Pupils from Westrop Primary School Highworth release 200 balloons Picture Ref: 77555-25YOUNG scientists are getting to grips with an aviation-themed week. Pupils at Westrop Primary School, in Highworth, will be taking part in a school science week until
CONTROVERSIAL cameras on the M4 have slashed the number of speeding drivers on the motorway by more than half, a cabinet minister revealed in the House of Commons. Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said the first month of the scheme had proved that
A PARANOID schizophrenic told psychiatric workers that voices of demons in her head had told her to kill a child. Gillian Newman had not been taking her medication when she told a community psychiatric nurse "They are telling me to harm a child." Newman
Susan Allen and her daughter Bianca Picture Ref: 77579-22A SINGLE mum says her overweight daughter is facing an uphill battle to get fit because of a price rise at a Swindon gym. Susan Allen, of Godolphin Close, Freshbrook, is furious that fees for Gold
Picture Ref: 77589-11CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating after councillors turned their noses up at plans for a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in North Swindon. Residents of Ash Brake turned out in force to hear whether KFC would be allowed to open a drive-thru
Gareth BethellSWINDON...AND PROUD OF IT: IT'S a sign of the times that when you meet American people abroad they'll often try to hide their homeland and say they're Canadian, writes Gareth Bethell. The way they see it is a little white lie saves them
A GROUP of Salvation Army volunteers from Swindon have raised around £1,000 for charity after cycling over London's bridges. The 11 members of the Gorse Hill citadel were among 2,200 people taking part in the Thames Bridges Bike Ride. The 32-mile ride
A MAN has appeared in court charged with a serious assault. Barry Corbett, 47, of Bridport Road, Walcot, denies attacking John Ashwood in Swindon town centre on May 22, last year. He is charged with grievous bodily harm along with two co-defendants. Corbett
SWINDON residents have until the end of this week to nominate a member of Swindon Social Services for awards which recognise work which goes beyond the call of duty. Nominations for the first Quality Service Awards, which can be made by the public or
BOGUS callers have targeted a house in Eldene. Three men, posing as electricity board officials, called at the house at about 2.40pm yesterday. While one of the men kept the resident busy by switching lights on and off, the other two searched the house
Margaret BaconAUTHOR and former history teacher Margaret Tuckwell is to celebrate the publication of her 16th published novel with a launch party at Waterstone's Swindon bookshop tomorrow. The book, For Better, For Worse, is the last part of a trilogy
ANGER has erupted following Swindon Council's decision to sign the legal agreement for the Front Garden development. The Campaign To Protect Rural England is furious the council is allowing plans to go ahead without waiting for a report from an independent
Sam Ritchings, Peter Sealey and Dave Clydesdale check out the new park Picture Ref: 77588-14YOUNG people in Cricklade now have a purpose-built skateboard park after a five-year campaign. The park has been built near the youth centre in Stones Lane and
FEATHERS will be flying once again in Swindon town centre when a second pillow fight erupts by the Jubilee Clock. Organisers are hoping for all out war this year after fewer people turned out than expected for the first battle last October. Town leaders
Bookstart Bear Picture Ref: 77563-34THE Children's Information Service was transformed into a craft centre to encourage more children to read. Parents of toddlers and young children were invited to the fun Bookstart Bear morning at the council service
ANGRY Gordon Smith says his son's future almost certainly lies away from the County Ground. The Town midfielder's dad/agent is far from happy with the way the club have dealt with the question of the player's future. He says six other clubs have now contacted
PLANS to build 24 new homes in Highworth have been given the go ahead despite concerns that trees were being put before people. Linden Homes was last night given permission to build six houses and 18 apartments on the former Co-op store site at Cherry
CHILDREN from a Swindon primary school had a taste of carnival fever when they were put through their paces by members of Swindon Dance. The pupils from Noremarsh School, in Wootton Bassett, were taught dances they will perform at their school's annual
CONTROVERSIAL cameras on the M4 have slashed the number of speeding drivers on the motorway by more than half, a cabinet minister revealed in the House of Commons. Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said the first month of the scheme had proved that
ANGRY Gordon Smith says his son's future almost certainly lies away from the County Ground. The Town midfielder's dad/agent is far from happy with the way the club have dealt with the question of the player's future. He says six other clubs have now contacted
A MIX of homes, offices and a hotel will not be built on Swindon's former railway works after councillors rejected plans. Two companies wanted to build 238 apartments, offices, a hotel, and leisure facilities on the old railway works sites off Kemble
