Archive

  • Repayment plan

    MICHAEL Proctor is hoping to repay in goals the Town supporters who have financed his move to the County Ground. The 24-year-old's wages for the next month will be financed by the Red Army Fund, a fans' initiative established in August 2003 to help Andy

  • Profits on the rise

    CONSTRUCTION firm Bluestone, which has offices in Ashworth Road, Swindon, contributed to strong full year results for parent construction group Morgan Sindall. Profit before tax increased 34 per cent to £27.94 million and was £20.92 million last year,

  • It's not just short back and sides

    SWEDISH massages, sports manicures and hair removals are available for men, following the expansion of an established hairdressing salon. Abstract, in Manchester Road, is offering stylish haircuts and holistic beauty treatment. The idea of A-Man Grooming

  • More cash for ME sufferers

    76155-59CAROL Luxton can never have enough sleep. The mother-of-two suffers from the chronic fatigue condition, myalgic encephalomyelitis, which leaves her feeling completely drained of energy. The 43-year-old from Grange Park, chairs a support group

  • Hospital fails to hit target

    Hospital Chief Lyn Hill-ToutPATIENTS at Great Western Hospital are not being seen quickly enough, new figures reveal. Only two weeks ago bosses were given a pat on the back from the Department of Health after more than 97 per cent of A&E patients

  • Cruz is certainly no cross to bear

    76189-56BMW worker Cruz Fernandes may be past his best on the pitch but he is proud to share the same name as the son of one of the world's most famous footballers. After the 50-year-old heard David Beckham had given his third son the same forename he

  • Film review - Shall We Dance? (12A)

    LIFE should be perfect for Chicago lawyer John Clark (Gere). He has a good job, a loving wife and two great kids. Yet on his journeys home each day he feels sad that something seems to be missing in his life. And it is on one of those journeys that he

  • Man guilty of assault

    Mark Wilson leaves courtCRICKETER Mark Wilson knocked a man for six in a drink-fuelled rage, a court heard. Wilson, 29, of Old Town, was found guilty of actual bodily harm after striking Simon Brogden, 38, outside a town centre bar last May. Swindon magistrates

  • Hospital fails to hit target

    Hospital Chief Lyn Hill-ToutPATIENTS at Great Western Hospital are not being seen quickly enough, new figures reveal. Only two weeks ago bosses were given a pat on the back from the Department of Health after more than 97 per cent of A&E patients

  • What shopkeepers say about Sudan 1

    R.S.N. Premier corner shop in Kent RoadThe R.S.N. Premier corner shop in Kent Road had one beef and tomato pot noodle on sale with a sell by date of April 2005 and a box of others with a sell by date of June 2005 that manager Karim Bhimji had been intending

  • What you should know about Sudan 1

    Robert Taylour who is Swindon Councils Public Protection Group leaderSudan I is a red dye that is used for colouring solvents, oils, waxes, petrol, and shoe and floor polishes. It is not allowed to be added to food in the UK and the rest of the EU. However

  • What would you do with an extra hour each day?

    A QUARTER of Britons would sleep, sit down, have a cuppa or do absolutely nothing if they were granted an extra hour of time, according to a new survey. Only five per cent would exercise and seven per cent would visit friends or family. In Swindon taking

  • Can you cook up a little help?

    A GROUP of pensioners is still without a cook for the popular Freshbrook lunch club. Gillian Russan, the present cook, will hang up her apron for the final time next Monday and the Food And Friends Club still does not have a replacement. The group, which

  • Chips for your dogs and cats

    DOGS and cats in the Cricklade area can have their chips at an RSPCA organised event in the town next month. The North Wiltshire branch of the organisation is giving pet owners the chance to micro-chip their cats and dogs at a reduced price. Each chip

  • Arson case delayed after defendant suffers stroke

    THE case against a Nythe man accused of starting a blaze at his home has been adjourned after he had a stroke. Graham Steele, who had been remanded in custody at Bristol prison, was transferred to the city's Frenchay Hospital to receive treatment, a judge

  • Thugs shoot and kill pet cat with air rifle

    A CAT shot by a pellet gun in Wootton Bassett has died. The year-old cat, Sheba, returned to her home on the Green Park estate on Wednesday evening covered in blood, and a vet later confirmed that the injury was caused by an air gun. The pellet punctured

  • Roads may get waiting orders

    SWINDON Borough Council traffic planners are considering enforcing waiting restrictions on two stretches of Thames Avenue and adjoining roads. Yellow lines are being considered for the Pen Close cul-de-sac, outside Greenmeadow Primary School. The council

