A JOURNEY time between Swindon train station and London of just 35 minutes sounds like pie in the sky. First Great Western's vision of 21st century rail travel at speeds of 200 miles an hour could be, of course, just another public transport promise that
IT is barely believable that two 13-year-olds could get their hands on a firearm which they then used in an attempt to rob three other boys. But for the quick thinking of one of the victims, who grabbed the weapon when it was almost level with his face
FIFTY varieties of apple were among the exhibits on show at a day to celebrate the humble fruit. Visitors flocked to the Family Apple Day at Wiltshire College, Lackham on Sunday where apple games and entertainment throughout the day included an apple
A WAR of words has broken out following this week's vote of no confidence in Swindon and Wiltshire councils that was passed by North Wiltshire District Council. The district council is furious at what it claims is Swindon's attempts to swallow up towns
A 200 MILE classic car tour around the north Wiltshire area has proved a roaring success with drivers and visitors. The event, organised by North Wiltshire District Council, saw 74 cars from all over the country taking part with models ranging from a
PARTNERS Employment Services in Trowbridge has launched a new driving division to meet demand. The new outfit will specialise in placing drivers of all types of vehicles in permanent and temporary positions throughout the region. The firm, based in Church
RETAILERS in Bradford on Avon have celebrated a successful promotion day which saw hundreds of people flock into the historic town to find out what traders and a flurry of new shops in the town have to offer. Among the new attractions was The Real Meat
BUSINESSES in Trowbridge are being asked to support the town's Christmas lights appeal with cash. The fundraising drive is being co-ordinated by Trowbridge Chamber of Commerce, which has set a target of £4,000. Electrical contractors have already installed
GHOSTS and ghouls may be putting in an appearance in Westbury all in a good cause. Children and adults have the chance to find out about all the spooky goings on in the town in a ghost walk with writer, Michelle Slade. They are all being asked to turn
A SURGE in demand for Airsprung beds has led to the introduction of a night shift at the Trowbridge firm. The company, which has just launched a new marketing initiative, sells more than 10,000 beds per week across the country. Human resources manager
A FOOTBALL fanatic lost his brave fight against a debilitating disease on Monday. Neil Gardiner, 54, of Lilac Grove, Westbury, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in January and had just been discharged from hospital. He was determined to die
WILTSHIRE TIMES EXCLUSIVE: A TOM Jones hit record sparked a huge pub brawl as a karaoke contest descended into drunken violence. Father and daughter John and Rebecca Wigmore drunkenly attacked three women in a Trowbridge pub during a brawl ignited by
ANOTHER school has been infected by legionella as the bug continues to spread across Wiltshire. Last week, the potentially deadly bacteria, which causes legionnaire's disease, was found in a water system for a disabled shower and toilet at Westbury Infants
FORMER Wiltshire all-rounder Roger Sillence has won a contract with Gloucestershire. The one-year deal is Sillence's reward for a successful end to the season with the first class county. The 25-year-old, who plays club cricket for Corsham, was awarded
RAILWAY enthusiasts are expected to bid keenly at a sale for plans of a rail link that was never built. Historian Roger Pope, who is selling the 1836 plans, for a Melksham-Devizes link said it is probable that they were drawn up by one of Isambard Kingdom
REVAMPED designs for notorious public toilets in Melksham will be discussed at a meeting on Monday. The Bath Road toilets, close to King George V playing fields, were previously earmarked for a child-only facility to deter perverts, as part of a refurbishment
SKATEBOARDERS in Melksham will be involved in helping to design a new purpose-built facility in the town park. Civic leaders hope the skate park earmarked for Bath Road car park will eradicate the problem of skateboarding youths in the town. Fears the
A DIVING instructor from Melksham spoke of his concern for a friend caught up in the Bali nightclub bombing. Keith Laird, 49, who runs Aqualeisure in Market Place, was horrified when he realised one of friends was caught up in the devastating terrorist
About 60 people attended a presentation at the University of Bath in Swindon's Oakfield Campus for the official launch of the M4 Business Resource, which first opened its doors to the community in February. Guests toured the resource centre, which shares
Tessa Harding (Letters, October 11) informs us about the Help The Aged campaign against age discrimination, and asks for government legislation to "challenge policies and practices that discriminate against older people". In view of this campaign maybe
We have recently seen that that film classifications have changed to incorporate a new 12A which will allow younger children accompanied by an adult to see films with a possible sexual content. Although this has caused concern for some parents it is important
THE rate of house price growth is accelerating again after the market eased slightly during the summer, according to new figures from the Royal Institu-tion of Chartered Surveyors. It said that house price inflation was currently running at close to two-and-a-half
TEACHERS are hoping they will be able to inject a bit of Latin spirit into reading and writing lessons when they return from a fact-finding trip to Cuba. Nine Wiltshire County Council primary school teachers and one education advisor will fly to the island
PLANNING applications should be dealt with more quickly and efficiently after changes at West Wiltshire District Council. The development control department has been re-organised so residential applications are dealt with separately from commercial ones
POTENTIAL town and district councillors are being urged to put their names forward for next year's election. The elections for West Wiltshire District Council and all town and parish councils will be held in May 2003. People of all ages and from all walks
A Wiltshire Times competition winner has offered the parents of tragic Charlotte Wakeham the chance of a night out in London. Brenda Poolman won two tickets to see new musical 125th Street at the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End. She said: "I have
COMPUTER experts from Swindon College have picked up two awards. Kester Manclark, 26, of Wootton Bassett, and Frank McClean, 51, of Pewsey, received two of this year's three Medals for Excellence awards for IT from City and Guilds examination board. The
REFUSE collectors in West Wiltshire now look likely to strike after the failure of last-ditch talks with employers. Workers unanimously rejected a three per cent pay offer from private contractor, Cleanaway, and will now be balloted for strike action.