NINE Swindon Town fans have appeared in court for the second time in connection with football violence during a match in Bournemouth. All of them pleaded not guilty at Bournemouth Magistrates' Court yesterday to a charge of breaching public order by behaving
CONTROVERSIAL cameras on the M4 have slashed the number of speeding drivers on the motorway by more than half, a cabinet minister revealed in the House of Commons. Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said the first month of the scheme had proved that
Princes HouseNEWS that Princes House in the centre of Swindon is on the market is proof that the rejuvenation of the town centre is moving closer to becoming a reality. That's the view of the New Swindon Company, which is delighted that the building,
James Arkell, Swindon brewery boss and former High Sheriff of Wiltshire Picture Ref: 77585-62SWINDON...AND PROUD OF IT: THE people of Swindon have thrown their weight behind the Adver's aim to boost pride in our town. Yesterday we launched a campaign
RESIDENTS in Penhill will be given tips as part of a scheme to improve fire safety. Wiltshire Fire Brigade will be working with Sure Start to bring this opportunity to North Swindon. They will be at the centre next Wednesday, June 1 from 9.30am. Firefighters
A FAMILY living in a tiny house are still desperate to move. As we reported in the Advertiser on April 12, the Ratcliffe family think their two-bedroom house at Golding Close, Stratton St Margaret is too small. The couple, who already have two children
TRADERS in Gorse Hill are hoping to organise another meeting to discuss the future of the shopping area. They have already held talks with North Swindon MP Michael Wills and, now he has been re-elected, they want to press ahead with an action plan. No
FOSSILISED animals set into stone thousands of years ago are set to take centre stage at a new Swindon exhibition. Fabulous Fossils is the name for Swindon Museum and Art Gallery's upcoming exhibition starting on June 18. Millions of years ago the country
SWINDON has failed to make it into the latest guidebook for Great Britain. The new Lonely Planet guide to Great Britain features Malmesbury, Bradford on Avon, Devizes and Salisbury in its Wiltshire chapter but Swindon does not even get a mention. Researchers
MUMS, grandmothers, sisters and daughters are being called up in the fight against heart disease. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has launched its Help a Heart Week and is calling on women in Swindon and Wiltshire to support the event from June 4 to
THE chief executive of Swindon Chamber of Trade, Dennis Grant, says Marks & Spencer has suffered as it is out of touch with its customers. The store has revealed a 19 per cent fall in annual profits. As reported in yesterday's late edition of the
A MOTORIST was rushed to hospital after an accident involving two cars. The two saloon cars crashed at Callow Hill near Brinkworth. Firefighters from Westlea and Wootton Bassett received a call about the accident at 6.30pm and arrived at the scene 13
Lorraine Newton and Emma Stock Picture Ref: 77561-36YOUNG dancers in Wiltshire are moving to the beat as a new year of activities kick into action. This is part of the Wiltshire Youth Arts Partnership's (WYAP) dance project 'Zero Gravity'. With new funding
Andrew Ferris, Tim Hayward-Browne, Edward Ponting, Gregory Estall and Mark Garnett from St Sampson's Junior School Picture Ref: 77548-10A GROUP of youngsters has stormed ahead in a chess competition. Three pupils at St Sampson's Junior School, in Cricklade
WOOTTON Bassett Town Council is holding a special meeting tomorrow to discuss the parking situation in the town. North Wiltshire district councillors have also been invited to the meeting to give their views about charging for parking in Borough Fields
Mitchell Morgan and Ryan Knapp, 10, with Tom Walters, nine, making shelters for insects Picture Ref: 77565-39WROUGHTON should be a greener place in the future after 100 youngsters attended an Earth Summit. Nine and ten year olds from Wroughton Junior
SWINDON'S libraries are more popular with bookworms than ever before, new figures have revealed. The number of visits to libraries have increased in the town from 4,599 per 1,000 people in 2002/03 to 5,719 per 1,000 in 2003/04. The number of inquiries
Mary Ratcliffe Picture Ref: 77576-78THE word respect has been given an elevated state of prominence. Headlined in every national newspaper. Raised as an issue of great importance in The Queen's speech, it is placed at the very heart of the Prime Minister's
JURORS in the trial of those charged with the attempted murder of Swindon man Vincent MacNamee have heard about in-fighting among defendants, yesterday. It is alleged that Mr MacNamee was stabbed and bottled when a gang burst into a house in Swindon following
Laura Higgins of Even Swindon Junior School Picture Ref: 77550-35TWO teachers from the Swindon area have reached the regional finals of the prestigious Teaching Awards 2005. Laura Higgins, of Even Swindon Junior School, is a finalist in the category for
A WOMAN has pleaded guilty to stealing £1,500 from funds being raised to help a Swindon primary school. Fiona Grice, 43, of Magnolia Court, Pinehurst, stole the money while she was the treasurer of the Friends Of Freshbrook Primary School. Magistrates
A SPECIAL planning meeting will be held to discuss the future restoration of Lydiard Park. Councillors were due to discuss the £5.3m restoration plans at last night's meeting. But they put off the decision until next week to give themselves time to study
