WILTSHIRE rower Matt Evans is hoping his appearance in next month’s University Boat Race can be the springboard to a career on the international stage. Evans will be part of the Oxford crew in the 156th race on the Thames on April 3. The 23-year-old
Villagers in Hankerton are set to unveil their revamped 12th-century church building after £50,000 was spent to provide new facilities. Volunteers have spent 18 months raising money and applying for planning permission to have Holy Cross Hankerton church
A judge has put off passing sentence on a woman for being involved in the supply of heroin and cocaine after being told she is unwell. Donna Skillern, 31, of Silverston Way, Malmesbury, had been warned she could be jailed when she admitted the offences
Mum-of-two Terry Stokes died suddenly last week from a burst artery in her brain, aged 49. Mrs Stokes, of Balmoral Close, Chippenham, collapsed and died last Wednesday. Husband Phil, 53, who tried desperately to revive her, has thanked ambulance crews
Wootton Bassett Arts Festival is offering classes in poetry writing and speech and drama in the run-up to the festival in June. The classes will take place in the town library, with the poetry classes being run by Sue Chadd, a local poet, and the speech
Users of the Orchard Court bus stop in Malmesbury have been told to use it or lose it after a request was made to cut it from the town’s bus route. The bus operator has asked for the street, which is home to a number of elderly and disabled residents
Police have established a major incident room for the search for Donavan van Lill, who has been missing for more than two weeks. A team of 40 officers are now dedicated to the investigation, which is being dealt with as a suspicious missing
Gurkhas from Hullavington’s Buckley Barracks have thanked volunteers from the Malmesbury area who helped the Royal British Legion send them parcels while on duty in Afghanistan. The Royal British Legion identified 40 single Gurkhas who were likely to
Football fans in Calne have been given the chance to improve their skills thanks to a new course introduced at the leisure centre. Since February, the centre has been running a Football Skills course after receiving funding from Wiltshire Council
Two new sporting clubs are coming to Calne and volunteers are needed. Beversbrook Sports Facility is looking to establish table tennis and archery clubs. Community football development officer at the club, Kevin Whitehorn, said: “The table tennis club
THE magic of the cup has rubbed off in Pewsey after two of their sides reached finals at the weekend. Pewsey Vale’s first team, bossed by Adie Holcombe, claimed a place in the Wiltshire League’s Corsham Print Senior Cup final with a 1-0 win over Wroughton
Prince Charles is to visit Malmesbury Abbey for a fundraising classical concert on May 22. His Royal Highness will be entertained by Russian violinist Sergey Krylov and the London Chamber Orchestra. The concert is one of three which will be held over
Bath Rugby stars have joined the search to find fellow South African Donavan Van Lill two weeks after he went missing from his home in Chippenham. The 29-year-old fitness instructor disappeared from his home in Blackthorn Mews on March 3 – leaving behind
Parents of youngsters at Ivy Lane Primary School in Chippenham can experience school dinners for themselves following an initiative set up by staff. For the past two years, each year group has been given the opportunity to invite their parents or grandparents
Advice about the switch- over from analogue television to digital channels is available at events locally. The switchover begins on March 24 when the BBC2 analogue signal is turned off. On April 7 all other analogue channels will be switched off to
A new healthy lifestyle course for overweight youngsters in Chippenham will open its doors next month. One in three children in the county is overweight and MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition...Do it!) aims to help them become fitter, healthier and happier
PHIL Dibble says that he’s loving life at English National League new boys Bristol Pitbulls. The 17 year-old, who studies at Devizes School sixth form, signed for the fledgling side in January and has become a key fixture for Rich Hargreaves’ team as
Wiltshire College Chippenham is holding its annual hairdressing competition the week after next with 150 students competing. The event takes place in the Cove Theatre on the campus on Monday March 29 between 10am and 7.30pm. All the competitors, who
Doorway, a drop in centre for homeless people in Chippenham, was among the winners of the Wiltshire Health and Wellbeing Awards. The charity won the award for action to prevent alcohol and drug abuse. Doorway operates a twice weekly drop in centre at
Police are appealing for witnesses after £50,000 of metal was stolen from a business in Bumpers Farm in Chippenham. Thieves cut down trees on the verge of the A350 to allow a van to smash through the security fence and get into a compound over the weekend
In the skies of Wiltshire a unique partnership has been operating for the past 20 years. The county’s police force and ambulance service were the first in the country to operate a joint police helicopter/air ambulance and since it was formed it has attended
Dad Charles Ratke, who made tens of thousands of pounds growing cannabis in an industrial unit, has been jailed for four years. Ratke, 56, of Manningford Abbots, near Pewsey, set up in business producing the drug after his electrical company hit hard
The Gazette and Herald has teamed up with Chippenham and Villages Environmentalists (CAVE), to offer local primary school-aged children the chance to design a new logo to appear on CAVE’s cotton bags. The winning logo will be printed onto 600 cotton