A VARIETY of sports in west Wiltshire will benefit from the latest round of Lottery grants, with three projects sharing over £750,000 in funding. Kingdown School, Warminster, Bradford on Avon Rugby Club and Warminster Bowls Club will all now be able to
PRIMARY and secondary school teachers from across west Wiltshire were brushing up on their ball skills with Bath Rugby this week. The teachers from 34 primary and six secondary schools took part in a sports development course as part of a project to encourage
THE Wessex Male Choir will be performing in Wootton Bassett next month to raise money for the town's mayor's chosen charity. The concert will take place at the Methodist Church on the High Street on Saturday, November 16, at 7.30pm to raise money for
FLOODING became a very real possibility as torrential rain swept across Wiltshire this week. A floodwatch alert was issued by the Environment Agency after heavy rainfall caused rivers to rise to a dangerous level. The floodwatch remained in force all
TWENTY-FIVE companies have signed a petition to protest against plans for a waste processing plant on West Wilts Trading Estate. Hemmings Waste has submitted plans for a transfer and recycling base at Cory Way, which could eventually process up to 200,000
ANOTHER school has been infected by legionella as the bug continues to spread across Wiltshire. Last week, the potentially deadly bacteria, which causes legionnaire's disease, was found in a water system for a disabled shower and toilet at Westbury Infants
SCREWFIX DIRECT LEAGUE: WESTBURY let a two-goal half-time lead slip under a second half onslaught from Exmouth in Saturday 12 October First Division clash. Striker Richard Spiller was the seasiders' hero as he scored with the fourth of four chances in
ALDBOURNE eased into the quarter-finals of the Corsham Print Senior Cup, defeating Malmesbury Vics Reserves 4-0 on their own ground, thanks to Gavin Barron (2), Mark Bennett and an own goal from Vics defender Mark Lester. Ferndale Rodbourne defeated Chiseldon
NINE man Rudloe finally made certain that the Knockout Cup will have a new home come next April when they beat Broughton Gifford Reserves 2-0 in an incident packed preliminary round replay. With Gifford's first team having already relinquished a record
SPECIAL REPORT - EL ALAMEIN: SOLDIERS who sacrificed their lives during the Second World War are remembered in a peaceful corner of El Alamein in Egypt. Stationed in the area with the Royal Engineers in 1944, Sapper Burt Paul visited the cemetery to pay
SPECIAL REPORT - EL ALAMEIN: WAR veteran Bill Rendell recalls El Alamein a battle which marked a breakthrough for the allies. By Ben Payne. NEARLY 60 years on, a former soldier of the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry (RWY) remembers a battle which marked the
ARMY barracks in Warminster will benefit from a multi-million pound investment project. Soldier accommodation will be upgraded at the Land Warfare Centre and Battlesbury Barracks. The plans are part of Project Allenby the £1bn building and modernisation
Customer Service Advisors at MAGIC, Ford's Swindon-based information service for disabled and mature drivers, have been taking many calls from people keen to know more about the Ford Fusion. Marketing and communication manager, Sue Lindsay, said: "All
An ingenious world-first one-motion fold flat rear seat and a power tailgate that can be fully opened and closed at the press of a button typify the out-standing versatility of the new Honda Accord Tourer to be launched in spring next year. Building on
Safety is playing a big role at this year's Motor Show, reports Bill Calthrop. Safety first is the motto of a small minority of the car buying public. Only people unfortunate enough to have been involved in a serious road accident are likely to enter
Success can be measured in relatively small numbers, just ask Mazda. Sales of its all-new Mazda6, launched in July, have far outstripped expec-tations putting the company on course for a 6,000 take-up figure by the end of the year. This is good news for
A CHARITY auction raising money for research into a killer lung disease has raised thousands of pounds. Organised by ex-Radio 4 presenter Jonathan Hewat, whose 55-year-old wife Theresa suffers from LAM disease, the auction boasted more than 80 lots, ranging
FLOODING became a very real possibility as torrential rain swept across Wiltshire this week. A floodwatch alert was issued by the Environment Agency after heavy rainfall caused rivers to rise to a dangerous level. The floodwatch remained in force all
MORE than 100 singers from west Wiltshire will join well-known names from the music world for a concert in Bradford on Avon. Members of a school choir and the West Wiltshire Young Musicians will take part in a concert with Harvey Brough, formerly of Harvey
FULL planning permission has been granted to build a 38-place day care centre in Aldbourne. The new facility, called Sixpenny Day Care, is expected to open next spring. It will be the first centre in Aldbourne to cater for children aged eight weeks to
POLICE took action against 66 motorists during a four-month crack down on speeding in Avebury. The police operation, which took place on Wednesdays, when up to 600 motorcyclists attend meetings at the Red Lion pub, ran from April to September. The majority
I'VE recently had a baby and, like so many other new mothers, feel overwhelmingly aware of how precious and important our children are. I'm writing to you because up and down the country in the run up to Christmas, from November, church services called
