SHOPPERS in Emery Gate, Chippenham, will find themselves in the middle of an art gallery on Saturday. The shopping centre will be the venue for the opening exhibition in the Art For Alzheimer's project. Local artists have donated a large selection of
A GARDENERS' Road Show rolls into Chippenham next week, offering tips from experts, plant bargains and the latest lines in equipment. The roadshow will take place in the Market Place on Thursday May 23, from 10am to 3pm. The road show has been organised
THE grieving brother of 52-year-old Sawa Singh, who died after injuring two relatives in a shooting, says nobody will ever know what happened on that bloody night in December. Speaking after the suicide verdict at Sawa's inquest in Chippenham last Wednesday
CHIPPENHAM Folk Festival is inviting young people to join in this year's event at their very own venue. The folk festival youth centre will be called the Hub and it will be situated at the Bridge Centre. The venue will be dedicated to youth workshops
THERE was no need for a closing down sale when Corsham School's Young Enterprise company, Eminence, ceased trading. The young entrepreneurs started up a key ring company nine months ago as part of the Young Enterprise scheme that encourages pupils to
CHIPPENHAM Town Council has honoured two Chippenham citizens for their outstanding work for the community. The town council announced last week that Robert Jones and Robert Thatcher would receive Civic Awards for their contribution to the community and
AN 11th hour bid to save Chippenham Carnival has been launched by businessman Peter Taylor. He has called on the town to rally behind him so the event can still take place on June 29. Former carnival chairman Neil Parsons, his wife Corinna and committee
THE trial of sheep farmer Lancelot Beale was delayed by legal arguments at Kennet Magistrates' Court in Devizes this week. Beale, of Wyatts Lake Farm, Westbrook, near Chippenham, pleaded not guilty to 21 charges when the case started on Monday. He is
THE family of Evan Jones who was savagely beaten to death on a Bristol street, appealed on television last night for witnesses to come forward. The former Chippenham lifeguard's two daughters, who still live in Chippenham, and had recently re-established
NORTH Wiltshire is set to be the Hollywood of the West Country with British film makers lined up to work at the new Bath Studios which open at Corsham Media Park in the autumn. Speaking from the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, studio spokesman Matthew
HEARTBROKEN grandmother Ruth Marchant has spoken of the death of her daughter who died just months after giving birth to her first child. Helen Ralston died from a rare form of cancer when her baby Katie was just six months old. Mrs Ralston, 29, had intended
BEMERTON Heath Harlequins thoroughly deserved this resounding cup win on Thursday as they produced an impressive display of attacking football. They denied a determined Laverstock and Ford side, who had just two days to prepare after their semi-final
THIS week is breastfeeding awareness week reinforcing the message that breast is best for babies. So it might be, but it's not always the easiest option when baby seems hell bent on a policy of non-cooperation. Some mums master this new skill with minimum
Swindon Town goalkeeper Bart Griemink will celebrate the birth of his first child by signing a new contract at the County Ground tomorrow. Baby Ruby decided to put in an appearance last Sunday and the overjoyed keeper has been too busy playing the doting
NATHAN Law, 19, has been sentenced to four months in prison for repeatedly kicking PC James Trafford during his arrest in February. At North Wiltshire Magistrates Court last Wednesday, Law, of London Road, Chippenham, who had previously given his address
PLANS drawn up to pinpoint potential new housing sites in Chippenham include part of a graveyard, reputedly for plague victims, and the private garden of a Grade II listed house. North Wiltshire District Council is conducting an urban capacity study to
FROGWELL Primary School is set to be given two new classrooms to replace its old mobile buildings. Wiltshire County Council has submitted a planning application to North Wiltshire District Council, asking for planning permission to build the extension
NORTH Wiltshire District Council could face legal action from Monkton Park residents protesting about the noise and nuisance created by the skatepark. Residents around the park are eagerly awaiting the outcome of an ombudsman's inquiry into the district
CHIPPENHAM Town under 18s retained the Wiltshire FA County Floodlit Youth League title on home soil on Monday night with a stylish victory over a strong Swindon Supermarine outfit. Goals from defender James Highmore and midfielder Daniel Lardner gave
WORKERS across the county will be tuning into the World Cup at work as bosses try to stop their staff taking time off to watch the matches. With most games being screened between 7.30am and 12.30pm on workdays, particularly England's clashes with Argentina
JUST days before an announcement naming the first workers to be made redundant at Dyson, it has emerged the number who will receive a payout has dropped from 800 to 590. The company, which is moving its vacuum cleaner production from Malmesbury to Malaysia
A CHEQUE for £128 has been donated to Burton Hill House School following a farewell reunion for Lucent staff past and present. The cheque was presented to Burton Hill headteacher Phil Drake at the school on Tuesday by reunion organiser Rob Wilson, 52,
THE funeral of yachtsman Leslie Foulkes, who drowned off the coast of Alderney in the Channel Islands on April 10, was held in Crudwell last week. The 54-year-old engineer from Crudwell was thrown overboard in a storm, and there was particular poignancy
PLANS for houses on the site of Athelstan Garage are being held up by objections from The Environment Agency, which says a flood plain analysis must be carried out before it gives approval. Athelstan's managing director Colin Rank said an application
