clear that I represent local people on the county, North Wiltshire district and Chippenham town councils. If it is necessary for me to 'declare an interest' then I am delighted to do so, as I suppose, councillors
WOOLLEY & Wallis smashed records when jewellery auctioned in their Salisbury sale rooms on Thursday made £287,000. It was the highest total ever achieved in a jewellery sale at the Castle Street fine art sale rooms, with four items alone making £114,000
I'LL never forgive them for selling the stuffed armadillo without telling me. That shelled South American quadruped was mine. It happened a year ago. One week he was there on one of the shelves at Dominic Winter Book Auctions in Maxwell Street, and the
THE Guinness Flight Trustees claim, reported by the Gazette last week, that the Stonebridge meadows, in Marlborough, did not flood in the winter of 2000/2001 is in error, as any of the numerous people who use the footpath will know. Not only were the
Re: Soda Nightclub: I think some people are missing the point (letters and features re: Soda April 22 and 23. 1 Some people are turned away from a new nightclub (Soda) 2 Some of these same people behave disgracefully outside the club, hurling threats
LOOKING at the recent letters in the Evening Advertiser, I can only say Mr Reid, aged 35, has only brought this trouble on his own head. He said: "We turned away some 200 people on the first night," myself I am not sure but how many people could Vadims
FORMER Salisbury businesswoman Jill Fuller, who ran Land - the upmarket handbag shop in Fish Row - was found guilty this week of helping to hide millions of pounds of drugs money. During a two-week trial at London's Snaresbrook Crown Court, a jury heard
Ref: Hidden in a hedgerow, Evening Advertiser Wed Mar 13, 2002: I congratulate you on the excellent two page spread covering the wartime airfield, RAF Watch-field, and featuring memories of flying instructor Flt Lt Fred Guilmant. The newspaper was sent
A PRIVATE hospital could be built in the grounds of Salisbury District Hospital. Salisbury health bosses have given the go-ahead for a detailed report on the idea after being assured that NHS patients would "reap the benefits" of having a private hospital
EASTER has come and gone again for another year. However, it would make far more sense to have an early spring holiday at the same time each year. Having a variable Easter is very inconvenient, and plays havoc with holiday planning and school terms. The
I DO hope that now the new park and ride is open it will be given its proper name of Croft Park and Ride since it is neither in Wroughton nor wanted in that place by Wroughton residents. Some years ago as the then parish council chairman, together with
MINETY Rugby Club gave the village school a cash boost after holding their second annual Invitation Seven-a-Side Tournament on Saturday 27 April. Local clubs Cricklade, Motorola and Fairford joined two Minety sides in the round-robin tournament, which
CHIPPENHAM'S promotion hopes were ended in cruel fashion on Saturday afternoon as former National League side Berry Hill sealed their place in South West One next term with victory in a bruising play-off clash at Allington Field. The promotion decider
YOUTH RUGBY: TWO schools will have Twickenham in their sights on Saturday when they line up in the last 48 of the Daily Telegraph and Armed Forces Cup in the south east. Devizes will represent Wiltshire in the under 13s event, while Sheldon under 12s
ANTICIPATION and excitement is at a Chippenham secondary school, as dreams of a better, brighter future come true. After years of planning and months of painstaking and controversial negotiation, Hardenhuish School is about to be transformed. A new arts
CHIPPENHAM High Street will be lined with trestle tables for a party to celebrate the Queen's golden jubilee. Chippenham Town Council and the Chippenham Town Centre Management Partnership have joined forces to organise the free event for 200 townspeople
CHIPPENHAM'S new playing fields came a step closer when members of the town council agreed to spend up to £150,000 creating two new accesses. Members of the strategy and resources committee agreed last week to delegate responsibility for the creation
Chippenham's Citadel Gallery looks set to close at the end of August, leaving the town without a public gallery. Artists and gallery visitors are angry the popular exhibition venue is likely to shut, because the district council does not have the money