I AM trying to find out if there are any known descendants of an auntie of mine, Lily Maria Spencer, and her son John Spencer. The last known area where they lived was Bradford on Avon and I believe the family would have been farming there. I should be
MY sister has sent me copies of your August 30 edition with the photo of the Guide camp and the September 6 edition with the names remembered by Valerie Carr. However, the date was August 1949. I was delighted she had remembered everyone's name because
The debate over the cinema has been going on for too long now. Sadly the one shut in Castle Place nearly 20 years ago and for some extremely odd reason no one has managed to build another cinema since. There needs to be a public debate on why this is
ABBEY Meads is set to have a new combined £2 million church and 210-place primary school within two years. The Diocese of Bristol, working with the United Reformed Church, has submitted a planning application relating to the village centre in Taw Hill
BOOTS the tabby cat has already seen enough adventure to last a lifetime, yet he is only six weeks old. Two schoolchildren found him in a small shoebox with holes in the top for air and a towel for warmth inside. He was at a bus stop on the High Street
Saturday Chippenham v Corsham (away) NPI Cup match, Meet 12.30pm at clubhouse kickoff 2.30pm: Newson, Spence, Pratt, Shuker, Todd, Coope, G Squires, McNerlin, Dunford, Fitzwater, Barnes, Crockett (captain), Salisbury, Smith, Barnard. Subs: Scott Sherratt
SWINDON will be hoping lightning does strike twice when they entertain Wallingford in the Powergen Intermediate Cup at Greenbridge Road tomorrow. The hosts thrashed their Oxfordshire opponents 58-12 in Southern Counties North two weeks ago and would appear
AN 18th Century town bridge is to undergo vital re-strengthening work to ensure it can withstand the wear and tear of heavy lorries. Work starts on Trowbridge town bridge, which connects Stallard Street with Wicker Hill, on Monday and will last for two-and-a-half
TWO cycling enthusiasts from Hilperton have raised £200 for the village school in a coast-to-coast bike ride. Pete Grayshon and Tim Rigley took four days to travel the 140 miles between Whitehaven and Teignmouth. Mr Grayshon said: "It was really good,
MUSICIANS from Trowbridge are to help raise funds to send a woman to Uganda. Steve Payne, Steve Loudun and Phil Crowther are playing a gig at the White Swan, Church Street on Sunday night, October 20. The money raised will go to 23-year-old Shelley Brown
YOUNG people from Wiltshire schools have voted the county a cool place to live in a debate to mark Local Democracy Week. Students from three schools took over Wiltshire County Council's council chamber to debate issues young people feel passionate about
WILTSHIRE TIMES EXCLUSIVE: A TOM Jones hit record sparked a huge pub brawl as a karaoke contest descended into drunken violence. Father and daughter John and Rebecca Wigmore drunkenly attacked three women in a Trowbridge pub during a brawl ignited by
Premier leaders Stratton Crosslink will be looking over their shoulders at the chasing pack this weekend after their first defeat of the season at Wroughton last week. Albert Dearing's side have had their league lead cut to just three points over Wroughton
The only surprise in the first round of the Swindon Primary Schools Pentel Cup came in the game between Robert le Kyng and Ruskin. Robert Le Kyng took an early two-goal lead but it was Ruskin who piled on the pressure and levelled the game. Neither side
Wootton Bassett are in league action at home to Bicester Town, and their boss Pete Yeardley will be hoping his side will be able to score in the 90 minutes and not leave it to the fifth minute of injury time as they did last week against Pegasus Juniors
The latest terrorist atrocity in Bali has sent waves of fear around the world, and news that a Chippenham man was hurt in the incident has brought the horror very close to home. Paul Lawrenson was left badly injured in the explosion that ripped through
TICKETS are now available for the annual Poppy Appeal Open match, sponsored by Kingswood Canvas Ltd., and organised by the Kingswood and Hanham British Legion Angling Club. The event will be held on November 10 on the Avon from Kelston to Chequers, with
THERE was a lot of discussion when the National Lottery was first launched about whether or not it was a good thing. Many people still criticise the profits made from it and accuse it of encouraging gambling but surely no-one could argue that it hasn't
ANGLING: THE pike fishing season has opened at Chew Valley, from boats for the first six day period. Expectations were high after recent captures of several big pike on fly but the rather still sunny weather and the unwillingness of the biggest fish to
Peugeot took 8.1 per cent of the total UK new car market in the third quarter of the year, with sales of over 35,000 units. Peugeot thus maintained its position as third biggest seller for the month behind Ford and Vauxhall. The Peugeot 206 led the retail
A GROUP of Swindon bikers will brave the elements later this month when they take part in the UK's largest sea front motorcycle race. Darren Pyne, Michael Baker, Andrew Boles, Colin Smith, Nigel Bright, Wayne Holder, Danny Frankham and Paul Watson have
PEOPLE living in Purton and Swindon are sampling the delights of the Timberland Trail. The trail, which opened earlier this week, is the latest Great Western Community Forest project that aims to get more people out and about in the countryside. It runs