PREPARATIONS have begun for this year's Sherston boules competition. The Bastille Boules Bonanza will be held on July 13, the day before the French celebrate storming the infamous prison. There will be more than Gallic games for visitors to enjoy when
JUST days before an announcement naming the first workers to be made redundant at Dyson, it has emerged the number who will receive a payout has dropped from 800 to 590. The company, which is moving its vacuum cleaner production from Malmesbury to Malaysia
DARE we hope that the final episode of the County Records Office is drawing near? A long time ago, in a council chamber far, far away it was decided that first Devizes, then Chippenham would be the new home of the county's valuable archives. But successive
CORSHAM 2nds slipped to a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of a strong Cheltenham side at the Victoria Ground on Saturday. The visitors went into the clash looking to build on their opening day victory over Lansdown but, after winning the toss, skipper
ROBERT Turner hit a quickfire 60 as Goatacre registered a seven-wicket win at Lydney to continue their winning start to the 2002 season. Chasing the home side's target of 148, the visitors began well with openers Turner and Kevin Iles taking the attack
CHIPPENHAM CRICKET: CHIPPENHAM continued their winning start to life in the West of England Premier Two with a nervy three-wicket victory over Taunton at Hardenhuish on Saturday. Spinners Richard Bates and Jason Searle claimed seven wickets between them
THE latest unemployment figures for Swindon have been heralded as a tribute to the town's resilience. Chamber of Trade and Commerce policy advisor Nigel Carter said the figures, which show a net unemployment increase of 200 on this time last year, was
WOOTTON Bassett Carnival procession delighted crowds who turned out on a mild, sunny Saturday evening to enjoy the colourful cavalcade. They dug deep into their pockets to contribute a grand total of £2,322.73 £50 more than last year for local charitable
GOLDEN jubilee celebrations in Highworth have lost some of their shine after the town was landed with a £1,030 bill by Swindon Council. Highworth mayor Lynn Vardy cannot understand why the road-closure charge is being made. She said when the High Street
A 42-year-old man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of murder in connection with the disappearance of mother-of-four Linda Razzell. Police confirmed they have still not located Mrs Razzell, 42, of Pentylands, Highworth, who went missing on March 19.
CHIPPENHAM Town Youth under 15s will be bidding for a cup double this weekend. Having already won the County Cup, they will be bidding to beat neighbours Corsham Town in the final of the Wiltshire Times and News Mid-Wilts Youth and Minor League Cup on
FAMILIES turned out in force at the weekend for events in two north Wiltshire villages. Hundreds of steam enthusiasts converged on Castle Combe for a steam and vintage vehicle weekend, while in Sherston it was farming frolics that caught the imagination
AS rows concerning the location of the Swindon and Wiltshire Records Office continue, Wiltshire county councillors have stepped up their bid to locate it in Chippenham rather than their original choice of Devizes. At the county council's annual meeting
TEENAGER Leanne Cornhill has finally found happiness after suffering homelessness, abuse, depression and a miscarriage in her short life. But now that happiness is under threat because North Wiltshire District Council is not paying the housing benefit
WILTSHIRE JUNIOR CUP: CASTLE Combe's successful season came to a disappointing end on Saturday in the final of the Wiltshire Junior Cup at Hardenhuish Park, Chippenham. Barry Smith's side, who broke Broughton Gifford's five-year stranglehold on the Trowbridge
ANDREW Palmer hanged himself when he could no longer face any more rows with his long-term partner. The 37-year-old had been with Corinna Sharman for 16 years but the couple had what friends described as a love-hate relationship. The rows between the
HIGHWORTH under 16s completed stage two of their four-pronged trophy assault with victory in the Oxford Mail Cup final. Having already collected the league title, Highworth completed the double by beating rivals Northway Boys 2-1 after a tense period
CAPTAIN Duncan Potts and about 40 crew members of HMS Marlborough enjoyed a sporting challenge last Wednesday when they visited the town which bears the name of their Royal Navy frigate. They took up a number of challenges from the town's sporting clubs
TROWBRIDGE LEAGUE: DYNAMO West End clinched the Division Three title of the League (sponsored by Premier Training and Development) on Thursday evening with a 3-1 victory against Premier Rovers. Nigel Newell opened the scoring for West End in the first
THE ancient art of pub signwriting is alive and well in Devizes where, in a corner of its stableyard in Northgate Street, Wadworth and Co has a signwriting and paint shop that produces artwork for 40 of its pubs every year. Computer technology rarely
WESTLEA Housing Association tenants across north Wiltshire are being urged to book now for a special conference later this month which gives tenants the opportunity to discuss all aspects of housing. Bookings need to be made by Monday for the conference
THREE Marlborough mothers will be taking part in a trek along the Great Wall of China in September, to buy equipment for the new Great Western Hospital in Swindon. Nurses Ruth Fleming from Kelham Gardens, and Torrill Averill from Coldharbour Lane, and
POTTERNE couple Susan Lee and Mark Sprules have been told that they could spend another year living in a house which has no adaptations for their disabled son. Mrs Lee, 36, and Mr Sprules, 29, were transferred by Sarsen Housing Association to their current
OLYMPIC sprinter Todd Bennett has been putting children through their paces at Upavon Primary School, teaching them a variety of exercises aimed at healthy living. During his visit to the village school he showed the children a variety of exercises. He
