Purton team travel to Red Marley tomorrow eager to produce another victory. They welcome back Nick Carter from holiday which should add valuable variation and experience to the bowling attack. The second team are seriously desimated by holidays. This
A youthful Swindon second XI is led by Blaine Norridge against Wootton Bassett at the County Ground. Bassett are currently walking away with the league, but Swindon will hope to put a dent in their title aspirations. Andy Reed and Mark Williamson will
MANY brides would have fainted if the man they were marrying turned up for the ceremony equipped with a sword and a pistol. But fortunately for Ian Bascombe, his sweetheart Jessica Mason-Storm, who was wearing a traditional white dress, was not surprised
Ever since the dire report by the Audit Commission, it has been clear that Swindon Council's social services department is in a seriously rocky state. The accusations made today by Deborah Rees, formerly a planning officer for adults with learning difficulties
SAM PARKIN'S decision to swap the bright lights of Chelsea for the more rural surroundings of Wiltshire has brought a huge smile to the face of Andy King. Attempts to secure a three-month loan deal for the 21-year-old had looked increasingly forlorn but
MEALS on Wheels users across the UK are getting piping hot dinners thanks to the efforts of two Trowbridge firms. apetito and Trowbridge Vehicle Contracts (TVC), both based on the Canal Road trading estate, have been celebrating delivery of their 200th
Staff at Southern Electric have given county charities a boost by donating £1,000 to worthy causes. Employees from the Melksham depot were awarded the money following their outstanding safety record over the past year. They have chosen to give the money
BUSINESSES in Westbury, Warminster and Frome have been urged to stand up and share the broadband revolution even if they do not intend to use the service. Business adviser David Howlett, of Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire, has said companies need
DAVIES & DAVIES Estate Agents held a sponsored bike ride last month along the canal towpath from Bradford on Avon to Bath and back, a distance of approximately 19 miles. The cyclists all collected sponsorship money before the event and some carried
A TRAIN made an unscheduled stop in Westbury on Sunday, July 4, when a passenger with a serious stomach injury was airlifted to hospital. Doctors examined the man at 1pm and he was flown to the Royal United Hospital, Bath. The First Great Western train
TWO have-a-go heroes helped rescue a woman from an attacker in Westbury. The two heroes helped free a 17-year-old girl who was grabbed by a man in Eden Vale Road. Three men in a red car approached the young girl as she was walking home from Market Place
THE life-saving actions of a Westbury woman have inspired four more people to come forward as bone marrow donors. Sarah Tucker put her name on the bone marrow register 11 years ago and, earlier this month was called on to donate bone marrow to save the
STEAM enthusiasts from Trowbridge and Westbury were able to experience the magic of the bygone railway era on Sunday, July 28. Steam locomotive BR Standard 2-6-0 No. 76079, affectionately known as The Pocket Rocket, passed through the towns on its way
DEVIZES joined Wiltshire neighbours Malmesbury in the Gloucester and Wiltshire League Division One relegation zone after a 57-run loss at fellow strugglers Apperley on Saturday 30 July. Chasing an Apperley total of 166, Devizes were bowled out for 109
LORD MacLaurin has stood down from the race to become chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board. MacLaurin, who lives at Farleigh Hungerford, near Trowbridge, has decided not to stand for re-election in the post he has served for six years. His
IT will be a scorer's nightmare at Erlestoke on Sunday when a cricket team made up from one family take to the field. Members of the Edwards family have been playing for teams in Westbury, Trowbridge and Bradford on Avon teams for the past 35 years, but
Fake £5 and £10 notes are flooding into shops in Bowerhill. Dillons in Blenheim Park and Londis stores and Post Office in Dowding Way have both reported incidents to police. PC Ann Morris, of Melksham police, said the source of the fake notes is a mystery
Staff at Southern Electric have given county charities a boost by donating £1,000 to worthy causes. Employees from the Melksham depot were awarded the money following their outstanding safety record over the past year. They have chosen to give the money
A WEST Wiltshire civil engineering firm has been awarded a £16m contract to modernise an airport. Melksham-based Hochtief (UK) Construction has been asked to build a new terminal building at Guernsey Airport in the Channel Islands. The project is expected
PARENTS who lost children in the Bristol heart scandal have breathed a sigh of relief as disgraced surgeon Janarda Dhasmana lost his unfair dismissal bid. Melksham mother Marie Edwards, 33, lost her five-month-old baby, Jazmine, to heart surgeon Dhasmana
My home is in a cul-de-sac and all of the 20-plus residents put their weekly garbage underneath a lamp post. This post (with a little veer to the left) is in front of my abode. Some weeks the people who live here start putting their rubbish out Wednesday
