Thanks to the generosity of our readers there are now several bags of toys at the Gazette and Herald office for our Christmas Toy Appeal. We are working with the Salvation Army to make sure needy children in North Wiltshire have a present to unwrap
WORK has begun to increase the capacity of Allington Reservoir near Kington St Michael. The £3.5 million scheme by Wessex Water will result in the storage capacity increasing by five million litres and will take until next November. New drainage
A man who raped a four-year-old girl he was babysitting on two occasions has been jailed for 14 years. Adam Leyfield, who has a son of his own, was looking after the little girl for her family when he carried out the abuse earlier this year.
A new venue for an exhibition of Chippenham and District Artists has proved to be a success. The group is holding its winter show in the Yelde Hall, Chippenham, for the first time and by the second day they had sold ten paintings. Gill Minter, chairman
Former public health inspector Eric Silvester, of Chippenham, has died aged 96. Mr Silvester, of Park Avenue, died on Friday at Great Western Hospital, Swindon. He was born in London and, following service in the Royal Air Force as a medic
Former town council chairman Ann Lye, a founder member of the town charity Action on Homelessness, died in Ystrad Mynach Hospital, in Wales, at 9am on Sunday. She had her left eye removed around three years ago after contracting a tumour. Born
Albert Reginald Augustus (Bert) Howell, 98, of Royal Wootton Bassett, was born in Chippenham before the First World War. He used to play cricket and football in the street near his home in Park Lane long before it became a busy thoroughfare.
Tonight marks the start of the town’s festive celebrations with more lights than ever before. The town’s High Street is expected to be packed for the annual Christmas lights switch-on, which will involve a series of events from late afternoon.
The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust is urging parents to book early for the canal trips they are organising with Father Christmas on board. The trust’s trip boat, the Kenavon Venture, will leave Devizes Wharf at 11am on December 15, 16, 19, 20, 22
The new chair of governors at Abbeyfield School is hoping to put the past behind her and build on the schools recent success. Michele Blain has been elected as chair, following on from David Sage who spent 13 years in the role, and she has thanked
Thanks to the generosity of our readers there are now several bags of toys at the Gazette and Herald office for our Christmas Toy Appeal. We are working with the Salvation Army to make sure needy children in North Wiltshire have a present to unwrap
Festive fun will fill Malmesbury’s high street tomorrow evening despite the floods last weekend. Torrential rain caused the River Avon to flood in the early hours of Sunday, flooding the centre of town and at least a dozen houses. But that
I was recently made homeless due to an unforeseen circumstance. I am a young fit male so was ineligible for help from most quarters, and as such steeled myself for the hard time ahead. So I would very much like to thank Dawn Hazell and Naomi Webb
Chippenham Town Council says it is disappointed after Wiltshire Council rejected its proposals for concessionary car parking. The town council put forward two ideas to help shoppers and traders. One was for free parking in all public car parks
BOWLS England have announced that all national championships will take place at Royal Leamington Spa from 2014. The decision will also see the relocation of the Bowls England headquarters from its current base in Worthing, where the men's championships
A Scheme in which Devizes School pupils are mentored by the business community is taking off in the town. Since the end of the work experience scheme – which saw pupils spending a week in an office, factory or shop – there is nowhere that young
Schools, community groups and families are this week busy putting the finishing touches to the lanterns they intend to take on the biggest illuminated parade Devizes has ever seen. Dave Buxton, the artistic director of the Devizes Christmas Festival
Wiltshire Council deputy leader John Thomson believes the council did the best it could to plan for the floods which affected Malmes-bury and north Wiltshire but said it was exceptional weather. He said the council delivered more than 4,000 sandbags
Protestors are to march through the town over revived plans for 250 more homes on land off London Road in Devizes. Campaigners are furious that the plans for Coate Road are being submitted again by Glasgow developer Mactaggart and Mickel, despite
While Malmesbury bore the brunt of the severe flooding other communities also suffered. Adrian Bishop, vice chairman of Castle Combe Parish Council, said the flooding was the worst he had seen it in the village for 40 years. The River By Brook
Malmesbury Mayor Ray Sanderson has praised his townspeople for rallying together in a time of need. He said: “Thank you to everybody, especially the emergency services and local people. “There’s been a fantastic community spirit and the Rose
North Wiltshire MP James Gray said he will support Wiltshire Council if it chooses to bid for funding from the Government towards the cost of clearing up the flooding. Mr Gray visited flooding victims in Malmesbury, Sherston, Luckington and Castle
Malmesbury Town Council will a meeting next week to discuss the flooding in the town and what could be done to prevent it. Mayor Ray Sanderson organised the meeting after five councillors requested it be held to talk about flood plans in the town
Wiltshire firefighters have been working around the clock to help those affected by flooding over the last week. Torrential rain has been hammering Wiltshire since last Wednesday and the fire service has been on hand to help. Phone calls to
Police have seized cannabis worth up to £4,000 from a Chippenham house. The suspected cannabis factory was raided by Chipp-enham police on Monday morning. They were given information from inside the local community that the one-bedroom house
Town councillors in Malmesbury will meet next week to talk about how it can plan better for floods like those that devastated homes on Sunday. Days of torrential rain finally caused the River Avon to overflow into the High Street early on Sunday