ME AND MY CAR: Bill Calthrop is reacquainted with a rare S-Reg Nissan Skyline GTR he road tested before it was sold to a Marlborough JP and later bought by its present owner, Swindon solicitor Rob Ross. He talks about why he loves the car. How long have
AFTER numerous delays, Fairford has finally hit the information superhighway. The town council originally planned to launch its own website in February 2001, but the project was delayed because the company designing it went bust and a new firm had to
FLYING medics from the Wiltshire Air Ambulance service have been praised for trying to save the life of a 12-year-old girl who died after her bike was in collision with a car. Charlotte Smith, a pupil at the John Bentley School in Calne, was airlifted
A mass being held for the victims of September 11 will start at 11am at the Holy Rood Church in Groundwell Road on Sunday, October 20 at 11am. Prayers will be led by the head of Swindon's Roman Catholic Community, Monsignor Richard Twomey. The mass has
POLICE took action against 66 motorists during a four-month crack down on speeding in Avebury. The police operation, which took place on Wednesdays, when up to 600 motorcyclists attend meetings at the Red Lion pub, ran from April to September. The majority
Cancer sufferer Charlie Jarvis will be the special guest at a free fireworks fun night. Charlie, four, will attend the bash on Monday at Asda Wal-Mart. The 15-minute fireworks display is due to go off at 8pm but the supermarket has two hours of fun lined
TWO parishes have called for Swin-don Council to keep the main road linking them open. Blunsdon St Andrew and Haydon Wick Parish Councils have issued a joint statement calling for a re-think on the decision to close Lady Lane to cars. The road was initially
SWINDON Council is urging the public and shopkeepers to think safety first during this year's firework season. Nationally the number of injuries, particularly among teenagers, increased by 50 per cent last year, the biggest increase in seven years Coun
CONSTITUENTS have been contacting MP Michael Wills with complaints about unauthorised energy transfers by gas and electricity companies resulting in stress, inconvenience and unnecessary costs. Many residents have found their energy supplies transferred
DRUNK Kuldip Singh has been jailed for 18 months after indecently assaulting a woman in a steam room at Swindon's Milton Road Health Hydro. Swindon Crown Court heard how the woman first met Singh at a town centre pub in February. But later, as she was
A POLICE officer has spoken of the moment he saw a driver travel the wrong way along the M4, seconds before an accident that killed two people. An inquest heard how widower Anthony Riddle, 69, turned out of the exit slip road of Membury Services and drove
I WRITE with reference to the article in the Evening Advertiser of October 16, regarding the residents at Beatty Court, Swindon. In the article, Anchor Housing Trust spokesman Sean Haran is quoted as saying: "A relief manager spends at least one hour
THE combined Melksham and Devizes under 15s team overcame older opponents and dreadful conditions to register a 22-17 victory over Bradford on Avon in their first home game of the season. Dan Plaxton, Scott Simmons, Perry Burton and Chris Hobbs scored
THERE is something drastically wrong when governments hush up the truth, eg America guzzles oil like no other country on Earth and experts claim that from 2010 there will be a permanent three per cent per year decline in output from the world's oilfields
WESTBURY were determined to shake off the effects of last week's poor game against Tadley and were soon were a try up after a set penalty move saw Matt Doughty breaking through two tackles to crash over the line. Five minutes later Doughty scored again
How I sympathise with RAM of Woodhall Park and the fear he or she feels of unsociable use of fireworks (Letters, October 17). But RAM seems to think that those making the profits actually care. I have a problem every year with children who think it's
TROWBRIDGE travelled to Weymouth on Saturday 12 October to play against the only other unbeaten side in Dorset and Wiltshire Division One and came away with a hard earned draw. With a strong wind blowing directly down the pitch Weymouth elected to start
THE second fifteen again found themselves playing catch up rugby after giving their opponents a 20 point lead in the first quarter. They then came into the game and playing some of their best rugby this season scoring two tries from Mike Burbage and Rich
I AM writing with regard to the article I saw via your website on October 16 relating to the dredging of Shaftesbury Lake. Originally from Swindon, I currently keep abreast of issues 'back home' through your website. I was extremely happy to read that
MATT Perry and Steve Borthwick both make their first starts of the season as Bath go about the apparent formality of qualifying for the second round of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup tomorrow (2.15pm). With the tie virtually in the bag after a 40-3 first-leg
A Chippenham man accused of rape has been released on bail after appearing before a judge in the crown court. Ashley Lawrence has been freed on condition he lives at his mother's home in Lowestoft, Suffolk, and does not return to Wiltshire unless he has
A FORMER Lions' president has been found hanging at his home in Sadlers Mead, Chippenham. Colin Hutchison, 61, was found by his wife Edwina. Mrs Hutchison discovered the body of her husband on Wednesday and the police were called. Mr Hutchison, who was