LONG-awaited plans to improve what has been branded one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the country are staying on the drawing board. Wiltshire County Council will make another bid for cash to upgrade a three-mile stretch of A36 between Codford
KWIK-FIT manager Jamie Martin stole tyres from the Trowbridge garage to put on his own car, and sell on, pocketing the cash. Martin, 24, Highbury Park, Warminster, admitted two charges of theft when he appeared before Chippenham Magistrates Court on Thursday
A SAFARI park has put a pair of the world's most dangerous animals on display. Shocked visitors are coming face to face with humans in a specially constructed cage in the heart of Longleat's famous lion enclosure. Although the bars of the cage have been
FANS of a cult television series are invited to a special tribute day this Sunday, August 4. Longleat Safari Park, near Warminster, is holding its annual Doctor Who day, from 10am and visitors can meet the stars from the classic BBC series. The seventh
NEW recruits sweated it out for charity when they completed an army assault course in Warminster on Sunday, July 28. More than 80 people signed themselves up for the challenge at Battlesbury Barracks, raising more than £9,000 for Cancer Research UK. Teams
BIRTHDAY girl Megan Mead had a change of image at a fun day at the John Barleycorn pub in Warminster on Sunday, July 28. Beautician Lisa Wilson painted her face so she could enjoy her special day in style. The day was organised by Michelle Cherry, with
Warminster residents will get the chance to see the latest plans on how their town centre might be improved. An exhibition is being staged in the town library to focus on improvement ideas from better management of traffic, to a more pedestrian-friendly
STEVE Perrin is winning his fight to be for the new football season. The former Chippenham Town and Melksham Town goalkeeper Steve Perrin is on course to make his playing comeback for Forest Green Rovers in their pre-season friendly against Bristol Rovers
Bomb squad experts carried out a series of controlled explosions in Bythesea Road in Trowbridge after a pile of up to 100 live grenades were found by workmen at the old Territorial Army site. Part of the town centre was sealed off yesterday (Thursday)
DULL journeys are a thing of the past with the introduction of Toyota's In Car Entertainment in the Previa and Avensis Verso and soon to be introduced on Land Cruiser and other Toyota models. What better way to keep young people amused on a long journey
THE Honda Jazz has been voted Car of the Year by Britain's weekly motoring magazine, Auto Express. It not only wins the Supermini category against the cream of the crop of today's small hatchbacks in the publication's New Car Honours, but it gains the
WITH fuel prices a topic of conversation and road tolls and inner city congestion charges ever more likely, motorists are looking for their cars to provide far more than just style and comfort. Although looks are still high on their agenda, excellent
Bill Calthrop talks to Robert Reeve of estate agents Philip Andrews about his 1997 BMW 1.6 SE How long have you owned it? 18 months What made you choose it? Many reasons. The build quality can't be beaten, it has all the extras, the exterior design appeals
THE Friday afternoon phone call to George White involved some bad news and some good news. A last minute change of plan meant the GSX-R750 I was due to have for the weekend had already gone out on another road test and wasn't due back in until Monday
CAR enthusiasts and wine connoisseurs are being invited to a driving challenge at the eastern foothills of the French Pyrenees. Dorothy House Hospice, Winsley, has organised the trip from October 10-13. The charity can take a group of 15 cars on this
I AGREE with John Mason (Star letter, Wiltshire Times, July 26) that adult misbehaviour is a bad example for teenagers and that the number of teenagers who seriously misbehave is small. Unfortunately, child crime grows into adult crime, which is part
What a sad loss to the family, the community of Westbury and indeed to all of us, is the death of John Annetts. He was well-loved and enthusiastic and gave his support to so many groups and individuals, both large and small. The shock felt by all of us
A pregnant woman thought her worst nightmare was about to come true when she felt contractions while stuck in heavy traffic until the police sprang to her rescue. Worried that she might give birth in her car, the woman's mother called the police at 11.45am
CHILDREN'S television favourites, Mr Jolly and sidekick Whybird from Playdays, flew in to cheer up sick youngsters at Princess Margaret Hospital. The duo, who are appearing in a one-off summer sing along show at the Wyvern on Sunday, August 18, performed
A MAN with a sword and pistol strode into Swindon's register office and was promptly disarmed with a kiss. That is because Ian Bascombe, 29, was marrying his sweetheart, Jessica Mason-Storm, 24, at Aspen House, Temple Street, in full American Civil War
A WHISTLEBLOWER today declared Swindon's social services department was ruled by a culture of arrogance. Deborah Rees claims that she spotted serious problems with the care services the council was providing when she joined from Wiltshire County Council