Families from across the county flocked to Wiltshire College Lackham at the weekend for the annual lambing. This first of two lambing weekends saw hundreds of people flood through the gates of Lackham estate to see the newborn animals as well as the
St Mary’s Church in Nettleton was re-opened as a combined community hall and church on Friday. Part of the church has been converted at the cost just over £15,000 for use by community groups in Nettleton and Burton, near Chippenham. Bishop Mike Hill
A better out of hours service will be available for people from Marlborough although actual hours at Savernake Hospital will be cut, says the health trust NHS Wiltshire. The trust said a new out of hours service at Great Western Hospital in Swindon
Outraged Chippenham man Robin Spring has hit out at Royal Mail after a parcel he wanted to send to his son-in-law in Afghanistan was refused for being just two grammes over the limit – the same weight as a paper clip. Mr Spring, 69, of Waters Edge,
HARDENHUISH Park hotshot Lewis Powell doesn’t want the season to end after helping Chippenham Town extend their unbeaten run to nine matches. The Chippenham Town striker netted his 17th and 18th league goals in Tuesday night’s 4-2 win over Tiverton Town
CHIPPENHAM Town manager Adie Mings was full of praise for his side as they came from behind for the third time in three games on Tuesday night. The Bluebirds fell behind twice but goals from Alan Griffin, Scott Lye and a brace from Lewis Powell sealed
Just have fun, that’s the message to people taking part in Chippenham’s Sport Relief mile on Sunday. Organiser Elizabeth Thatcher said: “People can dress up if they want to – it doesn’t have to be taken seriously and people don’t have to train
At Sainsbury’s in Devizes customers and staff will be cycling a mile on an exercise bike in store tomorrow provided by Devizes Leisure Centre in exchange for a donation to Sport Relief. On Saturday the store will continue fund-raising by offering a
People in and around Calne will be donning their trainers, dancing shoes and sweat bands in a bid to raise cash for Sport Relief this year. Dancers at Holy Trinity CE Primary School are organising their very own version of the popular BBC1 show Strictly
St John’s student James Moran, who is planning to walk 100 miles to raise funds for Cancer Research UK next month, has pledges for far more than his £5,000 target. James, 17, of London Road, Marlborough, will be walking from South Wales to Marlborough
A cavalcade of vehicles including a solar-powered racing car that Formula 1 world champion Jensen Button has tried out will feature in a festival of Transport, Past, Present and Future on Saturday at St John’s School, Marlborough. The undoubted star
THE Bluebirds were left rueing missed chances as they were held by struggling local rivals Swindon Supermarine on Saturday. Adie Mings’ men started brightly and rattled the woodwork twice in the opening five minutes. Striker Shaun Benison hit the outside
Pupils at Ogbourne St George and St Andrew School have been making clay gargoyles as part of a project on castles. Class 2 teacher Pat Povey said the children had paid special attention to the stone faces that can often be found on the walls of churches
More than 100 fascinated visitors availed themselves of the opportunity to visit the ancient lock-up in the bowels of Devizes town hall this week. As part of National Tourism Week, the town council had an open day in the building, where visitors could
Gary Kemp and Matt Bown have done a fantastic job while I’ve been away from the dugout and results prove that we’re all singing from the same songsheet. They haven’t made any wrong decisions and some they’ve done well on their own when they’ve taken
Pupils from St Peter’s Primary School in Devizes will take Save the Children’s annual spring event back five centuries on Tuesday. The youngsters will be dressed in period costume for the event in the town hall and will sing an Elizabethan madrigal and
Devizes brewers Wadworth & Co have had to say farewell to another of their shire horses after 14-year-old Tom developed arthritis. Tom, an 18.2-hand bay gelding who has been with the brewery since the end of 2002, was taken to HorseWorld, an animal rehabilitation
Children from the Marlborough area are being invited to join in a wildlife safari where many of the creatures will require a magnifying glass to be seen clearly. Staff at the Corner House Children’s Centre in Marlborough are working with the Wiltshire
A record sum of nearly £11,400 was raised by last November’s Poppy Appeal collections in Marlborough. Royal British Legion Branch chairman Bill Copeland said the amount represents an increase of almost 12 per cent on the last two years. He said: “I
Devizes Town Council has urged local people to nominate the town’s unsung heroes for this year’s civic awards. The awards will be made at the annual town meeting in the Assembly Room at the town hall on April 15. There are three categories: the environmental
Children at Cherhill Pre-school this week met Otis, an black labrador and his handler George McCaffrey. Mr McCaffrey, who trains guide dog puppies, visited the school to talk about blind people and their dogs. The day was planned to
A Chippenham primary school which opened on the Pewsham estate 20 years ago will be celebrating in style on March 27. Kings Lodge Primary is are putting on an 1980s dance with live music and a licensed bar to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The music
Actress Barbara Flynn, who stars in BBC’s Cranford series, will be selling jewellery she designs and makes herself at the Cancer Research UK’s Spring Fair in Marlborough. The actress, who often stars with Judy Dench in period dramas, is expected to be
A group that provides new mums and dads in Marlborough with advice, friendship and practical help is looking for volunteers. The Marlborough and District branch of the National Childbirth Trust is looking for people to join its team of volunteers in
