Archive

  • As you were

    FARINGDON Baptist retained their title at the area churches six-a-side cricket tournament. Eight local parish teams congregated at Sevenhampton for the United Churches Cricket Club's annual competition, and Faringdon successfully defended the crown they

  • What about an apology?

    THE problems faced by Swindon Services are not always understood and its workers frequently are not given credit for what they achieve. But it is easy to understand why Penhill residents are fed up because work on traffic calming measures in their main

  • I'm happy to put my girl on drugs

    THE use of psychiatric drugs for children has risen dramatically in the past few years. But while some critics claim that drugs are being used to mask the underlying causes of troubled behaviour, one Highworth mum reckons they have given her daughter

  • Awards honour

    THE British Safety Council will be handing out its National Safety Awards later this month. Companies which have reduced workplace accidents and are committed to improving employee health and safety will be recognised. David Ballard, director general

  • Workers give 3663 the thumbs-up

    FOOD service wholesale distributor 3663, which has a depot in Downton, has been named in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For a first for the food service industry. Supported by the department of trade and industry, companies are listed on

  • Racecourse site revamped

    SALISBURY Racecourse's website has been redesigned and is full of information about the Netherhampton venue. The website, designed by Enotions, was launched in advance of the season, which began on Sunday. Rob Richardson, of Enotions, said: "The site

  • Clarity acquires Romulus

    CLARITY Commerce Solutions, the UK software company in Netherhampton that provides software solutions to the UK leisure and hospitality market, has entered into an agreement to acquire the entire share capital of Romulus Enterprises. The initial consideration

  • Stress-busting software deal

    A SOFTWARE package which helps to tackle the problems linked with stress in the workplace is now available in the UK thanks to a Salisbury business. Mike Bennett Associates, of Stratford-sub-Castle, has been appointed as the sole UK distributor of this

  • Chairman Andy takes charge

    THE Institution of Lighting Engineers, western region, welcomed its new chairman at its annual general meeting. Andy Rhind-Tutt was appointed as the chairman at a formal lunch in the White Hart Hotel, Salisbury, last month. The Institution of Lighting

  • Staff make a splash for charity

    STAFF at Wiltshire-based software firm CODAScisys have taken the plunge at their local swimming pool in order to help raise thousands of pounds for local cancer patients. It was the brainchild of CODA Group chairman Graham Steinsberg who took the lead

  • Taxpayers pick up hotel bills for Fairford policing

    MAY 7: TAXPAYERS will foot the bill for Swindon hotels used by police officers from all over Britain who controlled peace protests at RAF Fairford. All but one of the country's 43 police authorities provided support for the Gloucestershire force as campaigners

  • It's simply not cricket, Count!

    THE sound of leather on willow has switched to murmurings of discontent in one village after a millionaire Austrian count plans to build homes on a cricket pitch. For 20 years The Piggery field in the centre of Winterbourne Bassett, near Avebury, has

  • The man in the middle

    INCOMING Mayor Derek Benfield (Lab, Covingham and Nythe) says that he faces one of the toughest years of his life when he accepts the mayoral office - staying apolitical. Coun Benfield, 70, who was born in a terraced house in Albion Street, has been a

  • Why are we waiting?

    RESIDENTS in Penhill want to know why work on traffic calming measures ground to a halt for three weeks. Work started on narrowing the road at two sites in Penhill Drive more than six weeks ago. It was expected to take two weeks. As part of a major road

  • All change as Tockenham weights tumble

    IN the last of the Tockenham Wednesday Opens, weights dropped in conditions which changed so much during the latter part of the day. The popular series ended with a win for Chris Timms, who took 33lb 4oz of carp ahead of Larry Laing, who had 22-6-0 of

  • Taxpayers pick up hotel bills for Fairford policing

    TAXPAYERS will foot the bill for Swindon hotels used by police officers from all over Britain who controlled peace protests at RAF Fairford. All but one of the country's 43 police authorities provided support for the Gloucestershire force as campaigners