TRAVELLERS who invaded a Semington field two weeks ago could face eviction within weeks. Landowner Albert Baxter is applying to a county court for an eviction order to end the illegal occupation of his field. Up to 20 vehicles invaded the site off the
DEVELOPER Foinavon has said there is a real threat the development of the former Ushers site in Trowbridge may not go ahead. Development director, Paul Bench, said the Capitalis Vision for Trowbridge is delaying an could even destroy plans to transform
Fast action and fine weather brought crowds to Trowbridge cricket ground on Sunday, July 28, as the club hosted its annual six-a-side tournament. The event, now in its fifth year, attracted 12 teams for the knock out competition. Club funds were boosted
MEALS on Wheels users across the UK are getting piping hot dinners thanks to the efforts of two Trowbridge firms. apetito and Trowbridge Vehicle Contracts (TVC), both based on the Canal Road trading estate, have been celebrating delivery of their 200th
Dave Bakewell made a nostalgic return from Canada to meet up with the driver he helped achieve four national race titles.. He left the UK for Canada more than 25 years ago but on Wednesday, July 31, turned the clock back to the 70s for a reunion with
STEAM enthusiasts from Trowbridge and Westbury were able to experience the magic of the bygone railway era on Sunday, July 28. Steam locomotive BR Standard 2-6-0 No. 76079, affectionately known as The Pocket Rocket, passed through the towns on its way
A MISSING parrot is safely back at home, thanks to a Wiltshire Times reader. Peanuts, a three-year-old African Grey, was found in Trowbridge on Friday, July 26, after vanishing from his Bradford on Avon home five days before. His owner, Phil Webb, said
BOMB disposal experts had to be called in to Trowbridge for the second time in just two weeks on Tuesday, July 30, when a shell was found in a garden. The shell later turned out to be harmless but people living within 100 metres of the site, at Jenkins
A WRESTLER from Trowbridge is heading for glory in America. Gareth Humphreys, 20, known to wrestling fans as The Gangster, will be heading for the US on August 9 to wrestle with the National Wrestling Alliance and the American Professional Wrestling Federation
FESTERING food and the remains of peoples' lunches left when staff and customers were forced out of Mountstevens' bakeries in Trowbridge have finally been cleared, a week after the shops shut. The bakery firm went into liquidation last Wednesday lunchtime
Police have launched new measures to combat rising car crime in Trowbridge. There have been 170 vehicle break-ins reported in the town since January and police say many are preventable. Pc Jeff Hudson, of Trowbridge police, said: "As police officers it
PEOPLE living on a Trowbridge estate say that the arrest of a suspected gunman outside their homes is the last straw. Residents of the Seymour estate say they have been plagued with problems, from vandalism and break-ins to drunks hanging around outside
Cirencester Football Academy have been pulled from the Hellenic League and will cease to exist. The club were entered into the league in the late 90s and essentially acted as a reserve side for Dr Martens League Cirencester Town. The outfit provided a
We are constantly being told to use contraception and have safe sex. But after 20-year-old Beverley Marsh took the third generation pill she developed a blood clot and died of a heart attack in 1994. All her parents, Patricia and Harry, of Warminster,
IT'S a well-established characteristic of us British that we take a while to get used to new ideas. The very individual Chrysler PT Cruiser, with its retro styling and clear origins in the American hot-rods of the Fifties, arrived on these shores in 2000
THE arrival of the Ferrari 575M Maranello hails a new level of achievement for Ferrari's successful V12 front-engined sports berlinetta concept. The 575 in its name is an abbreviation of 5,750cc. All-round performance has been improved, particularly by
SIMPLIFYING its 406 line-up, Peugeot has added specification on some models at no extra cost. The basic 406 design has stood the test of time, with the estate winning the Caravan Club towcar of the year for the second time this year, following its victory
HONDA is celebrating 30 years of its Civic this summer as the popular model notches up two million sales in Europe. Since first rolling off the production line in Japan in 1972, Honda's most successful model has topped sales of 14 million worldwide. Now
VISITORS driving between Marlborough and Avebury expecting to see some of the annual crop circles have been surprised to see giant dice and dominoes in a field. But the large dotted shapes at West Overton have nothing to do with alien visitations or freak
WORK is well underway on a flats conversion at a Victorian primary school which parents and teachers fought hard to retain. Gilberts Hill School had taught Swindon children since the town was dominated by the Great Western Railway. But the building was
THE finishing touches are being put in place at the Goddard Arms Hotel before the wedding of the Evening Advertiser Bride of the Year 2002 tomorrow. After months of planning and preparation, Katrina Bennett and David McCarron will tie the knot at the