STUDENT Lee Beedie is demanding the district council pay up after £200 damage was caused to his first car by a new security system at a Chippenham car park. It happened on Tuesday when Mr Beedie, 18, of Forest Gate, Pewsham, drove his Mini Metro over
THE father of one of the children of convicted killer Jane Jones is considering fighting for custody of the child. Derek Fernandez, from Chippenham, said this week that he sees his three-year-old daughter Kira every fortnight. He said all he wanted now
IT is a pleasure to report some more positive news following the theft of 40 newly planted saplings from Crowdys Hill School. It is bewildering why anyone would want to steal trees from a special needs school in the first place. But it seems that the
SOL DAVIS looks destined to quit the County Ground after rejecting Andy King's offer of a new contract. The 22-year-old left back now has the choice of returning on a week to week deal or fixing himself up with another club. It is the first contract set
EVER since I cracked open the finest crme brule I've ever tasted at Duke's Hotel in Bath, I've been wanting to try out the hotel's latest offshoot, Blinis. This delicatessen doubles as a restaurant, sharing the same cook as Duke's Hotel two-star Michelin
TWO men are due to be sentenced by North West Wiltshire magistrates next month for selling suspected fake goods. Lee Reginald Hawken, of Wotton under Edge, Gloucestershire, and Barry Slocombe, of Thornhills, Bristol, each pleaded guilty to a dozen offences
DIANE Gooch, who has been managing residential homes for older people in Devizes for more than 15 years, bid farewell to the town last week as she leaves to run a home in Malmesbury. Mrs Gooch, who lives in Calne, officially took over the management of
CHIPPENHAM GP Barney Williams is reassuring parents their local parent and toddler health session will continue to run at his surgery. Dr Williams, from Marshfield Road Surgery, said several patients were concerned about rumours the popular Wednesday
THE fast, the furious and the flashy showed off their modified motors and mean machines at Castle Combe racetrack on Saturday April 27. Drivers from 60 car clubs across the south west put their cars and their skills to the test on the track at the first
CRIME rates in Pewsey in the last year are on a par with the previous year, the annual parish meeting heard. In a written report, Sgt Coppen said: "Crime is following the same broad pattern as last year with a slight rise in the number of reported crimes
SHOWJUMPING legend David Broome was in south Wiltshire last Friday at the inauguration of a new outdoor riding arena. Invited by Gerry Dunne, owner of Grovely riding school, Wilton, David passed on his expertise to groups of selected riders as he schooled
AGRICULTURAL merchants David Bright Ltd of Farley have published their latest 28-page guide. Over the past year there have been new additions to the Countryside Stewardship Scheme with the introduction of new arable options seed mixtures. Managing director
ONLY a week after completing his basic military training, 20-year-old marine Tom Jordan, of Great Somerford, was posted to Afghanistan as part of the platoon targeting al-Quaida fighters. Mr Jordan, 20, a former Malmesbury School pupil, sailed from Portsmouth
TRADERS at The Triangle in Malmesbury say business has been hit after Wiltshire County Council replaced parking spaces with disabled bays. A county council spokesman said the disabled spaces outside The Three Cups pub, in The Triangle, were requested
A PLAYGROUND in Malmesbury may be sold to pay for new play facilities and a skatepark elsewhere in the town. Coun John Thomson has proposed that the playground beside the outdoor swimming pool, in Newnton Grove, is sold. The money raised, he said, could
MALMESBURY Primary School will not be extended while plans for a new school are being discussed, education officer Malcolm Dodd told the town meeting last week. Mr Dodd gave a short presentation outlining plans, which would involve giving the current
THE Environment Agency has strengthened its objections against plans to expand Knockdown Quarry, near Sherston. Quarry owner A and J Bull has applied to Wiltshire County Council to double its output from 100,000 to 200,000 tonnes a year, and increase
A CONMAN posing as a policeman duped his way into Abbeyfield Residential Home in Malmesbury and stole £180 from a 92-year-old woman. The bogus caller sneaked into the home at Market Cross on Tuesday at about 4.50pm and knocked on the door of two elderly
NOISY roofs and thin walls are two of the problems that have affected the opening weeks of the new Malmesbury School, but headteacher Malcolm Trobe said the problems are getting sorted out. The school, in Corn Gastons, opened at Easter and is part of