YOUNG people from Wiltshire schools have voted the county a cool place to live in a debate to mark Local Democracy Week. Students from three schools took over Wiltshire County Council's council chamber to debate issues young people feel passionate about
MEL MACHIN was expected to be offered the post of Town manager today with Andy King likely to become director of football at the County Ground. The former Bournemouth, Manchester City and Barnsley boss is thought to be the board's choice to take charge
YOUNG people from Wiltshire schools have voted the county a cool place to live in a debate to mark Local Democracy Week. Students from three schools took over Wiltshire County Council's council chamber to debate issues young people feel passionate about
RAILWAY enthusiasts are expected to bid keenly at a sale for plans of a rail link that was never built. Historian Roger Pope, who is selling the 1836 plans, for a Melksham-Devizes link said it is probable that they were drawn up by one of Isambard Kingdom
COMPUTER experts from Swindon College have picked up two awards. Kester Manclark, 26, of Wootton Bassett, and Frank McClean, 51, of Pewsey, received two of this year's three Medals for Excellence awards for IT from City and Guilds examination board. The
COMPUTER software developed by a Chippenham firm was due to be launched into space yesterday on the INTEGRAL satellite from Russia. The software has been developed by Chippenham based company, SciSys, formerly Science Systems. INTEGRAL which is short
STUDENTS across Wiltshire found out this week whether the A-level results they were awarded in August were what they really deserved. Thousands of students nationwide have been awarded higher grades after the grading fiasco that saw some miss out on a
STUDENTS in Westbury raised hundreds of pounds for a children's cancer charity with a fancy dress relay between their school and the White Horse. The year 11 pupils from Matravers School carried stretchers along the route to raise money for CLIC. Teacher
LATE night pub licences have led to an increase in violent crime in Westbury and overstretched police officers are struggling to cope with it. Residents fear Westbury could become a magnet for late night drinking as the Ludlow Arms extension was granted
SWINDON Council has published its second update on business opportunities in the town centre. The town centre audit's statistical information includes population forecasts, as well as useful information on business and employment in the town, pedestrian
OPENING batsman Russell Rowe was Wiltshire's leading run maker in this summer's Minor Counties championship matches. Rowe, widely tipped to succeed Steve Perrin as Wiltshire captain next season, scored 399 run in 12 innings at average of 33.25. He was
DEVELOPER Charlie Tull has ridden a storm of protest to win backing for his residential project on Melksham's former GEC site. But town mayor Vic Oakman compared the 133-unit development to a prison cellblock, which was "not good enough for Melksham".
TOWN leaders in Melksham will decide on Monday whether to allow the former clinic to turn into a restaurant. The former graffiti-daubed NHS clinic in Lowbourne has been empty for years and developers are now trying to turn the site, next to the library
A 49-YEAR-OLD multiple sclerosis sufferer died at his Melksham home on Wednesday morning. Michael Hiscocks was found struggling to breathe by his wife Christine in a bedroom at their Hornbeam Crescent home. Paramedics were called but he was pronounced
A HOMELESS hostel in Melksham has undergone a revamp in time for winter. Four Prince's Trust volunteers and local painter Mark Grist got to work on the Kingsbury Square Hostel last month to improve facilities for residents. The West Wiltshire District
A TWO-HOME project on a Melksham road has fallen foul of archaeologists and council planners. West Wiltshire District Council planners have recommended the proposed development, on land off Woodrow Road, for refusal because it is out of keeping with the
A TEENAGE dancer's dreams came true when she performed with pop star Gareth Gates in front of celebrities and royalty. Talented Melksham dancer Sophie Cook, 15, performed with the spiky haired heart-throb in front of Prince Charles, for a sell-out Prince's
COULD you please try to discover if the master road engineer who planned the advisory crossing places which have cropped up recently in our town has been transferred to tasks less demanding and requiring no foresight. Could you also find out if the expense
Further to my letter last week, we would like to apologise to the 1,150 carers who are in regular contact with us at Carers Support West Wilts. BT disconnected our phone line between September 30 and October 7 (through no fault of our own) and they were
NEWBURN Consulting, the Swindon based independent IT management and outsourcing consultancy, has raised more than £300 for the charity Cancer Research UK. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and staff and management at Newburn wanted to show their
BOSS Franco Muccini was treated to a makeover by his employees. Franco, who manages Swindon's Designer Outlet Village, was transformed as part of Bosses Day. From grey suit and brown shoes, he changed into Armani jeans, a Guide shirt and Whispering Smith
FIVE new independent members are being sought to join the county police authority next April and oversee the work of the police. The Wiltshire Police Authority is responsible for ensuring the local community receives an efficient and effective service