A FATHER-OF-TWO who attempted to rape a 21-year-old girl in Melksham has been jailed for five years. Martin Palmer, 28, of Foresters Park Road crouched in a dark driveway after spotting the young woman walking home from town alone. Jailing him at Swindon
PLANS to build new roads through the Lydiards and across the rural buffer to Swindon have been opposed by North Wiltshire district councillors. A report following a transport study called SWARMMS (South West Area Multi-Modal Study) included the proposals
DUMPED dirty syringes and needles have become such a problem in one public convenience that extra cleaners have had to be deployed to clear up drug addicts' mess. It is the latest example of a problem that has plagued public toilets in the Old Town area
ULTRA violet lights fitted in the toilets of Swindon railway station to combat drug misuse may not be doing the job, says train company First Great Western. The green lighting is designed to prevent drug addicts from injecting heroin because they make
A woman was subjected to an indecent exposure while walking along an alleyway between Salisbury Street and Gladstone Street, Gorse Hill, at 6.45pm on Monday. The offender is described as olive skinned, aged 20/30s, 5ft 10ins tall, short black hair, wearing
MAY I thank all those people who so generously sponsored me in my cycle ride in aid of Sunflower Go Yellow Prospect Hospice Appeal. A grand total of £680 was raised towards the appeal. Those who sponsored me may like to know that I cycled to Stroud and
HERE we go again! Big business riding roughshod over small enterprises! The small traders in Havelock Street and Morley Street have been ruthlessly plunged into anxiety and insecurity as their future would seem to be determined by the owners of the Brunel
THE prostitutes that work in Swindon do not live here, maybe they are on drugs and need a quick buck to support their habits. But what gives them the right to travel to the centre and work our streets, bringing all their associated problems with them?
In response to your articles about Swindon Borough Council asking the question 'Can things get worse?' the answer is yes. The editorial has been very frosty about the large helpings of hot air and spin supplied by Messrs Bates and Doherty. I agree that
THE protests of angry young football fans have failed to move councillors who turned down plans to develop Chippenham's new playing fields. North Wiltshire District Council refused plans for an access to the fields, off the A4 between Chippenham and Pewsey
Landscape gardener Colin Booth had the shock of his life on Monday afternoon when a black panther strolled out of a hedge he was cutting back at Rowden Hill, Chippenham. Instead of running away or attacking him, the animal just glanced out of the corner
WILTSHIRE Cricket League fixtures for tomorrow: Division One: Box v Swindon Nalgo; Westinghouse v Biddestone; Potterne v Calne; Beanacre v Buscot Park; Bath Civil Service v Burbage and ER. Division Two: Highworth v Minety; Great Bedwyn v Bradford Town
WILTSHIRE, who put on a much improved performance with a draw against second-placed Oxfordshire in their Minor Counties Championship match at Thame earlier this week, take on Berkshire on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at Reading Cricket Club. Squad: Russell
Wootton Bassett and Swindon will both be hoping to end a disappointing run of recent matches when they meet at Bassett tomorrow. Bassett will be looking to find the same sort of form which saw them win convincingly when the two teams last met in a Gloucester
A HIGH-FLYING balloon has made one man £250 richer. Adrian Nash, from Corsham, won the money after his balloon, released as part of Borough Parade's jubilee celebrations, travelled the furthest. Centre manager, Lionel Dicks, presented the prize last Saturday
THE protests of angry young football fans have failed to move councillors who turned down plans to develop Chippenham's new playing fields. North Wiltshire District Council refused plans for an access to the fields, off the A4 between Chippenham and Pewsey
A WEST Wiltshire civil engineering firm has been awarded a £16m contract to modernise an airport. Melksham-based Hochtief (UK) Construction has been asked to build a new terminal building at Guernsey Airport in the Channel Islands. The project is expected
POLICE units were scrambled to a railway line in Westbury as two youths brought a passenger train to a halt. The teenagers were spotted on the track close to The Mead on Tuesday night, July 30. Railtrack was contacted and trains put on caution as units
POLICE are trying to trace the driver of a red saloon who they believe may have been involved in several theft-related incidents on Westbury White Horse during the past month. Visitors to the beauty spot are being warned to take care of their valuables
HIGH-PROFILE police stakeouts of a Westbury graveyard plagued by a drink and underage sex gang are proving to be a success. Police have spoken to several teenagers using the All Saints churchyard in Market Place to try and force them to curb their outrageous
BUSINESSES in Westbury, Warminster and Frome have been urged to stand up and share the broadband revolution even if they do not intend to use the service. Business adviser David Howlett, of Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire, has said companies need
