Supporters of St Mary’s Church in Devizes are stunned by the decision of Wiltshire Council’s Eastern area planning committee tonight to refuse permission for an extension. The committee voted 4-3 to refuse permission as recommended by planning
There were tributes galore at the King’s Arms in All Cannings on Saturday as veteran bellringer Jim Burry celebrated his 90th birthday. Mr Burry and his wife Mary were entertained by 50 bellringers, family members and friends at the pub. Tributes
Residents in Neston have opposed plans for a 14-hectare solar farm on the outskirts of the village, as a councillor promises to call in the application for scrutiny. Plans have been submitted to Wiltshire Council for solar panels on farmland north
The Duchess of Cornwall will be guest of honour at a fundraising concert in aid of Youth Action Wiltshire in the chapel at Marlborough College tomorrow. The concert, entitled Divine Music for Trumpets and Voices – the Life of George Frideric Handel
The Stroke Association, in conjunction with Wiltshire Council, is holding an event in Devizes next month to help people in the local area who have survived a stroke. As part of Wiltshire Council’s stroke awareness campaign, the Stroke Association
Bromham’s sub-postmaster is retiring after 16 years but the village will retain a post office if plans to move it to another location are approved. The Post Office is proposing to relocate the branch into Bromham Stores, which is 161 metres away
Bromham resident Maureen Bowyer was a much loved mum and gran. Mrs Bowyer, 81, died on October 9 and her funeral service was held last Thursday at West Wiltshire Crematorium, Semington. She was born in Broughton Gifford but her family moved
Former Royal Navy dental surgeon Anthony Sampson, who retired to Devizes and became a stalwart of the local gardening club, has died at the age of 91. Known to everyone as Tony or Bones, because he was so slim all his life, he had a positive effect
Jackie Jordan, 55, who was a popular member of staff at the Lime Kiln Centre in Royal Wootton Bassett, was remembered by a packed congregation at Kingsdown Crematorium, where many people had to stand, at a service to celebrate her life. Mrs Jordan
Margaret Worth, the Devizes school teacher who was a founder member of the town’s twinning association and stalwart of many other community organisations, has died at the age of 91. Mrs Worth had an illustrious pedigree in the town, being the granddaughter
CHIPPENHAM Town have been drawn away to Merthyr Town in the second round of the Red Insure Cup. Steve Winter's men, who beat Frome Town 2-1 in the first round last week, will travel to Wales on Tuesday November 12. Merthyr were beaten finalists
Devizes butchers Walter Rose and Son has been voted the Butcher’s Shop of the Year in the Taste of the West 2014 Awards. The family-run butchery business previously picked up a Taste of the West gold award for its Devizes shop and a silver award
A bid to open Chippenham High Street to buses has outraged town councillors. The main street is currently closed to all traffic between 9.30am and 7.30pm. But Wiltshire Council’s Transport Strategy for Chippenham, which works to support the
TUESDAY’S defeat to Walsall – the first at home in the league this season – doesn’t change the fact that the club have enjoyed a great start to the season. But it has brought to light some of the frailties in this Town team. I’ve mentioned
The Post Office has U-turned by agreeing to put on a free bus service for Malmesbury residents to go to Tetbury while work takes place at the post office in the High Street Co-Op. Despite telling the Gazette a fortnight ago that people should use
The first of a new monthly farmers’ market in Chippenham High Street got off to a flying start, despite the rain. Chippenham is the 12th location under the Wiltshire Farmers' Markets Association banner, selling own grown, reared or foraged produce
Nursteed Community Primary School in Devizes has retained its prestigious Artsmark award after showing how it encourages pupils to expand their creativity. Penny Stanley, the school’s literacy and arts co-ordinator, said: “At Nursteed we try to
Nursteed Community Primary School in Devizes has retained its prestigious Artsmark award after showing how it encourages pupils to expand their creativity. Penny Stanley, the school’s literacy and arts co-ordinator, said: “At Nursteed we try to
BLUEBIRDS boss Steve Winter is backing former Bristol Rovers youngster Darren Jefferies to be a hit at Hardenhuish Park. The 19-year-old midfielder, who made one senior appearance during his time with Rovers and spent last season with Frome Town
The owner of Devizes Books is taking on a gym challenge to raise money for charity in memory of her late mother. Jo Batchelor celebrated her 50th birthday in July but the surprise party arranged for her at the Conservative Club was marred by the
Malmesbury man Thomas Hobbes famously argued that were it not for decent government and a ‘social contract’ which binds us all together life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.” His brilliant book, Leviathan, is something of which
Dancers from the FitzGraham Academy of Dance startled shoppers at Sainsbury’s, Calne, by jumping out from the aisles and performing a surprise flash mob near the tills. More than 30 dancers performed an energetic disco routine to Think by Aretha