  • Ups and downs in asylum seekers

    THE NUMBER of asylum seekers housed in Swindon at the expense of the taxpayer has increased during the last year. There were 130 asylum seekers in National Asylum Support Service (NASS) houses, flats and hotel rooms in the town at the end of December

  • Play festival puts actors in the spotlight

    Treading the boards at the 58th annual Harold Jollife One Act Play Festival were seven theatre companies from in and around Swindon. The Old Town Theatre Company was the overall winner, scooping the Betty Peck Rose Bowl and going through to the next stage

  • Memorial site for loved pets

    A SWINDON man has launched a virtual memorial website for pets. Although the idea has taken off in America he believes that his is the first British site letting people immortalise their pets. Angeless Watkins-Gallar, 32, of The Prinnells, could very

  • Council chews over gum tax

    COUNCILS across the country called on chewing gum manufacturers to help pay the bill for the mess the gum leaves on the streets. At a special 'gum summit' representatives of councils in Westminster, Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh called for a litter tax

  • Hare today and hare tomorrow

    THE Swindon area is set to be at the forefront of the battle to save one of Britain's best-loved mammals. Studley Grange at Lydiard Tregoze and Blakehill Farm Nature Reserve, near Cricklade, have been chosen as two of only seven sites in the country to

  • Violent attack on woman, 41

    Artist's ImpressionPOLICE are hunting a burglar who broke into the home of two women and violently assaulted one of them. The man entered a house in the Beatrice Street area of Swindon, at about 6.30pm on Tuesday, February 15. He threatened the two residents

  • Famous loco is steaming back

    ONE of the most famous Swindon-built locomotives will be returning to Wiltshire for the second time in six months. The City of Truro is to run on the Swindon and Cricklade Railway for two days next month. In September it came home and featured in the

  • Why there are big differences

    THE total council tax bill for each parish in Swindon has now been revealed with massive variations in different areas of the town. Swindon Council has set a council tax rise of three per cent. This increase means the local authority's portion of the

  • Blessed good

    AS a regular reader of the Evening Advertiser on-line I was surprised to read the views of Swindonians as to their town. As a Swindonian of 50 years, born and bred in the town, I have now moved to Basildon. Let me assure you that Swindon is a wonderful

  • We found police to halt strikers

    So the ban for hunting the fox with dogs has finally become law. But let us just recap where we were and where we are now. A few months ago we were told that if the law was passed there would be thousands of people out of work, mass destruction of the

  • Chippenham rue howler

    CHIPPENHAM fought out yet another draw with arch rivals Bath City in the Southern Premier last night. The Bluebirds were on course for yet another win on the road when Dave Gilroy fired them into a half-time lead. Gilroy and Sam Allison then squandered

  • CHIPPENHAM & MALMESBURY TOWN GUIDE

    Check out our new feature the Chippenham & Malmesbury Town Guide which contains local events and history plus tourism news and features. Click HERE to view the latest Chippenham & Malmesbury Town Guide

  • Bandstand for local musicians

    Going Underground next month is a new six-part radio series showcasing local bands and artists. Daniel Garrett is the presenter of the new show which will be broadcast live on BBC Radio Swindon and Wiltshire from Sunday March 6. Daniel said: "This is

  • Contract success

    STIBO Catalog, which creates and prints catalogues has announced a new contract with HC Slingsby, a UK manufacturer of industrial and commercial goods. Slingsby has chosen Stibo's Step system for its 1,300 page catalogue. Stibo employs 170 people in Swindon

  • Brand triumph

    SWINDON based Triumph International has been voted one of the 40 best sports brands in the country. Nike was awarded first place by a panel of experts. Adidas and the Wimbledon tennis tournament took second and third. Sport BrandLeader council member

  • Dyson cleans up in America

    ONE in five vacuum cleaners sold in America is a Dyson. Tycoon James Dyson has confirmed his revolutionary bagless machines have conquered the US two years after going on sale. It has overtaken Hoover after sales more than tripled in 2004 to 891,000.

  • Experts unravel business rates

    BUSINESSES have been invited to a free talk to help them navigate the perils of the new rates system. All business property in the country will be subject to this change, which comes into effect on April 1. The presentation, organised by the Swindon Chamber

  • Antiques stolen in double theft

    BURGLARS made off with a haul of antiques worth thousands of pounds in two raids in Broad Town. The incidents happened on the same night at two properties near the road towards Broad Hinton. And now police are appealing to the public to be on the look-out

  • Two men attacked

    POLICE believe a violent gang may be behind two recent attacks in Park South. And acting Insp Ian Stevenson has warned people walking home alone to be on their guard. He said: "People in that area late at night should take a bit more care. "If they have