WINSLEY continued their impressive winning run in the Bristol and North Somerset Division with victory over Long Ashton. After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Winsley lost Spencer early, but Jenkins (18) and More (66) produced a good partnership
TROWBRIDGE got back to winning ways in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Division Two after losing a tight game to Redmarley the week before. After being put in to bat, Trowbridge struggled to 68 for four after 25 overs and Purton seemed to have chosen the
THIEVES in Melksham caused thousands of pounds of damage to six cars in a weekend crime spree. Two cars belonging to employees at Cooper-Avon were first hit on Saturday lunchtime, July 27, between 1pm and 2pm. CD stereos worth £400 were taken from a BMW
RESIDENTS on the Forest estate, Melksham are being given a second chance to offer their views on a controversial traffic-calming scheme. Hundreds of residents living off Forest Road were left out of the consultation process last year and only 20 people
Traffic calming measures on Melksham town bridge will be scrapped and replaced later this year. A zebra crossing, linking the town's Millennium Walk, will replace a raised crossing near the Sainsbury's roundabout while a pink traffic cushion will be removed
THE family of Melksham crash victim Adam Lumley has welcomed tough new laws to punish dangerous drivers. Home Office ministers unveiled plans to increase punishments for dangerous drivers, with motorists who kill facing prison sentences of up to 14 years
A FATHER-OF-TWO who attempted to rape a 21-year-old girl in Melksham has been jailed for five years. Martin Palmer, 28, of Foresters Park Road crouched in a dark driveway on Lowbourne after spotting the young woman walking home from town alone. Judge
PERVERTED rock star Gary Glitter's links with Melksham were thrust into the limelight in a TV documentary screened this week. The town's Assembly Hall will go down in history as the venue where the child-porn obsessed glam rocker started his rollercoaster
FRANTIC mother Tracey Cobb has spoken of the fears she harbours for her14-year-old tearaway son after he moved in with a teenage mum-of-two. The 35-year-old Melksham woman says her teenage son Luke is living with an 18-year-old woman in Bowerhill and
MOURNING friends and relatives of drowning victim Moses Ngero packed a Melksham chapel to celebrate his life. The 21-year-old Ugandan student drowned in a private swimming pool at the Kenilworth Gardens home of John Firth of the Good News Church. The
CORPORATE scandals and the collapsing stock market have taken a toll on finances in the USA in recent weeks. In a country where one in six have cash invested in shares, the plummeting Dow Jones has been felt far more widely than the small group of well-fed
THE Bank of England kept interest rates on hold at four per cent against a background of sliding stock markets and cooling demand on the high street. The move, which will please homeowners, means interest rates have now been held at their 38-year low
MOTOROLA hopes an up-turn in the telecoms market could see jobs returning to Swindon but not until 2004. The Swindon based firm is hoping the third genera-tion of mobile phone tech-nology, 3G, will lead to a resurgence in the sector. On Saturday, the
THE BANKRUPCY of bakery chain Mountstevens hasn't just affected its hundreds of staff. Customers who pre-ordered cakes and other products have also been left out of pocket. Elleny O'Dowd, 38, said she ordered a cake from Mountstevens in Market Street,
MAJOR Charles Ingram who won Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? only to have the cheque withheld after being accused of cheating has been charged with deception. Major Ingram, 38, of Easterton, his wife Diana, also 38, and Tecwen Whittock, 52, of Heol-y-Gors
WOOTTON Bassett's Rotary Club is holding a car boot sale at Lower Hook Farm, in the field opposite Lydiard Park, on Sunday (August 4) from 2pm. To book a pitch, at £5 each, call Brenda Sedgwick on Swindon 853508.
THE dawning of a new era for Stonehenge has been announced by English Heritage, who plan to give the historic site a £57m revamp. Improving the access routes and dilapidated visitor centre are at the core of the plans revealed this week. Once labelled
THE health authority responsible for the Royal United Hospital, Bath has pledged to improve services after the government gave the hospital a zero in the latest star ratings. Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Health Authority has launched a comprehensive
CONMEN posing as water board officials have been trying to trick themselves into west Wiltshire homes. A 76-year-old Warminster woman was fooled by two men last Friday, July 26, who claimed they had come round to check her water pipes. After turning on
RESIDENTS are still reeling a week after a mobile phone aerial was installed near children's bedrooms. The 3.7m aerial sprung up unexpectedly on a roof next to Yard Court, Warminster and can be seen by more than 40 families who live nearby. Residents
Warminster: The BBC's popular series, One Man and His Dog is going to be filming at Longleat, near Warminster, on August 26 between 2pm and 5pm and August 27 from 10am to 5pm. All spectators are welcome.