AIR CREW from the Wiltshire Air Ambulance collected a top national team award at the House of Commons in London in recognition of their work. The Air Ambulance, which is operated jointly by Wiltshire Constabulary and Wiltshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
A NEW roundabout and access road at near the police station at Bowerhill were expected to be approved by planners last night. The road will provide a link between the south of the Bowerhill area allocated for employment use in the west Wiltshire district
An appeal to help needy people in famine-stricken southern Africa has been launched by Wootton Bassett Rotary Club. Posters detailing the items required are displayed in the town and at Cascade at 117 High Street. A central collection point will be open
DOMESTIC violence has been related to 39 murders in Wiltshire over the past 15 years and a new partnership launched this week hopes to tackle that problem. The Domestic Violence Intervention Partnership aims to get all agencies working together to support
STRIKER Matt Pratley bowed out in style as improving Corsham Town earned a creditable point at First Division leaders Hallen on Saturday 12 October. Pratley moved back to former club Calne Town this week, but was on hand to equalise in the 89th minute
CORSHAM Town have received planning permission this week from North Wilts District Council a new 258-seat spectator stand at The Southbank. The new stand will also have places and access for disabled supporters and will cost around £55,000 to build. Corsham
SKURRAY'S WILTSHIRE LEAGUE: DAVE Mitchell returned from suspension to lead the Trowbridge attack and missed from the penalty spot after just five minutes. The veteran striker's shot was turned round the post by the goalkeeper, but this did not stop Town
FORMER West Ham and England midfielder Trevor Brooking is due to visit Chippenham on November 15 to officially open Hardenhuish School's new sports hall. Contact has been made with the former Hammers player through one of the school's governors and he
CREATIVE pupils at Codford Primary School have spent the past four weeks making animal masks. Using cardboard and paint 13 children chose their favourite animal and designed the masks in after school classes run by local artist Julia Osborne. On Monday
STAFF at Wiltshire County Council are preparing to help save a young woman's life. The council employs 1,500 people at their offices at Bythesea Road in Trowbridge, and staff will give blood samples in November in a bid to find a bone marrow match for
STUDENTS across Wiltshire found out this week whether the A-level results they were awarded in August were what they really deserved. Thousands of students nationwide have been awarded higher grades after the grading fiasco that saw some miss out on a
PUPILS at Princecroft primary school in Warminster were given the chance to brush up their rugby skills with tuition from a professional coach. Last week, Jimmy Dean from Bath Rugby club, taught children how to kick and pass the ball. Governor David Roy
SPECIAL REPORT - EL ALAMEIN: VIVID memories of El Alamein were recorded in Cpl Bill Rendell's diaries. He joined the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry in 1938 and was demobbed after the war in 1945. August 1942: Mr Churchill came to Egypt to visit General Montgomery
WILTSHIRE TIMES EXCLUSIVE: A TOM Jones hit record sparked a huge pub brawl as a karaoke contest descended into drunken violence. Father and daughter John and Rebecca Wigmore drunkenly attacked three women in a Trowbridge pub during a brawl ignited by
Next week sees the opening of the 2002 British International Motor Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. This bi-ennial event, so long a major part of the motoring calendar, has, to my mind, lost much of its allure. The magic that used
THE plight of asylum seekers will be discussed by a multi-group meeting in Bradford on Avon next Tuesday. Organised as part of One World Week, a panel of experts including lawyers, diplomats and charity officials will discuss the issues and problems affecting
A DANCE group from Bradford on Avon is to be one of the first in the country to benefit from a new charity initiative. The Old Tyme and Modern Sequence Dance Club is to receive £500 from Help the Aged as part of the charity's drive to reduce the isolation
INTREPID adventurer Ian Gardener will be featured on the National Geographic Channel show Game For It next week. Ian, 33 who lives in Aldbourne will feature in the programme, which shows the video diaries of daredevil viewers from their adventures around
PEOPLE affected by the closure of the A36 at Limpley Stoke have been given the opportunity to see for themselves the work being carried out. Since the road the main route to Bath was closed five weeks ago the amount of traffic going through Bradford on
Further to my letter last week, we would like to apologise to the 1,150 carers who are in regular contact with us at Carers Support West Wilts. BT disconnected our phone line between September 30 and October 7 (through no fault of our own) and they were
WE ARE pleased to announce that Dr Andrew Murrison MP will be speaking at Carers Support West Wilts' Annual General Meeting on November 5 at 11.15am. Sarah Cardy from The Citizens Advice Bureau will also be speaking at the meeting, which is taking place
THE belief of Hereticus in non-religion would be less unconvincing if secular ideas had worked. During the French revolution of 1789-1815, the revolutionaries seized church property in order to sell it and use the proceeds to pay off government debt.