  • Driver's lucky escape

    A DRIVER escaped serious injury after his car was flipped on to its roof in Dorcan Way. Firefighters had to upright the white Vauxhall Cavalier after the accident, which happened at the Snodshill roundabout. Police say that the vehicle clipped the kerb

  • Town ladies sunk at Pompey

    SWINDON Town Ladies travelled to the south coast but were trounced 6-1 by South West Combination League champions Portsmouth in their final game of the season. Portsmouth took the lead in their first attack. Carly Palmer broke down the left and Stacy

  • County Glory for Super Kids

    Supermarine's brilliant youngsters succeeded where the senior side failed last night by taking a major county title. Marine's men missed out on the Premier Shield on Monday, but the under 18s showed them how it's done with an emphatic 5-0 thrashing of

  • Just £2 could feed this little Iraqi girl

    THE charity Unicef, which is appealing for help from the people of Swindon to improve conditions in Iraq, today revealed a £2 donation could provide enough food to sustain a child for a week. Unicef - the United Nations Children Fund - is in Iraq, supplying

  • Gulf War veterans finally have justice

    A SWINDON veteran of the first Gulf War has welcomed a landmark ruling suggesting a link between Gulf War Syndrome and the cocktail of vaccinations given to the armed forces before the conflict. Victims of the condition, said to cause depression, wasting

  • Read all about it ... new bookshop is opening this week

    SWINDON'S biggest ever bookshop opens on Saturday. The Borders chain is putting the finishing touches to its latest branch - near the Asda Wal-Mart hyper-market in North Swindon. At 20,000 feet, it is bigger than any other bookshop in Swindon, including

  • I'm happy to put my girl on drugs

    THE use of psychiatric drugs for children has risen dramatically in the past few years. But while some critics claim that drugs are being used to mask the underlying causes of troubled behaviour, one Highworth mum reckons they have given her daughter

  • Lesley is home after high seas adventure

    A SWINDON IT manager was today recovering after successfully completing a yacht race covering 1,300 nautical miles. Lesley Stewart, who returned to work at Endeva in West Swin-don yesterday, swapped her computer screen for the high seas for a fortnight

  • 'It is not something to feel guilty about'

    CELEBRITY agony aunt Claire Rayner is backing our Swindon Cancer Appeal in aid of Macmillan nurses, having survived breast cancer herself. Speaking at the Arts Centre as part of the Swindon Festival of Literature, Claire paid tribute to the work of Macmillan

  • Pupils' SATS could be on their way out

    STANDARD Assessment Tests for six and seven-year-olds could come to an end if headteachers in Swindon have their way. The controversial tests have already been abandoned in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The National Association of Head Teachers

  • There's still lots to come

    THE Swindon festival of Literature is well under way, but there are more than 30 events still to run. Matt Holland, the man directing this, the 10th festival just as he has directed its predecessors, is delighted with its success so far. He said: "It's

  • Global gig certain to entertain

    BANDS from as far away as Jamaica and Johannesburg will be entertaining the crowds at this year's World Music Bowl in Old Town. Thanks to a link up with the University of Bath in Swindon, which has two more years to run, Swindon Council has been able

  • Burglary foiled

    A HOUSEHOLDER foiled an attempted burglary at his home in Edinburgh Street, Gorse Hill by chasing away a man who tried to break in. He was attempting to enter by the front door. Police spokeswoman Alvina Kumar added that the intruder was chased off. He

  • Support is available for those with diabetes

    I WRITE having read the article "Model Recovery" in the 48 Hours section of the EA on April 25. I am delighted that Coral has managed to stabilise her diabetes and I would like to wish her well in her career in modelling and singing. People with the condition

  • Easter should fall on a set date

    The date of the alleged death and resurrection of Jesus is not based on historical data, any more than his birth date at the winter solstice. The latter was agreed in 354 AD, and the date of Easter was settled in 525 AD. It was to be the Sunday following

  • These survey results aren't right

    THE letter in your paper from Geoffrey Somerset (Chairman, Vale of White Horse District CPRE) causes me some concern. Firstly, I find it most surprising that Mr Somerset feels his survey results are correct, when he has made it plain to everyone that

  • Bristol chief: 'I feel for the fans in Bath merger talk'