Badminton organisers are hoping this year's event will be the best ever as the highlight of many horse lovers' calendar returns after a two-year enforced break caused by foot and mouth disease. Traders in Malmesbury are preparing for their busiest weekend
CRICKET ROUND-UP: WILTSHIRE play their second warm up match of this season against Hampshire 2nd XI at Southampton today and on Sunday play their first match in the 38 County Cup against the Somerset Cricket Board X1 at Chippenham (11am start). Wiltshire
WOOTTON Bassett are hoping to build on last season's impressive third placed finish in the Gloucester and Wiltshire League Division One when the 2002 season begins on Saturday 4 May. Solid performances from the likes of Tim Gallimore, John Clarke and
GOATACRE have a new first X1 captain for the first time in 16 years this summer as they bid to bounce back from the disappointment of relegation Gloucester and Wiltshire Division One last season. Kevin Iles, the club's leading run maker and wicket taker
CRICKET: THE return of Australian ace Matt Kimble has provided Marlborough with the perfect tonic ahead of their new adventure in the Gloucester and Wiltshire Division Two. All-rounder Kimble enjoyed a spectacular debut season last summer, taking 50 wickets
International business bank Fortis is holding a directors' forum for domestic and international trade on May 30 at Newbury Manor Hotel, in Berk-shire. Entitled Preparing for the Upswing, the event is free and will feature interactive workshops to discuss
Despite the boom in house sales nationally and in the South West in particular, a major house builder has seen its annual profits all but wiped out by a host of internal problems discovered at the end of last year. Prowting Homes, which has 10 development
A SPECIALIST van maintenance service for small and large fleet operators in Swindon has been launched. Exel's Van Care is an extension of Exel's service centre operation that has been operating for over 30 years in the area, servicing a range of trucks
ANNE Pope, who chairs Wootton Bassett Twinning Association, exhibited two period dolls houses at a recent collectors fair in Blain, Wootton Bassett's twin town in France. Mrs Pope's weekend visit, with her husband David, followed an invitation from enthusiasts
ANIMAL expert Terry Hooper believes a family of big cats could be thriving in the countryside near Highworth after a spate of sightings. Two large adult cats and two younger creatures have recently been spotted in the area, leading Mr Hooper to the conclusion
Daniel Wheeler celebrated his sixth birthday in style by officially opening the newly refurbished Somerfield store in Wootton Bassett High Street. Daniel, a Thomas The Tank Engine fan, was given a special balloon, a birthday cake and a train set all depicting
CAR dealer Andrew Long admitted selling vehicles from his home. Long, 40, of Reids Piece, Purton, admitted ten charges of doing business as a trader when advertising as if he was a private seller. He asked Swindon magistrates for a further 19 charges
SHERSTON and Christian Malford primary schools took the honours as Seagry held its first junior football and netball tournament in two years on Saturday morning. More than 120 children and 200 parents flocked to the village playing fields in Seagry as
WOOTTON Bassett were responsible for the shock of the day in the Hellenic Premier Division, when they held leaders Gloucester United to a 1-1 draw on their own ground. The scoreline could have been far worse for the home side, who equalised in the 94th
DIRECTOR George Hair, whose Corsham software business collapsed with debts of £26,000, has been banned from being a company director for five years. Hair, of the Pigsty, Marsh Farm, Marsh Road, Hilperton, was disqualified from holding a directorship or
AFTER six consecutive titles, Cooper-Avon Rangers' reign as Premier Division champions of the Vanitec Computers sponsored Chippenham League has finally come to an end. Rangers have lost their crown to Box Rovers, whose 8-0 win over Melksham Motor Spares
FRESHFORD United remain in third place in Division Two after Stewart Donohoe scored in each half to earn a 2-0 win at Cross Keys Rowde. Steeple Ashton were 2-0 up after 11 minutes through Mark Barnett and Buy Rowley against Rudloe Barnett added another
TROWBRIDGE LEAGUE: CASTLE Combe broke Broughton Gifford's five-year stranglehold on the Division One title on Saturday 27 April with a 3-2 victory over the reigning champions. Gifford have dominated the league's main honours in recent seasons, but Combe's