  • Cruz is certainly no cross to bear

    76189-56BMW worker Cruz Fernandes may be past his best on the pitch but he is proud to share the same name as the son of one of the world's most famous footballers. After the 50-year-old heard David Beckham had given his third son the same forename he

  • Brunel inspires Sasia's slogan

    76190-89SWINDON'S founding father, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, is being used to inspire young people to stay on at school. And the idea was itself conjured up by a young mind. Sasia Marriott-Waite, 15, came up with the slogan 'Swindon Education Training

  • Byrne's haul can't stop Team Elgin

    The first round of the Angling Times Super Cup, featuring club teams of 10, took place on a very cold and clear running river at Rushy on Sunday. Team Elgin proved to be a strong squad on the host team's chosen water and despite Haydon Street AC having

  • Cancer food is still on sale in our shops

    UNDERCOVER checks by the Evening Advertiser have revealed that food at the centre of a massive health scare is still on sale in some of our shops. Trading Standards officials in Swindon have sent out 1,300 letters warning of the dangers of products containing

  • Kisses raise cash

    KISSES at a north Swindon pub raised more than £200 for a children's charity. Chairwoman of the NSPCC's Swindon committee, Sue Hooper, was jubilant about the proceeds of a competition at the Abbeymeads in Elstree Way on Valentine's Day. People who took

  • 'Burglar' tried to distract resident

    RESIDENTS in Toothill are being warned against a distraction burglar in the area. Wiltshire police said a man called at the home of a family in Toothill on Monday at 6pm, claiming to be from BT. The occupant asked to see identification but was not happy

  • Estate to lose mobile library

    FRESHBROOK residents are set to lose their mobile library service because of a lack of interest. Following the full council meeting at, Swindon Borough Council, on February 21, it was decided the small library will not continue to travel to Freshbrook

  • Cyclist mugged on way home

    A MAN pushed a teenager off a bike after demanding his wallet and mobile phone. The man took the phone when it fell from the lad's pocket. The 15-year-old was cycling along Ferndale Road, near the junction with Surrey Road, after leaving the Oasis. He

  • It's child's play at toy library

    A NEW mobile toy library for disadvantaged children has hit the streets of Swindon. The scheme, which is funded by Sure Start, in Everleigh Road, Penhill, was launched yesterday by Julia Drown, the Labour MP for South Swindon. Members of the Sure Start

  • Six months and still waiting for new lock

    A DISABLED 83-year-old man has been waiting six months for Swindon Council to repair the lock on his garage. Kenneth Cooper-Keeble, from Highworth, has not been able to operate his garage door without help. After six months of problems the retired mechanical

  • MP backs plans

    JULIA Drown, the Labour MP for south Swindon, is backing plans to improve school meals in Swindon schools. Julia has met with Secretary of State for Education, Ruth Kelly, to discuss the Government's plan to make school meals healthier and get parents

  • CHIPPENHAM & MALMESBURY TOWN GUIDE

    Check out our new feature the Chippenham & Malmesbury Town Guide which contains local events and history plus tourism news and features. Click HERE to view the latest Chippenham & Malmesbury Town Guide

  • Celebrating half century of marriage

    76172-55STICKING together through thick and thin is the secret to a long and happy marriage according to a Swindon couple. John and Maureen Kinch, of Colebrook Road will celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary on February 26. A chance meeting when

  • Caring for victims of sex attacks

    29549-30RAPE victims will soon be able to access medical services without having to get the police involved. The Swindon Sanctuary based at Taw Hill Medical Centre has been in operation since March 2002. But strict protocol requires victims to first seek

  • Recommended

    RE: Eco-school sugary drink ban. I disagree with this ban at Covingham Park Infants, however, I have a suggestion for the poor boy who does not like drinking water. Asda Wal-Mart sells a still sugar-free mineral water that tastes of orange and tangerine

  • It's not fare!

    IN the last two months, my wife and daughter on a shopping trip from Swindon to Reading have found, on arrival at Swindon station, that the trains on that Saturday were not running for one reason or another and had been replaced by a bus service. This

  • Give a choice

    WHILE many people wish to see smoking banned in pubs there is a large proportion who do not. Officially 25 per cent of the population still smoke and their rights are being steam-rollered. There is very real evidence that pubs, especially, suffer a great

  • Will hunt laws be enforced?

    THE question that I would like answered is, are the police going to enforce the new anti-hunting laws or not? There has been much speculation and many news reports saying that the police do not intend to prioritise these violent acts of injustice to our

  • Be alert to danger of meningitis

    I WAS concerned to read recent articles regarding the former St Joseph's pupil who was admitted to hospital after contracting meningitis and heartened to see he has now made a full recovery and is back at home. Meningitis UK warns that traditionally from