Don’t mess with the parking charges in Devizes is the message from the town’s chamber of commerce. A review of charges is being carried out for Wiltshire Council and towns have been put together in different bands. It is proposed that Devizes be put
A ploughing match at All Cannings on Saturday will raise funds for Dorothy House Hospice Care. The White Horse Ploughing Society is expecting between 70 and 90 tractors of all vintages to turn up for its annual match at Manor Farm. The action will start
It could prove to be a family affair if one of two candidates for the Devizes Town Council by-election is voted in. Following the death of town mayor John Leighton in January four women are contesting the Devizes North Ward seat on April 8. Mr Leighton
Young people in Aldbourne have a new website but there is concern that it is being confused with the village’s community web site. The domain titles of the two web sites are virtually identical with the long-running village site called www.aldbourne.org.uk
A Devizes teenager has been charged with a public order offence after a disturbance in the centre of Marlborough in the early hours of Sunday. Police were called to Hughenden Yard, outside the Azuza nightclub, shortly after midnight on reports of a large
A toddlers’ group has been set up in Rowde by mums Liz Read, Lorna Freemantle, Lorna Mysercough and Lisa Strickland. It meets on Thursdays between 10am and noon in the village hall during term time and the age range is babies to three. For details ring
Devizes Town Council is objecting to the proposed Primary Care Centre and retirement village on land next to Quakers Walk. The council’s planning committee met on Tuesday night and was concerned about the impact it will have on traffic in London Road
Teenage motocross rider Jack Davies remains in a critical condition at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford following a crash last week. Jack, 19, of Devizes, remains on life support after sustaining head injuries at the track at West Kennett
Fire crews were called out twice on Monday to tackle grass fires, more usually associated with high summer. The crews, from Devizes, were called to New Zealand Farm Camp on Salisbury Plain at around 3.30pm after reports of fires on a 500 metre square
Staff and customers at Avebury Community Shop celebrated its first birthday in traditional style on Monday with a party in the shop. Villagers packed into the small shop in the High Street to celebrate with a birthday cake and a drink or two. Michelle
Devizes town council’s annual beating of the bounds will be held this year in memory of the late mayor, Coun John Leighton. The sponsored walk, taking place on Sunday April 18, follows the historic parish boundaries of the town, a distance of about
St Joseph’s RC Primary School in Devizes took the opportunity of their Mother’s Day assembly on Friday to recognise the retiring clerk to the governors. Diana Louca is ending a 15-year association with the school as she stands down as clerk. Chairman
Police are hunting burglars who have started to target Marlborough town centre shops with two more raids on Monday night. In the latest break-ins the thieves used similar methods to that used to gain entry to Greggs bakers three weeks ago.
The setting up of a gypsy site in the Devizes area would have to be handled very sensitively, according to local councillors. Wiltshire Council is to launch a consultation process leading to the setting up of a travellers’ site in the Devizes area.
DAVE Turner admits he’s not sorry his side don’t have to face Trowbridge Town again this season after suffering at their hands once again. Bassett’s boss felt his side merited more than just a point from a performance that saw them pepper the woodwork
MEL Gingell was pleased after his side recorded their third win in five games on Tuesday night. Ben Moore’s goal was enough to seal a 1-0 win for Corsham at Brislington. “We’ve picked up almost as many points in the last few games as we have all season
WAYNE Thorne drowned his sorrows at the Cheltenham Festival yesterday after Melksham’s last hopes of a silver lining to a tough season were swept away at Warminster Town’s Weymouth Street ground on Tuesday night. The Conigre side were emphatically dumped
DEVIZES slipped back to second-from-bottom after defeat at Chard, who leapfrogged them in the table. Paul Thompson and Kevin Whitbread’s men had won three of their previous five before Saturday’s trip to Bridport, which ended in a 4-0 reverse
MALMESBURY Victoria caretaker boss Martin Woodhouse admits that his side are suffering from not being able to field a consistent side. “We’ve got a nucleus of about seven or eight players that are always available but we need it to be 11 or 12,” he said
TOMMY Dryden says that the atmosphere at Calne Town is good after they drew at Dawlish Town on Tuesday. “Results have been a bit hit and miss recently but the spirit is good,” said the Calne joint-boss. “We showed a lot of character
Mum-of-three Jane Stringer says she owes her life to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance that flew her to hospital after she woke up with severe breathing difficulties. Mrs Stringer had been suffering a cold for a few days and went to bed but awoke just after
CHIPPENHAM Town’s annual golf day and dinner will take place at the Cumberwell Park club on Friday, April 16, where former Manchester United manager Tommy Docherty will be the guest speaker. The team event will feature competitions and a fundraiser on
A solitary goal was enough to give Devizes a 1-0 win over promotion chasing Cheltenham on Saturday. The home side looked solid from the push back and played with a style and pattern reminiscent of the form they captured just before Christmas