BUSINESSES in Westbury, Warminster and Frome have been urged to stand up and share the broadband revolution even if they do not intend to use the service. Business adviser David Howlett, of Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire, has said companies need
THE Skoda may be the butt of many jokes, but one of Longleat's tigers clearly has a taste for the vehicle literally. A north Wiltshire visitor is having the damage to his car assessed after one of the safari park's famous white tigers bit right through
A COUPLE'S seven-year campaign to get justice for their dead daughter has been ended by a High Court ruling. Patricia and Harry Marsh, of Woodcock Park, Warminster, heard the news they had been dreading a test case against the third-generation contraceptive
TODAY'S Chrysler Grand Voyager is the direct des-cendant of the world's first recognisable MPV, referred to then as a minivan, and that was in the early 80s. It was the birth of a legend and July last year saw production of the nine millionth Voyager
CARS are becoming more reliable but more are being recalled, according to figures in the Consumers' Association Which? magazine. The magazine's members supplied motor-reliability information on 34,000 cars up to two years old. A total of 94 per cent of
THE war on car thieves is hotting up but there's a lot more work to be done to cut motor crime figures. Despite the Government's widely publicised target to cut car crime by 30 per cent in five years, car crime rose in the last 12 months and continues
THE MG marque has always had a special place in the hearts of motoring enthusiasts. In the 1930s MG Midget versions raced to new records, some of them were supercharged, some were large, fairly stately machines, all of them were fun and all of them were
FORMER pupils who left Bradford on Avon County Infant and Junior School in 1976 and 1977 will be reunited on August 17. Teachers, dinner ladies and support staff from the time have also been invited to the event which will be held at The Swan Hotel, from
BRADFORD ON AVON: Door mirrors were ripped off a car parked in St Margaret's Street on Saturday morning, July 27, Incidents of criminal damage are happening in the one-way street every week, and seven cars have been damaged in a three-week period. Elsewhere
DAVIES & DAVIES Estate Agents held a sponsored bike ride last month along the canal towpath from Bradford on Avon to Bath and back, a distance of approximately 19 miles. The cyclists all collected sponsorship money before the event and some carried
I write to respond to Greg Phillimore's letter (June 21), who commented on an article featured in the Wiltshire Times on May 25, concerning the work of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust in encouraging non-chemical forms of slug control. Mr Phillimore is wrong
LAST summer on the last day of school I came home and my mother told me at least two rats have been in our garden. Not knowing how big the problem was I thought it would be just a one-off. During that first week we saw rats come in our garden and how
AGAIN your paper has carried a number of letters relating to the Hilperton Gap, and the possibility of a road cutting through it, but, yet again, not one person has suggested the cheapest and most obvious alternative; the completion of the Trowbridge
Firstly, may I thank the editor for publishing the recent article in the Wiltshire Times on netmums.com/westwilts. As a voluntary organisation run by local mums, we have no advertising budget and so all help in letting as many local mums as possible know
With reference to the letter from Ian and Gill Cardy in last week's edition, it's good to see points of concern now being openly aired for everyone to consider. With the consultation process starting in earnest in two months or so I would urge everyone
PLEASE thank your readers on behalf of the children suffering the after effects of the Chernobyl disaster, who visited us earlier in the year for their wonderful kindness. The children took home enough multivitamins for them and their siblings for almost
A TRAVELLING circus ring-mistress is bringing her show back to the Wiltshire village where she grew up. Nell Gifford is director of the Giffords Circus, which arrived in Minety yesterday as part of a tour around the South West. She currently lives in
In the not too distant future, horse-drawn longboats could be operating on Swindon's doorstep. MARTIN VINCENT found out how. Britain's newly restored canal network is rapidly becoming the centre of an expanding major leisure industry. More people are
THIS was the scene on the Oxford Road last night after a lorry overturned causing mass delays for motorists for four hours. The driver was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital with head injuries after the 3pm accident near the junction with the A419 in
A COURT has granted the father convicted of murdering his baby son indirect visiting rights to his daughter. This means Paul Oldacre, 29, is allowed to receive a picture of his four-year-old daughter Savannah once a year and will be allowed to send her
ONE of Trowbridge Hospital's best-loved staff members has retired after 30 years. Elvira Lappin, 65, left her job as a maternity auxiliary at the hospital on Wednesday, July 31, She has been the face of the hospital for thousands of mums through running