BURGLARIES at sheds and garages in the Devizes area have soared by 42 per cent in the last year, largely due to drug addiction, Devizes police inspector Pete Bowerbank claimed last week. Insp Bowerbank, addressing last week's meeting of Erlestoke parish
A HOARD of nurse's badges have been found in a long-forgotten drawer at Princess Margaret Hospital. An appeal has been made to former trainee nurses to retrieve the 69 unclaimed nurse qualification badges which date from 1972 to 1994. Senior nurse Liz
PETS are usually cher-ished by their owners but some end up on the streets after being neglected or getting lost. Swindon Animal Sanctuary is a charity that works to rescue abandoned dogs and find them new permanent homes. The organisation was initially
HUNDREDS of Star Wars fans put sleep on a back burner when they flocked to catch the midnight screening of the epic saga in Swindon Old timers who remember staring in goggle-eyed wonder at the original Star Wars film mingled with teenagers who were not
DETECTIVES were today questioning the estranged husband of missing Highworth mother-of-four Linda Razzell on suspicion of her murder. Glyn Razzell was arrested and taken to Westlea Police Station after new evidence came to light. It is the second time
A NEWLY qualified nurse, who sparked a hospital emergency after she gave a diabetic patient ten times the prescribed dose of insulin, was struck off this week. Marie Needham (46) made the blunder while banned from administering drugs without supervision
THE scrapping of south Wiltshire's middle schools - the biggest shake-up in education since the 1970s - looked a racing certainty this week. At the annual meeting of Wiltshire county council on Tuesday, councillors threw their weight behind a proposal
ELIZABETH Hitchens can think of no better way of spending her last year as a councillor than being made mayor of her hometown Calne. Coun Hitchens, 61, has decided not to stand for re-election next year, after 12 years of serving the local community as
THE name of every street, road, close, terrace and lane in Calne will be read out at a special church service to pray for the people of Calne and the problems they are facing, later this month. It will be only the second time all the names have been read
TEENAGER Richard Hoyle has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for five years for downloading child pornography from the Internet. At Chippenham Magistrates' Court last Wednesday, Hoyle, 19, of North End, Calne, pleaded guilty to two charges of
ST DUNSTAN School in Calne has been given £10,000 to help make the school journey safer and greener for pupils. The money has come from the Local Transport Plan and is handed out by Travelwise, a scheme which encourages children to walk to school safely
PAINTINGS, sculpture and ceramics by renowned artists on the subject of horses are now on display at the Bluestone Gallery in Old Swan Yard. The exhibition, entitled Free Rein, is attracting attention from both horse lovers and art lovers from all over
WILTSHIRE County Council has backed down on its insistence that there should be two access roads to the proposed housing development on land next to Quakers Walk. At a meeting last week, county councillors agreed to relax its policy and it now says it
SIXTY-four years of Devizes history came to an end on Monday May 13 when the former Olde Pie Shoppe in the Market Place closed for the last time. Stephen Pyne, proprietor of Westbury-based Raines & Son which took over the business from the Giles family
DEVIZES Hospital League of Friends fears a new hospital planned for the town could have fewer services than the existing one. A blueprint for a new hospital, to be built on land in Green Lane, is expected to be unveiled next week and health chiefs are
AN open day is planned on Sunday at Burbage and Easton Royal Tennis Club to celebrate the official launch of the newly refurbished courts. A number of fun activities and games are planned. Juniors are invited to the morning session from 10am to 12pm ,
MARLBOROUGH Town Council has given its approval in principle to a £29,300 sculpture to celebrate the town's 800th anniversary in 2004. Designed by internationally renowned artist Maggie Hambling, the sculpture, a model of which was shown to councillors
A NEW fast food take away which is being officially opened today in the former Charlotte's patisserie in Marlborough High Street, is the first of a chain of more than 80 which will be opened across the UK. The Charlotte's premises have been given a £50,000
JUNIOR children at St Katharine's Primary School in Savernake Forest are being taught the ropes for healthy living and spend ten minutes skipping every morning. Head teacher Donni Blackwell said the daily skipping exercise was part of the school's bid
THE Rector of Avebury Warren Sellers took on the role of Dr Dolittle for the morning on Sunday when he led a pets' service in the grounds of St James Church, with his congregation ranging from hamsters to horses. The last pets' service at St James Church
TOP event rider David Green and his wife, Jacky, have been through every parent's worst nightmare of having a child go missing. For more than 24 hours, the couple from Ogbourne St George endured the agony of not knowing the whereabouts of their teenage
David Duke finally put pen to paper on a new contract and promptly insisted his Town future was never in doubt. After much deliberation, the 23-year-old committed himself to the County Ground by signing a new two-year deal. But the former Sunderland wideman
YOUNG mother Helen Ralston has died from a rare form of cancer, six months after giving birth to her first child, Katie. Mrs Ralston, 29, a receptionist at the Marlborough doctors' surgery, had intended to leave written messages for Katie to read when
HEROIN addict Gary Bourne has been jailed for six months after committing a string of thefts to fund his £40 a day habit. The 24-year-old stole hundreds of pounds worth of goods in shoplifting sprees across the town despite being on bail and on a drug