AROUND July this year your Down Memory Lane featured a photograph of a Melksham school football team and I recognised the teacher Mr Frapwell who was my headmaster at Kington St Michael School in the 1950s. Subsequently, I contacted him and now, after
TESSA Harding (Letters, October 11) informs us about the Help The Aged campaign against age discrimination, and asks for government legislation to "challenge policies and practices that discriminate against older people". In view of this campaign maybe
A WAR of words has broken out following this week's vote of no confidence in Swindon and Wiltshire councils that was passed by North Wiltshire District Council. The district council is furious at what it claims is Swindon's attempts to swallow up towns
BREAST cancer sufferer Shirley Garman has been nominated for a national award because of her dedication to fighting the disease in others. Since she was first diagnosed in 1993 she has helped raise more than £240,000 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer the
Even if you watch the pennies, the reality is that a baby will cost you around £2,000 in food, nappies, clothes and toys and that's just in its first year! So it's not surprising that the National Childbirth Trust's nearly new sales have parents and parents-to-be
RINGERS waiting to welcome the return of a village church's bells after they were re-tuned were kept waiting because of a punctured tyre. The lorry due to carry the peal of six from Whitechapel in London to the tower of All Saints at Lydiard Millicent
IT might not be most people's idea of fun, but Paul Richmond's dedication to his job should eventually help pedestrians cross a set of controversial traffic lights in Old Town. He spent the day counting traffic movements at the junction of Newport Street
WIDOW Jenny Partridge foiled an attempted burglary after two men broke into her bungalow. The 89-year-old told how she was confronted by two strange men and no-one on hand to help. Mrs Partridge had just had lunch when a man claiming to be from the council
TWO 13-year-old boys who held up a group of youngsters at gunpoint during a two month crime spree have finally been locked up. One of the boys, now 14, was sent to custody for four years and the second received a two-year detention and training order
Four budding poets have seen their work praised in a competition to coincide with National Poetry Day. Ottakars book store in Trowbridge held a prize giving to celebrate the winners of its poetry competition on Thursday. This year's judges included Wiltshire
A LANDLADY is promising to stamp out cheating at a fiercely competitive pub conker battle. Kirsty Brown, who runs the Black Swan, in Adcroft Street, Trowbridge, said cheats would not be tolerated at this year's competition. The long-anticipated battle
THE peace garden in Trowbridge will be dedicated at a ceremony on Sunday, October 20. West Wiltshire MP Andrew Murrison will be guest of honour at the event behind the old Town Hall near the park. The occasion will be marked with a service celebrating
THE family of a man who disappeared from his home two weeks ago are appealing for him to let them know he is safe. Nigel Prudames, 21, of Alistair Court, Trowbridge, was last seen by a friend in the town on October 2. A police spokesman said: "We're just
STAFF at Wiltshire County Council are preparing to help save a young woman's life. The council employs 1,500 people at their offices at Bythesea Road in Trowbridge, and staff will give blood samples in November in a bid to find a bone marrow match for
STUDENTS across Wiltshire found out this week whether the A-level results they were awarded in August were what they really deserved. Thousands of students nationwide have been awarded higher grades after the grading fiasco that saw some miss out on a
A CHARITY manager has hit back at a Trowbridge town and district councillor who described tramps in the town park as derelicts. Marco Van-Tintelen, manager of Action on Homelessness, criticised comments made by Cllr Jeff Osborn in last week's Wiltshire
A MUSICIAN from Trowbridge has been nominated for one of the American music scene's most prestigious awards. A former member of hit 70s group, Sailor, Henry Marsh, 53, now composes music for the stage and screen and has been nominated for a Joseph Jefferson
AN INVESTIGATION into whether Trowbridge had a fair deal in deliberations on where to site the new Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office has found there was no systematic and deliberate bias against the county town. A scrutiny task group was set up by Wiltshire
FA Vase 1st round (selected ties): Bedfont v Didcot Town, Chessington & Hook Utd v Abiongdon Utd, Christchurch v Tuffley Rovers, Corsham v Backwell, Clacton Town v Southall Town, Enfield Town v North Leigh, Fairford Town v Team Bath, Falmouth v Devizes
FORMER Swindon Town starlet Bryan Smith has shocked current employers Supermarine by quitting football. The teenage defender moved to Hunts Copse after Andy King released him from the County Ground at the end of last season. But, disillusioned with Marine's
ALL five of Wiltshire's Screwfix League representatives have successfully negotiated the FA Vase qualifying rounds. Now the real business begins, with a trip to Villa Park for the May showpiece the prize on offer. Devizes and Melksham in particular, are