People all over Wiltshire will be taking a step back in time to discover the county's rich and fascinating past during Local History Week. Nearly 40 events have been arranged across the area by Wiltshire County Council's libraries and museum service for
SCREWFIX DIRECT LEAGUE: CALNE Town's disappointing season ended on a high note as a Mark Strickland double gave manager Paul Rankin victory over his former club on Saturday 27 April. Strickland, whose brace took his tally for the season to nine, was later
TWO of the Civil Service Benevolent Fund's regional staff will be walking more than 90 miles to raise money for the fund. Eileen Beech, of Devizes, and Stella Wells of Penarth, Wales, will walk the White Horse trail, taking in eight White Horses in Wiltshire
A GARDENER who once worked for comedians Lenny Henry and Dawn French, killed himself by drinking weedkiller, an inquest in Bath heard last week. Father-of-two John Hale, 52, gulped down the deadly poison then carried on working on a client's garden until
SCREWRIX LEAGUE ROUND UP: WESTBURY United gave themselves a glimmer of hope in their bid to escape the drop from the Premier Division with a 4-0 victory over Yeovil Town Reserves on Saturday 27 April. Derek Graham's side went into last night's clash at
WHEN hundreds of Bigfoot walkers set off to raise money for research into multiple sclerosis they will be willed on by one of the many victims of the disease, mother-of-four Enid Burnett. She would love to be able to join them on their 50-mile, three-day
THE M4 is expected to be especially busy on Saturday May 4 when those travelling to Badminton are joined by football fans heading to Cardiff for the football cup final. Police are advising motorists to allow plenty of time for their journeys over the
YOUTH FOOTBALL: WILTSHIRE under 18s will be looking to reap revenge on behalf of their more senior counterparts on Wednesday night when they take on Hampshire in the final of the Southern Counties Championship. The county's under 21 side were beaten 4
SCHOOLS have hit back at criticism that they are not teaching sex education properly. An Ofsted report this week claimed teachers are not doing enough to teach young people about the moral and social aspects of sexual relations. The education watchdog
WE finished our season on Saturday with a solid 1-0 win over in-form Bridgwater Town to boost our chances of taking a well deserved top five spot. Dawlish can catch us, but face a tough task facing both Taunton and Bideford in four days. With three games
THE petition urging the Government not to close RAF Lyneham now has more than 11,000 signatures and more are still being added. MP James Gray says he plans to present it this month. "There has been an awful lot of support and we still have some more signatures
HELLENIC LEAGUE: PEWSEY Vale chairman Rob Thompson is confident the club's Recreation Ground home will be fit for Hellenic League Premier Division football for next season after victory over Shrivenham on Tuesday night all but guaranteed them runners-up
THE husband of a woman found dead in a Wiltshire river will appear in court today charged with her murder. Software designer Randle Williams, 43, was taken into custody shortly after 8am yesterday and was charged with the murder of Natalie Williams, 33
JUST six months after undergoing surgery for a triple heart bypass, Devizes postman John Kelly is joining eight of his colleagues on a 53-mile cycle ride from London to Brighton. The 54-year-old former lifeguard at the old Devizes outdoor swimming pool
VILLAGERS in Fittleton, in the Pewsey Vale, have been left without any grassroots local government representation after all their parish councillors resigned in protest over new red tape which central Government is bringing in. The village has been left
FEW customers buying their weekly shopping in Somerfield, Marlborough, are aware that manager Rob Parnell and his staff pay for the education of 35 children in West Africa. For the past three years, the manager and his 25 staff have raised thousands of
PEWSEY Vale's innovative Wigglybus celebrated the beginning of another three years of life on Saturday. A brass band played and a cake was cut outside the Co-op Pioneer store in Pewsey to usher in the second phase of rural transport in the Vale. And the
DAUNTSEY'S School in West Lavington raised £12,336 for the charity Chernobyl Children Life Line last year. The charity brings children affected by the fall-out from the 1986 explosion in Chernobyl to this country for a month for rest and recuperation.