PLANS are being drawn up for a complete revamp of Penhill Community Centre costing up to £350,000. When complete, the new centre will offer parents and small children in Penhill and Pinehurst a social and educational centre of a type never before seen
POLICE tracking Swindon's so-called bike bandit say they may deploy a decoy to catch the robber. Detectives are discussing the unprecedented move in a bid to bring the man, who has preyed on Swindon's elderly since April 25, to justice. The menace uses
CRICKLADE couple John and Joan Hunt have hung up their aprons and said a fond farewell to the small community shop they have been running for the past 15 years. The well-known pair are heading for a leisurely retirement after years of dedicated service
A MONTH after vandals smashed a new bus shelter in Stratton St Margaret, police are no nearer catching the culprits. On April 10 the Advertiser reported how, in a moment of deliberate destruction, youths picked up stones from the pavement and brazenly
A CHARITY quiz night organised by Swindon Mayor David Cox as one his last duties in office raised £1,200. The event took place at the Oasis Centre and winner of the trophy on the night was Kris Jones, the captain of the winning team called the Collaborators
A TRIO of former soldiers and police officers are planning to walk the 95-mile West Highland Way next month to raise cash for Swindon's Multiple Sclerosis society. But they still need more help if they are to reach their £10,000 sponsorship target. Former
A BRICKLAYER has had more than 90 staples put into his head after suffering serious injuries in a ladder fall. Mervyn Evans was working at a building site when the accident happened. Mr Evans, 60, of Halifax Close, Wroughton, was working for subcontractors
WANNABE models strutted their stuff and raised more than £2,000 for the Swindon branch of the Down's Syndrome Association. Around 85 child models and their parents held the fashion show at Hillmead-based call centre Cellular Operations on Saturday night
JOHN Croft and his colleagues thought they were doing a good turn by moving rubbish off the road into their yard. But now Swindon Council has told them that they have to pay to dump it at the Barnfield Road tip or are liable for a fine if they put it
The excitement is building and funds are arriving ready for the annual Wroughton carnival. Nationwide Building Society and new sponsor Innogy, based at Windmill Hill Business Park, have donated a total of £2,500 to help the celebration take off in style
I SEE the town council is about to voice their objections to the Millennium Cross on the Abbey Wall (a short paragraph in last week's News in Brief). Several weeks ago, I, among a great number of Malmesbury inhabitants signed a petition stating that the
INTREPID Kevin Deacon, 20, from Swindon is about to join the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, having completed an intensive infantryman course in Catterick, North Yorkshire. Private Deacon attended Ridgeway School, Wroughton, before
IN just over two weeks' time the celebrations will begin. People across Salisbury district and the New Forest will be partying and staging a host of events over the long jubilee bank holiday weekend - June 1-4 - to mark the 50th anniversary of the Queen's
A PROPOSED playing field, which has provoked heated debate in Wilton, might not materialise for years. The field, off The Avenue to the north of the town, is included in a controversial planning application to develop a park-and-ride facility in Wilton
SHOWBIZ stars and ordinary Swindonians are queuing up to support the £69,000 appeal to revamp Swindon's much-loved Arts Centre. The newly-formed Friends of Swindon Arts Centre (FoSAC) has already raised more than £2,800 to improve the inside of the Devizes
RAIL passengers in Swindon could benefit from a potential merger of the Thames Trains and Great Western franchises. The Rail Passengers' Thames Trains Committee is meeting with the Strategic Rail Authority on May 21 to further discuss the move which will
EVERYONE who detests what is happening to animals in Britain's abysmal factory farms and slaughterhouses now has a great opportunity to express their revulsion. We all know that the suffering is indefensible and that there is an urgent need to end it.
EMILY Feltham was on the score sheet as England opened their women's rugby world cup campaign with a comprehensive victory against Italy. The Upper Woodford winger was among the try scorers in the 63-9 win which secures them a second round tie with host
THE Government has published its proposals for elected Regional Assemblies in England. Here this could mean a regional assembly covering an area including Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Dorset, Somerset and all the area that used to be in Avon plus Devon
A NEWLY qualified nurse, who sparked a hospital emergency after she gave a diabetic patient ten times the prescribed dose of insulin, was struck off this week. Marie Needham (46) made the blunder while banned from administering drugs without supervision
THE scrapping of south Wiltshire's middle schools - the biggest shake-up in education since the 1970s - looked a racing certainty this week. At the annual meeting of Wiltshire county council on Tuesday, councillors threw their weight behind a proposal
I CAN'T believe that Swindon Council are going to charge £855 to close Ermin Street for a Jubilee party. What a cheek. Swindon Council tax was increased by 15 per cent one of the highest increases in the country. Why was no money put by for this special
ANOTHER Swindon Festival of Literature comes to an end with supporters of the festival keenly awaiting Matt Holland's line up for next year. I think it will be difficult for him to better this, the ninth festival, but I am sure he and his team will be
I read with interest T Reynolds' letter in the Evening Advertiser recently, claiming that if the Labour party was to stand a parrot in the Gorse Hill ward and stick a red rosette on it, then people would still vote for it. Well, I find T Reynolds' comments