    Bristol coach Peter Thorburn has come out fighting on behalf of the club's supporters and players by publicly opposing a merger with West Country rivals Bath. Bristol's fight against relegation from the Zurich Premiership has been overshadowed by the

  • Malmesbury turn the tables to KO Gloucester

    MALMESBURY gained some measure of revenge over Gloucester City after their opening Gloucestershire & Wiltshire Division 2 defeat of the previous day, notching up a convincing 77-run victory in the National Knockout at the Spa Ground. Inserted, Malmesbury

  • Iles Trick Show

    GOATACRE stormed into the third round of the National Village Championship after an astonishing burst of bowling. Visitors Baydon were 83-5, chasing 259, when Rob Turner and Kevin Iles struck, clean bowling the last five batsmen for no runs in four overs

  • Question should be answered

    POLICE officers have a difficult job and at times face serious danger, and few reasonable people would deny that they deserve decent accommodation while they are doing it. Many, however, will rightly question whether the expense of booking police officers

  • That's Rubbish

    ANDY KING was hoping to unearth a striker for nothing at the County Ground today with the Town boss blasting as 'garbage' reports that he has offered Barnet £70,000 for Junior Agogo. The Conference club have received a transfer request from the player

  • Key hirings give Black Dog the edge

    THE relaunch of a south Wiltshire pub has given two key employees the opportunity to develop the business and themselves. The Black Dog at Chilmark's acting manager, Ross Baxter, and chef Clough Dent were both employed through recruitment consultant Sherree

  • Firms must weigh pros and cons of finance options

    SMALL and medium sized enterprises are overlooking business loans in favour of costly credit facilities to solve short-term cash flow, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants has found. Credit facilities include hire purchase schemes, personal

  • Employers say staff turnover hits trade

    NEW research has revealed that 41 per cent of managing directors and senior managers in the retail sector believe high staff turnover affects productivity. But despite this, only 34 per cent consider staff training as a very important aspect of their

  • Trannon on show at NEC

    AWARD-WINNING furniture company Trannon has been selected to showcase its work at a major exhibition starting today. Trannon, whose workshop and showroom are between Wilton and South Newton, will join a number of specially chosen British companies whose

  • Call for entries to business awards

    ENTRIES are now coming in for the South Wiltshire Business of the Year awards, which will be presented at a ceremony in Salisbury next month. Organised by the Federation of Small Businesses, the awards are now in their fourth year and this time feature

  • Consumers look to guard property

    NEARLY 450,000 people in the south west plan to buy a car within the next six months, spending about £8,544 each, according to Sainsbury's Bank's car buying index. The bank says about £11.68 billion of the £52 billion to be spent on cars nationwide in

  • Read all about it ... new bookshop is opening this week

    SWINDON'S biggest ever bookshop opens on Saturday. The Borders chain is putting the finishing touches to its latest branch - near the Asda Wal-Mart hyper-market in North Swindon. At 20,000 feet, it is bigger than any other bookshop in Swindon, including

  • Win yourself a book on business

    WILTSHIRE accountants Robson Taylor are offering the first ten Swindon Evening Advertiser readers, who contact Dee Gerrish or Emily Villis on 01249 712074, a free copy of their new book Small Business, Big Difference. Co-authored by Robson Taylor, the

  • Job cuts are now a real possibility

    CONDITIONS for manufacturers in the region have worsened so much since February that thousands of workers could face losing their jobs, according to a new survey by the Confederation of British Industry. The latest CBI quarterly survey shows that confidence

  • Supply regiment flies out to Iraq to relieve the troops

    MAY 7: ROYAL Logistics troops based at Hullavington Barracks are preparing to fly out to Iraq in support of soldiers already in the Middle East. Around 475 soldiers from 9 Supply Regiment and a further 130 Territorial Army reservists will relieve troops

  • Marshal shortage may scrap carnival

    A CARNIVAL procession may be doomed if volunteers can't be found to act as marshals. The organisers of the Wootton Bassett event - which has been going for 33 years - have a week in which to recruit them. The parade, which boasts about 25 floats and is