MUSIC scholars from Marlborough College will be giving a concert in St James's Church in Avebury on Saturday, November 16, in aid of the village conservation group. Tickets for the concert, being organised by the Avebury Society, are available from Nicky
Moto Grand Prix superstar Valentino Rossi is to take part in the final round of the 2002 World Rally Championship, the Network Q Rally of Great Britain from November 14 to 17, with backing from Michelin and Total. The motorcycle racer will drive a customer
The award winning Nissan X-TRAIL has yet again beaten off stiff competition from the Land Rover Freelander, Ford Maverick, Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V and has been voted Soft Roader of the Year 2003 for the second consecutive year by the UK's leading
AN advice centre which helps thousands of Swindon people a year is to stay open for another 12 months. Councillors agreed funding which will safeguard the short-term future of the Safer Swindon Shop at a meeting of the Cabinet committee. The advice point
SOME of the most talented musicians in Swindon are coming together for a charity concert in aid of the Great Western Hospital. Sincerely Yours, featuring the band of the Army Air Corps and singers Lynn Hawkins and Gary Beint, is the title for an evening
Overall sales of new cars fell slightly in September, but consumer environmental awareness is believed to have given a huge boost to diesel car sales. With 432,661 new cars sold, this was a 2.4 per cent fall on last year's 443,265. However diesel car
Toyota is recalling 43,600 Yaris and Yaris Verso vehicles in the UK for a possible brake line fault in temperatures below minus 20 degC. This is part of a worldwide campaign affecting 400,000 vehicles. Although this possible fault will not affect cars
BOSS Franco Muccini was treated to a makeover by his employees. Franco, who manages Swindon's Designer Outlet Village, was transformed as part of Bosses Day. From grey suit and brown shoes, he changed into Armani jeans, a Guide shirt and Whispering Smith
September saw SEAT achieve another record sales month, with registrations topping 6,000 units for the first time. A total of 6,226 vehicles were registered during the month, 6,115 cars and 111 Inca vans, an increase of 530 units and 9.3 per cent on September
ONE of the world's most notorious chain letters has surfaced again in Swindon. The so-called David Rhodes Letter has been around in various forms in the post and on the internet since the late 1980s. Originating in America, it has spread worldwide. In
A HEROIN user caught on a town centre shoplifting spree has been warned he could face jail. Daniel Mundy, 21, was followed by store detectives after they spotted him taking a pair of boxer shorts from TK Maxx in the Brunel Arcade, Swindon. Richard Thomas
OCTOBER 18: Fans of Channel 4's hit show Big Brother are in for a treat when Jade Goody arrives in Swindon. The former dental nurse from Bermondsey, South London, will be at The Bedroom bar in Bridge Street signing autographs and chatting to customers
Halloween is less than two weeks away and Swindon's trading standards team is having a busy time. Officers are hoping to eradicate the sale of hazardous goods as they make spot checks at the town's businesses in the run up to October 31. Any suspect items
Business is booming for the organic food industry and no-one knows this better than staff at a Bishopstone farm. Eastbrook Farms, the UK market leader in organic pork supplies, is throwing its weight behind National Organic Week. A report from the Soil
SWINDON schoolgirl Virginia Silberberg was put on extra duties but it had nothing to do with homework. One of the Kingsdown School pupils taking part in Local Democracy Week at the civic offices, she was voted Mayor for the day and it was a role she relished
CHILDREN who have reversed a poor attendance record at schools across Swindon are to be rewarded with a trip to the seaside. Around 40 youngsters from secondary schools across the borough will jump aboard a specially chartered bus bound for Minehead,
PLANS to create a purpose-built, Wiltshire and Swindon county records centre in Chippenham are still on course. Current plans involve locating the centre on the site of the town's livestock market. The new building would ensure that Wiltshire and Swindon's
SATURDAY'S Adver contained an article about huntsmen being prepared to be jailed if hunting with hounds is banned. Ian Farquhar refers to those who attended the march in London and would have us believe they support hunting. When I suggested that the
ALTHOUGH I expect that my views are unfashionable and will meet with widespread disapproval, I would like to comment on your story of the five-year-old suspended from his school for five days (EA, October 14). Firstly, where is the father in all this?
So Crosby Homes has pulled out of the Phoenix Gate scheme on Fleming Way (EA, October 12). I find it astonishing that councillors are suddenly airing their disappointment at this inevitable outcome, considering that their policies are responsible for
SHERBORNE dominated the first half of this Dorset and Wilts Division One match and, with their fly-half and back-row controlling the game led 17-3 at half-time after scoring three tries. Cooper-Avon's only reply was a penalty from 18-year-old Luke Brailey
CAUTIOUS Andy Williams insists he won't be rushed into resuming a rugby career that exploded onto the scene with such promise last season. The Wales Under 21 scrum-half has fought his way back from extensive knee surgery and could play a part in tomorrow's