A COUPLE were shot at with an airgun while driving out of Castle Place multi-storey car park in Trowbridge on Monday, July 29. A window of their purple Ford Fiesta car was shattered in the attack, which happened at 3.05pm. Pc Martin Scorah, of Trowbridge
KWIK-FIT manager Jamie Martin stole tyres from the Trowbridge garage to put on his own car, and sell on, pocketing the cash. Martin, 24, Highbury Park, Warminster, admitted two charges of theft when he appeared before Chippenham Magistrates Court on Thursday
A TROWBRIDGE couple are searching for a Good Samaritan who saved their car from would-be thieves. Bill and Kathy Wyllie left the keys to their Nissan Micra in the ignition when they parked- at the old Tesco site in St Stephen's Place on Monday, July 29
PROTESTERS are expected to gather outside West Wiltshire District Council offices this morning as the row over a road through the Hilperton Gap steps up a gear. The future of the gap has been under discussion for nearly 30 years and today anti-road protesters
Thieves stole a charity box from under the noses of volunteers working at Trowbridge Tourist Information Centre. An elderly volunteer tried to chase two youths through the town park after a donations box was taken from a counter. The thieves posed as
DETECTIVES hunting an attacker who bit off and swallowed a man's eyebrow have been disappointed at the public response. Police believe several people may be able to identify the attacker who launched into the savage assault outside a kebab van in Fore
A SPONSORED head shave has set staff at Trowbridge county court well on the way to raising £1,000 for charity. Customer service officer Jonathan Burnan had his head shaved, raising £335. He said: "I said I would do it if we managed to raise over £150.
A total of £400,000 will be spent on helping children in Wiltshire who live in rural areas of disadvantage. Salisbury, Chippenham, Trowbridge and Amesbury will receive £100,000 each from the Wiltshire Children's Fund. The Wiltshire Children and Young
A budding young impressionist from Trowbridge was among the hopefuls at a regional semi-final of the Haribo Young Impressionist competition. Esther McCann, 14, was one of 12 youngsters selected to compete at the Centre Promenade in Bristol this week for
VILLAGERS in Semington have given a guarded welcome to the news that work could start on a bypass around their homes in September. Transport Secretary Alistair Darling has sanctioned the £10m road, but parish councillors say they have been let down too
DOCTORS have told the family of Trowbridge schoolgirl Charlotte Wakeham, that she should be well enough to go on a dream holiday to Disney World. Charlotte, seven, is nearing the end of radiotherapy treatment for a terminal brain tumour and has responded
Sensational acts combined with brilliant sunshine brought record attendance to one of the music calendars' best-loved festivals. Some of the music world's leading performers converged on idyllic Stowford, to celebrate the 29th Trowbridge Village Pump
CHIPPENHAM TOWN come face to face with an old foe tomorrow when Dartford come to Hardenhuish Park. Although the two sides have never met, Dartford boss Tommy Sampson will be very familiar to Bluebirds' fans. Sampson was in charge of the Deal Town side
Swindon Town legend Don Rogers seems set to reject the invitation to take over as manager at Devizes Town. The current Pewsey Vale boss tops the wanted list at Nursteed Road following Brian Newlands' surprise resignation last week, The Devizes board were
Nobody expects their son to set up home with a woman when they are just 14 years old. Distraught Melksham mother Tracey Cobb is facing up to this reality, as her son Luke has moved in with an 18-year-old woman. Despite her son's violent past, Mrs Cobb
IN a close fought match, Westbury angler Vicky Hier gained the advantage over her boyfriend Steve Martin in the Haines Angling open evening float only match at Woodland Park on Monday 29 July. Vicky won with a carp and roach catch weighing 11lb 5oz, taken
A LEADING tyre manufacturer is looking for the oldest tyres in regular use on any vehicle. This follows the discovery that Welsh farmer Allan Davies has had the same pair of Goodyear tyres on his tractor since May 1968. Mr Davies said: "One of the tyres
MAKING deliveries, driving to work or dropping the kids off at school we all use cars for different reasons and encounter other drivers on a daily basis. Most drivers will have been taken by surprise at some time as a young man in a sports car speeds
DEMAND for luxury and individuality has fueled an explosion in the number of models available in the new car market. There are 4,506 new cars available now more than 26 per cent up on the number in showrooms in 1998. Major growth seen over the past four
DRIVERS convicted of causing death by dangerous driving will face up to 14 years in prison under proposals announced by the government on Thursday. Drivers convicted of offences such as careless driving and uninsured driving could face tough community