MINETY rugby club closed their playing season by raising £650 for Minety Primary School. The money was raised through a senior clubs' seven-a-side tournament and barbecue, preceded by a special fund-raising event. Called "Pass it on!", the fund-raiser
RUGBY: THE hallowed turf of Twickenham beckons for ten-year-old front row forward George Bowes, who will represent Bath Mini U10s in the final stages of the Prudential Cup before a packed house next Saturday. George, of Worton, near Devizes, has starred
CHIPPENHAM firefighters Jack Nicholson and Mark Miller have returned from New York, where they presented more than £10,000 from the sale of their charity calendar to the families of firemen who lost their lives on September 11. As the Chippenham firefighters
FIVE-YEAR-OLD Aaron Peat, left disabled after a stroke, has for three months been without the electric car which helps him to get out and play, because a toy store has failed to fix it. Aaron, of Sydney Wood Court, Chippenham, suffered a stroke when he
STEPHEN Roberts told police his name was Rocky Balboa when he was caught drunk and being abusive in Chippenham. Roberts, 44, of Thingley Caravan Park in Corsham, pleaded guilty at North Wiltshire Magistrates' Court in Chippenham last Wednesday to being
CHILDREN at Colerne Primary School have dug deep into their pockets to raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. To raise cash, the children taking part had to create something that would fly and they were sponsored for their creations. There were
CARNIVAL princess Shona Harding will be taking a few tips from her mum in preparation for Calne Carnival next month. Mum Teresa Harding was a princess in the silver jubilee year. Six-year-old Shona, who goes to Cherhill Primary School, was over the moon
Craig Spearman moved to within one run of a century to help Gloucestershire assume complete control of their Frizzell County Championship Division Two clash with Nottinghamshire at Bristol. The former New Zealand Test batsman looked in imperious form
LET'S face it, you either approve of the Royal Family or you do not. And if you do, then the next few weeks are going to be the highlight of your year lots of pomp, ceremony and a plentiful supply of street parties to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee
AT last, the stalemate is over. For it looks like Swindon Council has finally reached a compromise over who will take charge of the authority. Credit, on this occasion, must go to the Tories for standing aside and letting Labour, the party with the majority
ANGRY residents have campaigned outside Hill's Waste site in Compton Bassett against controversial plans to build a household recycling centre. A group of more than 30 placard-waving residents gathered at the entrance to the site last Thursday evening
CHIPPENHAM Arts Festival Association has been awarded £400 towards setting up a major new event in the town. North Wiltshire District Council agreed on Monday to make the grant towards an annual festival in November this year to celebrate opportunities
THE Castle Combe Colts football club has been forced to rethink its £200,000 plans for a new sports pavilion after the Football Foundation refused to provide it with a grant unless the club met half of the cost itself. The Colts are desperate for new
ALONZA Fallon got drunk and head butted his former flatmate, a court heard. Fallon, 19, of Reevey Farm Cottages in Kempsford, Gloucestershire, admitted head butting his friend Matthew MacDougal on March 23 outside his new flat above an Indian takeaway
OFFICERS at North Wiltshire District Council are struggling to overcome a benefits backlog. The district council admitted it had failed to provide its normal quality of service recently, because of the high volume of work and staff sickness. Now the benefits
THE amount of cash available for the annual distribution by Pewsey Carnival Committee held on Saturday was severely limited by a commitment to put up a new storage building on the Salisbury Road trading estate. The carnival committee had hoped to recoup
DR MARTENS PREMIER LEAGUE: FORMER Bath City stalwart Colin Towler has become Chippenham Town's first signing as their prepare for their first season at Dr Martens Premier Division level. The 31-year-old defender helped his former club secure Premier Division
BEMERTON Heath Harlequins thoroughly deserved this resounding cup win on Thursday as they produced an impressive display of attacking football. They denied a determined Laverstock and Ford side, who had just two days to prepare after their semi-final
MALMESBURY town councillors have admitted that there is huge support within the town for retaining the Millennium Cross at Malmesbury Abbey. The abbey has appealed against the removal of its cross. It was put up as a temporary structure in 2000 but views
GARAGE owner David Robinson has had steel shutters fitted at the windows at Minety Motors following the latest in a string of raids by gangs of cigarette thieves. Thieves smashed a window at the garage at 5.40am on Friday, stealing around £1,500 worth
CRUDWELL has been chosen as one of the pilot areas for a national survey to gauge the falling numbers of lapwings. Eagle-eyed villagers have been asked to be on the lookout for the bird, which is about the size of an A4 sheet of paper. It nests on the
WORK on a new £15,000 skateboard park in Sherston could start within six weeks. This week, the parish council submitted a planning application for the park, which will be on the village sports field in Knockdown Road, away from houses. Coun John Thomson
SPEED campaigners who succeeded in extending the 40mph limit along Malmesbury's Burton Hill are happy with new safety measures, despite not getting everything they asked for. John Wheatley, who led his neighbours in a campaign to slow traffic and stop
A 42-year-old man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of murder in connection with the disappearance of mother-of-four Linda Razzell. Police confirmed they have still not located Mrs Razzell, 42, of Pentylands, Highworth, who went missing on March 19.