KENNET residents tired of banks will welcome the news that the district may be getting its own credit union. Credit unions are community banks run by and owned by their members to provide a safe, easily accessible place for savings. They offer low cost
A TEAM from Swindon-based building society Nationwide is taking part in Europe's biggest ever team building event in June to raise money for the NSPCC. They are among 100 teams which will battle it out in a series of physical and mental challenges held
PEOPLE in Cricklade Road claim that roadworks turned the daily routine of entering and exiting their driveways into a nightmare. Luke Kaye, 34, who runs Skywalker's Fancy Dress shop in Fleet Street, said that he had spent nearly half-an-hour most days
THE husband of a woman found dead in a Wiltshire river will appear in court today charged with her murder. Software designer Randle Williams, 43, was taken into custody shortly after 8am yesterday and was charged with the murder of Natalie Williams, 33
VOTERS were up bright and early today as the polls for the council elections opened at 8am. And among them was Swindon's resident loony Roly Gillard. He was one of the first to cast his vote in the Eastcott ward, where he is standing against Liberal Democrat
A WOMAN returning home from the shops became the sixth victim of an attempted cycle snatch attack in the past week. The 52-year-old was walking along Beckhampton Street, close to Swindon's Civic Offices, when the thieves struck. She was carrying bags
A PRIVATE hospital could be built in the grounds of Salisbury District Hospital. Salisbury health bosses have given the go-ahead for a detailed report on the idea after being assured that NHS patients would "reap the benefits" of having a private hospital
A specialist team of soldiers from Bulford has been in great demand by military and civilian authorities in Kabul. Major John Adlington and his team of Royal Engineers cartographers from the 3rd (UK) Division Geographic Unit have been in the Afghan capital
A LILY Savage lookalike was on hand to make sure celebrations went with a swing when Hair by Joanna, the Amesbury salon, opened the doors on its expanded premises. Dozens of guests, including local councillors, mingled at Saturday's party on the corner
POLICE say crime in Calne has dropped this year, but they will not be easing up on their efforts. The total number of crimes in February, March and the first two weeks of April was 147 last year but has dropped to 111 this year. "We will not rest on our
STAFF and pupils at Hilmarton School are celebrating after winning a Government award for improving standards. Headteacher Stephen Luke said he was delighted and paid tribute to the efforts of staff and pupils. "There has been a lot of hard work to do
The season will be remembered for the big cup showdowns with Tamworth and Kingstonian great occasions and good experience for a very young squad. Boss Ray Baverstock has high standards, and with such an extensive pool of young talent at his disposal,
A truly stunning comeback. Marine looked dead and buried as early as September. When their main sponsor folded in February the club were in turmoil. But everyone at Hunts Copse stood firm. Chairman Steve Moore and his board dug deep, and John Murphy and
Jimmy Fraser has been offered a one year deal at newly-promoted Chippenham Town. The Swindon Town Soccer Centres Co-ordinator spent the final two months of the season on loan at the Dr Martens Premier Division newboys from current employers, Ryman League
THREE girls from All Cannings Primary School will join hundreds of other children from across the country this Sunday in the BBC Blue Peter bikeathon in aid of Leukaemia Research. Hannah Butcher and Bryony Hutchings, 11, and Catherine Dillon, 10, will
MOTORIST Roger Comley told magistrates he didn't deserve to be allowed to drive again after admitting a string of other motoring offences. Comley, 23, from Longcroft Avenue, Devizes, pleaded guilty to careless driving, failing to stop after an accident
TOWNSPEOPLE have taken their pick out of six possible designs for new gateway signs that will welcome visitors to Devizes at its five road accesses. People who visited the displays at Devizes Visitor Centre, the Corn Exchange, Devizes library and Safeway