AROUND £1,000 has been granted by a supermarket chain to help preserve a Swindon landmark. Oxford, Swindon and Gloucester Co-op has presented a £1,000 community dividend grant to the New Mechanics' Institution Preservation Trust. The grant was handed
The BBC is looking for audiences from Swindon to take part in the BBC Radio 4 current affairs series, Any Questions when it visits the town in September. The programme will be broadcast live to the nation from Christ Church in Old Town on Friday, September
TWO partners from the acclaimed Goldworthy's Hairdressing in Swindon, have reached the finals of the British Hairdresser of the Year Awards. Julian Clarke is one of six finalists of the 2002/3 Wales and South West Regional Award, in his first attempt
WOOTTON Bassett's High Street Festival, the town's major celebration of the Queen's golden jubilee, takes place on Saturday. The fun is from 10.30am to 7pm and attractions include stalls, a bouncy castle, children's fairground rides, balloon modelling
WORLD Peace Day will be celebrated with the annual Lantern Float at Coate Water on Tuesday. People are invited to go along and make lanterns at the marquee next to the Coate Water Visitor Centre between 1pm and 9pm on Tuesday or just turn up to see up
ONE of Wiltshire's least healthy areas is to get a new state-of-the-art medical centre. Priory Road Clinic, on the corner of Royston Road and Priory Road in Park South, is to be demolished in September for work to start on the construction of a two-storey
PLANS to convert the dual carriageway which runs near Swindon into a motorway have been denied by the Government. Reports about the aim of certain agencies to upgrade A419 were made by Christine Shine, Cots-wolds representative of pressure group Transport
NTL cut off a telephone service to the mother of a seriously disabled child even though the bill had been paid. And when Karen Walker contacted the firm to explain that the bill had been paid, she was told she could not have her service back unless she
NTL has had a 66-year-old grandmother threatened with doorstep debt collectors over £54 she did not owe. Rose Brookman, 66, from Kingsdown Park in Swindon, was also threatened with being taken to court. Now NTL has apologised and admitted it was wrong
CHILDREN cared for by social services have the opportunity to participate in a summer drama workshop, Key 2 Care, organised by Swindon Borough Council and KANDU Arts. Two workshops have been organised this month, designed to encourage children and young
Bomb squad experts carried out a series of controlled explosions in Bythesea Road in Trowbridge after a pile of up to 100 live grenades were found by workmen at the old Territorial Army site. Part of the town centre was sealed off yesterday (Thursday)
THE e-voting pilot scheme launched by Swindon Council this year was the biggest and among the most successful in the country, according to the Electoral Commission. The council was one of 30 councils to trial new ways of voting in the local elections
A CLAIMED explosion in the rat population was today played down by a Swindon expert. But people who leave litter are being warned that they are banging the dinner gong for the vermin. Mike Poole, a senior environmental health officer with Swindon Council
A QUARRY accident, in which a Swindon digger driver suffered back injuries, is being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive. William Gwynitt, 37, of Headlands Grove, was trapped in his vehicle after it toppled over at Farmington Quarry, near
EXPLORER David Hempleman-Adams will not be attempting a world record breaking high-altitude balloon flight today because of the weather. He was due to take off with fellow balloonist Don Cameron, managing director of Cameron Balloons, from Western Zoyland
A man purporting to be from the Southern Electricity Board managed to enter the home of an elderly woman living in Blake Crescent, Upper Stratton, yesterday (Thursday). The man left after a short conversation with the woman at 9.50am. Alvina Kumar, spokeswoman
I AGREE with your reader re the placing of unsuitable tenants into what was a haven for senior citizens. Cars driven on paths: "I must park outside my bungalow to wash my car" and dogs which both bark and howl. No interest in a community spirit whatsoever
I WAS very concerned about the remarks made by the council social services officer John Hughes, when he stated that the department does provide adaptions for deaf people in their homes, and that deaf people have the same difficulties as other groups.
SO Swindon is to get a fifth McDonalds restaurant? A fifth. Tell me, is Swindon Borough Council now concentrating its efforts on winning the most McDonalds in a five mile radius award for our town? Or is it something else. Are they content to settle for
SO Michael Wills MP is disgusted by the leaked resignation of Swindon's Chief Executive. Is he really that stupid as to think that this man could stay at his post in the face of a failed LEA Ofsted, a seriously failed social services Inspection and I
IS Swindon becoming infested with traffic lights? Everywhere you look we have a new set of lights springing up which is causing more chaos for us motorists in Newport Street, Coate Water and by the Lady Margaret in Oxford Road, to name a few. What I cannot