MALMESBURY Mayor John Bowen is launching an appeal for a new mayoral chain carrying the town's coat of arms. The chain, worn by the mayor when he is not in robes, still carries the badge of The Warden and Freemen of Malmesbury rather than the town's coat
WESSEX Association of Chambers of Commerce experts are warning firms to make provision for their staff to watch the World Cup or face the consequences. Yet Westinghouse in Chippenham and Dyson in Malmesbury are refusing to let their workers see the games
THE shabby treatment handed out to disabled five-year-old Aaron Peat and his family by Toys R Us in Bristol is typical of the uncaring attitude of national chain stores. The Chippenham youngster, left disabled by a stroke, relies on an electric car bought
WILTSHIRE CRICKET LEAGUE: BOX continue to set the pace in Division One as they won for the second week. They travelled to Calne and scored 199-7 in their allotted overs before restricting their hosts to 155-9 in reply. Westinghouse entertained Potterne
COUNTY CRICKET: WILTSHIRE travel to St Just to take on Cornwall in their second group match in the 38 County Cup on Sunday. Having beaten the Somerset Cricket Board at Chippenham in their first match Wiltshire is looking to continue their campaign with
DEVIZES were given a lesson in patience and control as they went down to a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of near neighbours Swindon at London Road on Saturday. The visitors put Devizes into bat after winning the toss, but the home side began briskly
CORSHAM remain unbeaten in their first season in the West of England Premier One after securing a winning draw against Cheltenham at Station Road on Saturday. All-rounder Paul Marsh hit a century as Corsham racked up 311 for seven in their 55 overs, but
GOATACRE advanced to round three of the National Village Knockout championship on Sunday with a comfortable eight-wicket win. Peter Turner struck an early blow when he bowled Horn in his first over for nought, but the home side moved on to 70 for one,
TONY Shama's 84 was not enough to prevent Bassett slipping to a two-wicket defeat in their Gloucestershire Wilts Division One outing on Saturday. Put into bat, the returning Shama and Paul Elliott opened the batting. Elliott was out in the third over
MALMESBURY began their away league campaign at Colwall and accurate swing bowling saw them reduced to 18 for 2 after 12 overs, following a spell of eight overs for only three runs. James Tweedale was successful in forcing the pace of scoring, and he fell
Business strategy specialist Daphne Milner has been appointed chief executive of Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire, with effect from May 1. With a career spent closely involved in the development of local businesses, and with particularly strong skills
FOLLOWING their acquisition of Bewley House in Chippenham, South West property firm HPH has appointed George & Harding Construction Ltd to carry out extensive refurbishment work. The project is set to transform Bewley House in Marshfield Road into
BARBARA Brettell has received a special memento to mark her retirement from the board of Thamesdown Transport Limited, one of Swindon's bus operators. Mayor David Cox, pictured left, presented Mrs Brettell with a model Swindon Corporation Bus at her recent
FOOTBALL yob Jonathan Dixon, from Wootton Bassett, was one of seven fans who have been warned they could face a jail term after admitting public order offences before a match at Swindon's County Ground. The six Swindon Town supporters and one Hereford
GOLDEN jubilee celebrations in Highworth have lost some of their shine after the town was landed with a £1,030 bill by Swindon Council. Highworth mayor Lynn Vardy cannot understand why the road-closure charge is being made. She said when the High Street
A ROW has blown up between Wootton Bassett Town Council and traders in the town's High Street over plans to hold a street festival in August. The council wants to close the main shopping street on a Saturday for the event, but traders say it will disrupt
DEVIZES Town Youth were given a boost in their bid for new changing facilities at Nursteed Road after 164 teams turned out for the club's annual six-a-side tournament at the weekend. This year's entry was the best in the history of the event and saw teams
EASTON Royal farmer Graham Cooper has denied reports that he deliberately drove his Land Rover at marshalls stewarding a motorcycle event on a green lane across his 680-acre farm. Eighty members of the Swindon and District Motorcyle Club took part in
SCREWFIX DIRECT LEAGUE: DEFENDER Graham Ford swept the board as Corsham Town held their annual presentation dinner at The Southbank on Saturday evening. The consistent left back took the manager's, supporters', and players' player of the year awards after
WILTSHIRE SENIOR CUP: MALMESBURY Vics lifted the Wiltshire Senior Cup for the first time in their history on Tuesday night as Stuart Greatwood's brilliant individual strike proved enough to see off promoted Hellenic League rivals Pewsey Vale at Melksham
BARGAIN hunters at the famous Castle Combe Circuit car boot sale on Sunday will be supporting Sheldon, Chippenham's Beacon school. Parents and teachers will be out in force hoping for good weather and a maximum attendance to help swell the school's funds
INTERNATIONAL professional theatre company Theatre Set Up will present Shakespeare's As You Like It, in the grounds of Lacock Abbey on June 11. The performance will be in the romantic style of the period, with music to match. Theatre Set Up performs the
WILTSHIRE U18s failed in their bid to lift the Southern Counties title last week when they were soundly beaten by South East champions Hampshire at Melksham Town. Mel Gingell's team, crowned South West Counties champions last month, missed top scorer
CORSHAM FC scraped a a 1-0 victory over The Packhorse in the final of the Subsidiary Cup with a controversial late winning goal. The all-Premier Division final was billed as a potentially high scoring affair after the two teams had shared 15 goals in
PEOPLE young and old took part in a fundraising walk on Sunday for the Gazette's appeal to buy a new ambulance for Wiltshire St John Ambulance. The walk across Salisbury Plain takes place every year and is organised by Save the Children. This year it
YOUTH FOOTBALL: CORSHAM Boys finished their season as runners-up in the under 15s Red Division of the Wiltshire Times and News Mid-Wilts Youth and Minor League after their away game against Chippenham Town Rangers. Corsham had most of the play in the
WORKERS across the county will be tuning into the World Cup at work as bosses try to stop their staff taking time off to watch the matches. With most games being screened between 7.30am and 12.30pm on workdays, particularly England's clashes with Argentina