Staff and students at St John’s School, Marlborough, were taken by surprise when one of a group of visiting students from Marlborough, New Zealand, turned out to be a New Zealand’s Got Talent winner. Clara Van Wel bagged the top spot on the TV
More than 60 trade stands will be turning out for this year’s Feast of Food fair at Marlborough College on Saturday. The fundraising event in aid of Cancer Research UK runs from 10am-4pm and exhibitors include Gastro Nicks, a food firm based in
Doorstep conmen have struck twice in as many weeks, preying on pensioners in the Malmesbury area. The latest victim is an 83-year-old man from Great Somerford who answered his door late at night to a trickster claiming to be from a security firm
AN independent pub offering real ales and no music will be opening in Devizes tomorrow. The Vaults, known as a micro pub, will be opening in the former Lignum antiques shop in St John’s Street. The pub’s business partners Malcolm Shipp and
A Chippenham optical outlet has vanished, leaving customers thousands of pounds out of pocket. Simply Specs cleared out of its Bumpers Farm premises on October 13 and left no contact details for people waiting for glasses. Country Estates,
A COUNSELLING service to help primary school children as young as six cope with family break-up, anxiety or bereavement has been saved thanks to lottery funding. The Big Lottery has committed more than £100,000 to ensure that Time to Talk sessions
Five members of a Pewsey family will be treading the boards this weekend for an original, non-musical, adaptation of Les Miserables. Chris and Jill Smith, and their children Miranda, Eleanor and Daniel Smith, of Frensham Way, star in Pew-sey Vale
Eleven pupils with special educational needs who braved Everest on a trek organised by Springfields School in Calne, returned home yesterday. The pupils, selected for the trek from schools across the country, flew out to Kathmandu 15 days ago to
Police arrested two men and are seeking a third after they foiled what they believe was an attempt to hold illegal hare coursing near All Cannings on Sunday. Officers were called to a field at around 5pm after a blue Land Rover Discovery was seen
Volunteers dedicated to the core helped to pick more than four tonnes of apples at the orchard that now forms part of the Drews Pond Wood Project. Some 25 people turned up to help harvest the crop at the orchard on the grounds of the former Roundway
A Ramsbury charity clay pigeon shoot has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity. The Hilldrop Charity Shoot is believed to the biggest event of its kind in the UK and it has been announced that this year’s event, which was held in May
Aspiring director Tessa Ellison is taking on a challenging project to singlehandedly organise a production of the farce Tom, Dick and Harry. The 19-year-old of Franklyn Acre, Marlborough, is hoping to study directing at university and decided to
There was welcome news for Wiltshire in the latest official jobs figures, released last week. Locally, the number of Jobseekers in the Chippenham constituency fell by 118 in September – the biggest one-month drop so far, taking the number of Jobseekers
It’s been another busy week in the Whips’ office with a full sitting on Friday last week when Private Members’ Bills were read and a hectic amount of activity in the two departments for whom I am the Whip, namely the Department for Work and Pensions
Brilliantly directed by Russell Langdown with musical director Malcolm Webb, Swindon’s musical theatre society SALOS bring the macabre story of Sweeney Todd vividly to the stage this week. The show, with Stephen Sondheim’s marvellous music and lyrics
RAIL passengers may face disruption for a few months as work is carried out to accommodate new overhead wires. Electrification is scheduled to be introduced on the Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads line by May 2017 and is expected to cut the journey
THE North Wiltshire Credit Union is reaching out to more people hit by benefit cutbacks and rising debts by this week starting weekly advice sessions in Chippenham’s High Street. They are being hosted on Wednesdays by Popshop Wiltshire in the Emery
Staff and customers at Sainsbury’s in Calne are backing this year’s Operation Christmas Child appeal by collecting gifts for disadvantaged children across Africa and eastern Europe. The annual appeal is run by the Samaritan’s Purse charity and
IT WAS honours even as locals rivals Corsham Town and Calne Town drew at the Southbank last night. Marcus Lovesey headed Calne in front with 36 minutes on the clock but the hosts' Ed Baldwin levelled matters as he nodded home from a corner five
St Mary’s Church in Devizes, one of the most historic buildings in the country, is likely to close if permission is refused for an extension, say campaigners. Supporters of the church say if it closes it will end up dilapidated like the Assize
A fault in the phonelines to Chippenham Hospital has been fixed. Pregnant women under the care of the hospital’s birthing centre were asked via Twitter and Facebook to contact delivery suites at Bath’s Royal United Hospital or Swindon’s Great Western
RICHARD Hannon has elected to saddle QEII winner Olympic Glory rather than Toronado in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita next week. The Everleigh trainer was spoilt for choice in the American showpiece with his Group One pair, although Toronado