FUNERAL director Charles Winchcombe faced a frustrating dilemma this week when his hearse was trapped in its garage by an abandoned car. Mr Winchcombe, who has premises in New Park Street, Devizes, arrived at work on Saturday morning to find the B-reg
PARENTS of pupils at St Peter's Primary School in Devizes are hoping to raise a lot of money for school funds by raffling a Manchester United shirt signed by England captain David Beckham, which could be worth up to £5,000. The coveted shirt was obtained
ELECTRONICS firm Tamura Hinchley is to stop production in Devizes this summer with the loss of up to 95 jobs. Employees were told on Tuesday that, because of the substantial losses incurred by the Japanese-owned company in recent months, it was moving
ERLESTOKE Prison has denied that the number of inmates is set to soar. Villagers in both Erlestoke and Great Cheverell were concerned when Kennet District Council was asked by the prison for planning clearance for a two-storey prefab building for a further
THE Mayor and Mayoress of Marlborough, David and Gillian Watson, have had their year in office commemorated in a unique pottery plaque made by a close friend who lives in Normandy. The Mayor, whose year of office ends on May 20 when he hands over to Coun
CABBIES in Marlborough with Hackney carriage licences which allow them to ply for hire, say they are handicapped by having no taxi rank. The drivers say Marlborough is the only town in Wiltshire that does not have a designated taxi rank. They claim requests
SINGLE mum Aileen Darroch-Davies ended up with six penalty points on her driving licence after she let her son borrow her car for a night out. And the 50-year-old from West Overton, near Marlborough, got another three points after she was caught speeding
PUPILS have been praised by their headteacher and the police for the way they reacted after their school bus was involved in a crash with a van. About 45 students on their way to St John's School in Marlborough escaped injury on Tuesday when the single
SOL DAVIS looks destined to quit the County Ground after rejecting Andy King's offer of a new contract. The 22-year-old left back now has the choice of returning on a week to week deal or fixing himself up with another club. It is the first contract set
TWO 40ft lorries rolled into Swindon this week, bringing the West End set of West Side Story for this year's Summer Youth Project. David Wicks, stage manager at the Wyvern Theatre and production manager of the project, is heading a team of five professionals
WORK to erect a giant telecommunications mast close to new school buildings could begin as soon as August. Swindon Council last month gave BT Cellnet prior approval to put up a 12-metre mast on land north of Ocotal Way, about 100 metres from St Joseph's
DR Bill Bliss had a right to a decent send off after spending 28 years working as a family GP in Wootton Bassett. But even he didn't expect to receive a car as a leaving present. His colleagues at New Court Surgery bought him a 1975 Humber Sceptre, in
POLICE have launched an investigation after two women were raped and two others sexually assaulted. The two sexual assaults happened in Trowbridge on Friday, the same night that a 15-year-old girl was raped in the town and the night after another teenager
A SWINDON choir is to perform in London at the National Choral Festival. Pupils from Ruskin Junior School in Upper Stratton won a place at the prestigious concert after beating off competition from across the south of England at a competition in Newbury
CHILDREN perceive farmers as grumpy, ruddy-cheeked, scruffy old men and a farm is the last place they would want to live, research commissioned by the National Farmers Union (NFU) has found. The stark findings have prompted the NFU to launch a Food and
A SCHOOL football team is set to represent England in an international tournament. Pupils from Bradon Forest School in Purton were runners-up in the English Schools Football Association National Cup Finals and are now going forward to play for their country
One possible reason for the 80 per cent increase in burglaries recently reported could be the lack of police personnel in the Corsham area. Only a few years ago there were 19 constables stationed at Corsham providing full 24-hour cover for the area. I
MORE than 11,000 people have now signed a petition against the closure of RAF Lyneham. The petition will be presented to the Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin by North Wiltshire MP James Gray later this month. Mr Gray said he was delighted