MORE than 2,000 youngsters will flock to the Westmead Playing Fields in Chippenham this weekend for one of the largest youth football tournaments in the south west. FC Chippenham's annual six-a-side festival has attracted a record entry of 202 teams this
WILTSHIRE PREMIER SHIELD: THE Wiltshire Premier Shield will be contested by just four clubs next season after County Football Association council members agreed on a shake-up of the local cup competitions. Nationwide League Swindon Town will join Dr Martens
POLICE investigating the death of shopworker William Lawson, who was found face down in a brook in Aldbourne at the weekend, believe it was probably a tragic accident. Mr Lawson, 44, who lived in Claridge Close, Aldbourne, with his wife, Mandy, and eight-year-old
TALES of selflessness and unstinting work for the community will be revealed on Monday evening when the very first People of Wiltshire Awards will be presented at the Corn Exchange in Devizes. Since March, nominations have been arriving for the the first
RESIDENTS from Devizes' twin towns in Germany and France will be celebrating their twinning links in Devizes later this month. This year is Devizes' turn to host the twinning weekend and representatives from Mayenne in France and the German town of Waiblingen
ROSE Webster of Spirit ladies' fashion shop in Old Swan Yard, Devizes, has expressed her gratitude to townspeople and businesses after her fashion show at the Corn Exchange raised £1,600 to help her ten-year-old nephew who is paralysed from the chest
LISA Parker, 33, became a model for the day after winning a competition. She was chosen from more than 300 entries and whisked to London in an all expenses paid trip to be made-up and photographed by fashion professionals employed by High Street store
LABOUR will regain control of Swindon Council tomorrow. A late bid by the Liberal Democrats to secure a deal with the Conservative group fell through when Tory members last night decided any such relationship was not durable. Council leader Mike Bawden
THE porcine showbiz stars of a hit TV commercial have earned their place on a retirement farm near Swindon. The rural retreat at Butts Farm, near South Cerney, has become the home of the Zurich Flying Pigs after the hectic filming schedule that culminated
WITH the sun streaming through the stained glass windows, pupils from Bradon Forest School performed music live on air for the first time. Around 50 orchestra and choir members, aged between 11 and 16, entertained Flame FM listeners with some classical
A NURSE from Swindon who tormented patients by calling them "smelly" has been struck off. Lesley Guttridge, 49, verbally abused vulnerable residents at a nursing home in the idyllic surroundings of the Cotswolds, the Nursing and Midwifery Council disciplinary
MUSICIANS with Amesbury town band are keeping their fingers crossed that Saturday's "open day and blow-in" has brought them more recruits. About a dozen turned up at the open day at Antrobus House wanting to join in with an informal practice session by
WEDNESDAY June 5 is set to be an important day for Amesbury. On that day, the long-awaited plans for the redevelopment of the town centre and the new Co-op store are due to be delivered to Salisbury district council. The news was given to Amesbury town
BRINGING more front-line police officers on to the streets of Amesbury and tackling under-age drinking will be high on the list of priorities for the new mayor of Amesbury. Neil Morrison, who took over from Major John Turner at last week's annual council
A TEAM of archaeologists has unearthed the grave of a 4,000 year-old archer - with gold earrings - on a Boscombe Down building site. The burial site was discovered by the Wessex Archaeology team last week during a routine survey on the site of a proposed
YOUNG artist Sam Wild, seven, of Cherhill, made it to the final of Coca-Cola's Draw for England competition. Out of more than 1,200 entries, Sam's design made it to the final after being voted top in the five to seven age group for the south region. Sam
A NEW Dorothy House Hospice Care charity shop will be opened in Calne tomorrow by mayor Elizabeth Hitchens. The shop, in Phelps Parade, will be selling a range of good quality clothes, bric-a-brac, books and home furnishings, and donations of these goods
A £450,000 project to make Calne Methodist Church more suitable for today's 21st century congregation was shown off at its 126th anniversary on Sunday 12th. The church, built in 1876, has been completely revamped, with its pews ripped out and replaced
LOCAL Government Minister Nick Raynsford MP listened to the political voices of tomorrow when he met student councillors at John Bentley School on Monday. Mr Raynsford visited the county to see how Wiltshire County Council is working to improve the lives
Malmesbury Victoria picked up the Wiltshire Senior Cup for the first time in the club's history when they defeated Pewsey Vale 1-0 in an exciting final at Melksham. The Vics were the underdogs against the Hellenic League Division One runners up, but battled
PEOPLE in Market Lavington are being encouraged to throw out unwanted items as part of a junk swap day. On Sunday, householders will be able to get rid of almost anything or pick up an item discarded by someone else. Residents in Fiddington Clay, Southcliffe
THE new head teacher at Devizes School has pledged to continue the good work of his predecessor Colin Isted who leaves at the end of the summer term. Malcolm Irons, currently deputy head at Kingdown School, Warminster, was chosen by school governors after
THE trial of sheep farmer Lancelot Beale was delayed by legal arguments at Kennet Magistrates' Court in Devizes this week. Beale, of Wyatts Lake Farm, Westbrook, near Bromham, pleaded not guilty to 21 charges when the case started on Monday. He is being
TOP dressage rider Jane Bredin is to perform in a golden jubilee extravaganza for the Queen on Saturday. Ms Bredin, of Great Cheverell, will be among 2,000 riders performing in All The Queen's Horses in the grounds of Windsor Castle, the largest outdoor
THE girlfriend of teenager Jenkins Anderson, who was found drowned in the Kennet and Avon Canal in Devizes, believes his death was an accident. Wiltshire coroner David Masters recorded an open verdict at an inquest on Friday, saying there was much that
MORE than 90 people including the Bishop of Ramsbury, the Rt Rev Peter Hullah, took part in the ceremony of walking around the 26-mile parish boundary of Ramsbury on Sunday. About 60 walkers including Bishop Peter completed the strenuous walk around the
POLICE investigating the death of shopworker William Lawson, who was found face down in a brook in Aldbourne at the weekend, believe it was probably a tragic accident. Mr Lawson, 44, who lived in Claridge Close, Aldbourne, with his wife, Mandy, and eight-year-old