  • Plan to relocate records hits a snag

    THE proposed relocation of the Wiltshire and Swindon records office could be delayed because of difficulties in obtaining a lottery grant. Since the plan to build a new office in Chippenham to replace the outdated Trowbridge branch was first mooted in

  • Big increase for councillors

    SWINDON councillors voted to give themselves a 43 per cent increase in their allowances and new council leader Mike Bawden (Con, Old Town and Lawns) will benefit the most. Outgoing council leader Kevin Small (Lab, Central) would have seen his allowance

  • It's all change again

    THE face of Swindon Council will change yet again on Friday, May 16 when Kevin Small's eight-month-old Labour administration steps aside to make way for a new-look Conservative cabinet. The shake-up is because of Thursday night's remarkable borough council

  • Coming and going

    KEVIN Small will hand over control of Swindon Council to Conservative leader Mike Bawden on May 16 but the two will remain the best of enemies. The Evening Advertiser can exclusively reveal that the Labour group will not be putting forward an alternative

  • It's simply not cricket, Count!

    THE sound of leather on willow has switched to murmurings of discontent in one village after a millionaire Austrian count plans to build homes on a cricket pitch. For 20 years The Piggery field in the centre of Winterbourne Bassett, near Avebury, has

  • Priest in middle of a political storm

    A NEWLY-elected Liberal Democrat councillor has been accused of using a parish priest to help him win his seat. Michael Dickinson, who was elected last Thursday as the Liberal Democrat councillor for the Central ward, has been told that he should resign

  • Ciren's finale

    PAUL Rowley leads his Cirencester side for the final time this season, when they take on the club's Vets in their annual encounter on Friday evening. The game precedes the Whiteway club's Vets Dinner and end-of-season presentations. Cirencester v CRFC

  • Greig's at the helm again

    GREIG O'Brien will once again lead promoted Swindon College Old Boys in next season's Southern Counties South campaign. John Roberts also continues as second team captain, Mark Brown is again club captain and chairman Tim Waters continues in his post.

  • Baverstock's rewarded

    RAY Baverstock has been named Dr Martens Western Division manager of the month for April/May. The Supermarine boss guided his team to six wins and a draw from their last seven games as the club avoided relegation to the Hellenic League. Baverstock was

  • Fairford's cup heroics

    FAIRFORD are the Gloucestershire Senior Cup champions after a superb 2-0 victory over Yate last night. Mark Webb's side sprang something of an upset to beat their Hellenic Premier Division rivals thanks to an early goal and some heroic second-half defending

  • Plan to relocate records hits a snag

    THE proposed relocation of the Wiltshire and Swindon records office could be delayed because of difficulties in obtaining a lottery grant. Since the plan to build a new office in Chippenham to replace the outdated Trowbridge branch was first mooted in

  • Supply regiment flies out to Iraq to relieve the troops

    ROYAL Logistics troops based at Hullavington Barracks are preparing to fly out to Iraq in support of soldiers already in the Middle East. Around 475 soldiers from 9 Supply Regiment and a further 130 Territorial Army reservists will relieve troops already

  • Blair babe MP rebels over hospital plan

    MP Julia Drown was defying Tony Blair today by voting against plans to create "super-hospitals" with new financial powers. The Labour MP for South Swin-don fears that setting up foundation hospitals would hand too much power to hospital managers at the

  • Farmer fuming after vandalism

    A PART-time farmer from Eldene is selling his equipment and livestock after vandals seriously damaged a tractor by driving it in a dangerous way. Andrew Matthews, 39, an electrical appliance engineer, shares the land located near the A419 in Wanborough

  • Marshal shortage may scrap carnival

    A CARNIVAL procession may be doomed if volunteers can't be found to act as marshals. The organisers of the Wootton Bassett event which has been going for 33 years have a week in which to recruit them. The parade, which boasts about 25 floats and is the

  • Will Branson get his hands on Concorde?

    THE director of an aviation museum near Swindon doubts that Virgin Atlantic boss Sir Richard Branson's bid for Concorde will come to fruition. The Swindon area - and specifically RAF Fairford - was part of the Concorde story since its beginnings in the