A BARMAID selected to take part in a Morris dance group's fertility ritual is now expecting twins. Claire Jeffrey (22) found herself caught up in the dance ritual, which dates to before the Doomsday Book, when the White Horse Morris Men visited the Bell
STEAM, the Museum of the Great Western Railway, has invited one of the world's favourite book characters to a special family event. That intrepid ursine explorer, Paddington Bear, is making a trip from the depths of darkest Peru for the event at the museum
THE proposal with North Wiltshire District Council's planning department to extend the dual carriageway to the Safeway's roundabout is a dangerous idea, both from the environmental and road safety viewpoint. The environmental case: Any upheaval caused
A BURST water main flooded the premises of Salisbury jewellers Tribbeck & Son on Tuesday in the latest dilemma to hit traders on that side of the city. Contractors relaying pavements in Bridge Street were digging through the kerb when they accidentally
IT WAS half way up Mount Snowdon when a wind-battered team of walkers from the Evening Advertiser came face to face with Swindon born explorer David Hempleman-Adams making his descent. "How does the Three Peaks Challenge compare to the Antarctic?" someone
A LILY Savage lookalike was on hand to make sure celebrations went with a swing when Hair by Joanna, the Amesbury salon, opened the doors on its expanded premises. Dozens of guests, including local councillors, mingled at Saturday's party on the corner
CASH-strapped Swindon Town may not have to fork out millions for a footballer to help them climb out of the second division. Footy-mad actor Ralf Little, better known as gormless teenager Anthony in television's The Royle Family, has revealed his secret
PINEHURST: John Swift, 42, of The Circle, Pinehurst, has been jailed for seven years by Judge John McNaught at Swindon Crown Court after a jury found him guilty of committing an indecent assault on a girl under the age of six after a three day trial.
WE have been made aware that several patients have been told that the popular combined child and mother Wednesday afternoon clinics at Marshfield Road surgery, in Chippenham, will come to an end and that there will be no health visitor service to our
THE emergency services and representatives of the telecommunications industry are getting together to try to prevent a repetition of last week's problems in south Wiltshire and Hampshire that put the 999 system out of action and left thousands of people
I have to take issue with the opinion column in last week's Gazette. Firstly, changing from three terms to six terms of shorter, and still not equal, lengths, is merely a change in terminology. Secondly, the document circulating does not propose adding
PASSING through Swindon last Friday I read Andy Blizzard's article with some interesting ideas for a Swindon disease memorial sculpture. The most imaginative, apparently by an international artist, was immediately rejected by the council leader. This
IT seems no lessons have been learnt from the last war and in the last few years. I'm appalled, disgusted, extremely angry that someone calling himself Labour should use the same language as Le Pen or the thugs with criminal convictions who inhabit the
SO Mr Brown will stand against the proposed war on Saddam Hussein because he fears 'the war on Iraq will push the price of oil up and harm the British economy.' That just about sums up the greed and hypocrisy which goes behind political thinking and decision
HOW right Peter Bates is to highlight the plight of Frank Barrett. But let's not forget there was also the case of Michael Arron who received a two year custodial sentence for taking the law into his own hands (can you blame him), also the pensioner who
CHIPPENHAM's under 8s, 11s and 12s enjoyed a successful day on Sunday when they travelled to Newbury RFC. The under 8s took two teams, the Eagles and the Hawks. The Hawks, Chippenham's B team, failed to win their group, although they lost in extra-time
CHIPPENHAM lock Martin Walsh will spend the close season with 17 pins in his shattered right leg after suffering a horrific injury in Saturday 27 April's promotion play-off defeat by Berry Hill. Walsh, 35, was buried under a pile of bodies after making