DRUG use in the Swindon area is rocketing, according to a Department of Health report. In the last five years, the number of drug addicts in the South West has doubled, with the annual rate of new cases rising from 1.4 per 1,000 people in 1996 to 3.1
STAFF at Wroughton Surgery took delivery of life-saving equipment, courtesy of the British Heart Foundation charity. The two defibrillators, each costing about £5,000, can be used to re-start a patient's heart in the event of a cardiac arrest and can
PEOPLE saw vets in practice as two of Swindon's animal hospitals opened their doors to the public. Drove Road Veterinary Hospital held a fundraising fair, while the Greenbridge Road branch of Thamesdown Small Animal Hospital held an open day as National
NORTH Wiltshire Conservative MP James Gray has criticised comments made by a Government minister about redundancies at Dyson as "ludicrous and disgraceful". Treasury Minister Paul Boetang said the job cuts at the vacuum manufacturer's Malmesbury headquarters
JUMP jive and doo wop will start the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations with a swing in Swindon as part of a series of open air concerts promoted by the Borough Council and sponsored by the University of Bath in Swindon. The Extraordinaires, the first
FORGET the civilised tea parties or fun days and prepare for some serious head banging to usurp the Golden Jubilee cele-brations in Swindon. An anti-monarchist concert, called Never Mind the Jubilee Let's Party, is being held in the Drove Centre on May
I LIVE in Priory Street, Corsham and recently there has been a considerable increase in what may be described as yobbish behaviour, as always associated with alcohol. Over the past two months a car roof was jumped on, bottles and food wrappers litter
THE SWINDON Disease, mesothelioma, was no respecter of talent otherwise it would never have killed Gordon Talbot. Gordon worked for 44 years at Swindon's railway works as a fitter erector, then as an inspector, but was much better known as one of Swindon's
I FIND that I must write a reply to Ian Hedges letter accusing the Wiggleybus of being unreliable, past a joke and laughable, and in his words no longer a service. For your information Mr Hedges, the service has purchased a fourth vehicle in order to
A CHANCE to swim for England is beckoning for courageous schoolgirl Laura Giddings - nearly four years after she was left disabled by a terrorist bomb blast. Laura (11), who lives in Bramshaw, in the New Forest, lost a leg after she and her family were
I AM just writing to congratulate you on a very comprehensive coverage of Badminton Horse Trials. But there is one major omission your coverage of local riders failed to mention Vicki Brake, not only a local rider having been placed a brilliant 19th,
A WOMAN died days after being pricked by a rose thorn, an inquest heard. Jeanne Harris, 61, pricked her left finger when pruning roses in the garden of her South Cerney home on a Sunday afternoon in June last year. Two days later Mrs Harris, described
WE thank Coun Phillip Allnatt for his support of Trowbridge Chamber of Commerce's call for the Wiltshire County Council scrutiny committee to examine our complaint that the Record Office Options Review was biased against Trowbridge (Gazette May 21). The
THE SPIRIT of Swindon rowing boat and a river steam yacht are just a few of the items on display this weekend at the Science Museum in Wroughton. People will be able access more than 18,000 items rep-resenting technology from the last 100 years during
This isn't Dibley IT is very sad that some excellent parish councillors have felt it necessary to resign over the new Code of Conduct and, in particular, the register of councillors' interests. However, for your paper to portray the new regulations as
A PAIR of robins have turned their beaks up at the miles of hedgerow available in the Wylye Valley and have chosen instead to build their nest in a busy garage workshop. Peter Bates, owner of Riverside Garage, in Stapleford, his workshop manager Steve
FOLLOWING the decision which threw out the Devizes Town Council proposal to amalgamate with Roundway Parish Council I would hope that next time this question arises it will be treated with a lot more openness. That some change will occur is inevitable
A TEAM of archaeologists has unearthed the grave of a 4,000 year-old archer - with gold earrings - on a Boscombe Down building site. The burial site was discovered by the Wessex Archaeology team last week during a routine survey on the site of a proposed
BATTLE lines were drawn this week over the future of local government, as politicians in south Wiltshire gave their reactions to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's plan for regional assemblies. A 112-page white paper Your Region - Your Choice - sets
I HAVE just read the article in today's Evening Advertiser (May 13), about the Steam Museum and the European Museum of the Year awards. Recently you have reported how the museum has been struggling financially. I find it very disappointing that you have
THE argument as to whether vehicles should be allowed to continue using the Ridgeway and other byways drags on and the point which always seems to be glossed over is the serious damage caused to these old paths. That motor vehicles are a serious problem
RE: The Ridgeway: My husband and I both have an interest in rights of way, his motorbikes, my horse. Well, in the past two years I have been involved with the Wiltshire Bridleways Association and the Wiltshire Highways Department in getting and keeping
BATH have played down speculation that Jack Rowell is set to return to the club as director of rugby. Reports this week suggested that Rowell had jumped to the head of the queue to fill the new role created following the departure of head coach Jon Callard
FORMER England international Derek Morgan was the guest of honour as Devizes Rugby Club held their 36th annual presentation dinner on Friday evening. The dinner was the first staged at the club's new London Road headquarters and 116 members, sponsors
FORMER Wales and British Lions skipper Phil Bennett OBE was the guest of honour at Minety Rugby Club's annual dinner on Friday night. Speaking after the meal, Bennett entertained members with anecdotes from his time as a player. He also spoke passionately
JUNIOR RUGBY: BRISTOL'S former England hooker Neil McCarthy was on hand to make the presentations at Wootton Bassett Minis' end-of-season presentations at their Stoneover Lane ground. The overall player of the year was shared this time around, between
RUGBY: CHIPPENHAM lock Martin Walsh has not ruled out a playing return as he begins his recovery from the horrific injury sustained in the club's play-off defeat against Berry Hill last month. Walsh spent 12 days in the Royal United Hospital, Bath, after
