A THEATRE school is coming to Malmesbury, bringing with it stars of stage and screen. The independent company, Shine on Stage, has confirmed plans to open in the town in January. And to promote it, there will be free performing arts classes at
A charity is holding a men’s shopping night at the Bear Hotel in Devizes on December 12. The Bag4Sport event will have stalls from local shops selling gifts such as jewellery, perfume and clothes with women in mind. Bag4Sport director Andy
A scheme to build seven affordable homes in Hilmarton on land owned by Wiltshire Council has been submitted by the Guinness Trust after a community consultation. The plans to build on land next to Poynder Place, near the telephone exchange, include
WILTON Pond is in line for a much-needed rejuvenation thanks to a grant from Pewsey Area Board. Grafton Parish Council’s bid for a £1,591 grant was approved on Monday evening. The project will cost £7,964 and the rest of the funding will come
Congregations from two churches in Calne packed gifts for disadvantaged children into 135 shoeboxes as part of Operation Christmas Child last Saturday. The scheme is run by the Samaritan’s Purse charity, and was set up to make sure children across
DEVIZES has its own newspaper and radio station, now it has its own TV channel. Devizes Television, which is non-profit making, is available on the internet and despite no formal launch the owners say it has already built up a good following.
MARK Collier believes that only now is he beginning to understand the true potential of Chippenham Town. Collier, appointed as the Hardenhuish Park outfit’s new boss last week, hit the ground running with a 1-0 Calor League Southern Premier Division
Ken Ashton, 100, who was Wootton Bassett’s first elected mayor when the title was restored in 1974, was remembered by a large congregation, including the present mayor and other civic representatives, at his funeral in St Bartholomew’s Church, Royal
JOCKEY A P McCoy celebrated being the first to ride 4,000 winners with a party at The Outside Chance in Manton. The 18-time champion reached the milestone on Mountain Tunes at Towcester, cheered on by his wife Chanelle and children, five-year-old
Artists David and Gill Reeves have transformed the front of the Coleman’s Farm Community Centre in Calne with a colourful mosaic. Mr and Mrs Reeves, who are both ceramic artists and have a studio at Ratford, near Calne, were commissioned to brighten
Vintage vehicle enthusiasts braved wet weather for their annual gathering at the Duke car park in Bratton last Saturday, with money raised going to the Poppy Appeal. The Vintage Classic Vehicle Gathering, now in its third year, sees owners of classic
Devoted family man Richard Lawrence, of Devizes, who had recently been given the all-clear after cancer treatment, died of a heart attack while at work. His shocked family have paid tribute to him, describing him as “one in a million.” Mr Lawrence
TOWN started to repair the damage of their humiliation at Macclesfield as they progressed into the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Area semi-finals after beating League Two side Wycombe on Tuesday. Saturday’s defeat – one of the club’s worst-ever FA Cup
STUDENTS gave up their half-term to support young women in Eastern Zambia with educational aspirations by building a new school for them. A group of 15 pupils from St Mary’s School, Calne, flew out to Zambia on October 23 after two years of planning
Smokefree South West is calling on smokers in Wiltshire to quit smoking this autumn to save money for Christmas. Consumers spend around £450 per year on Christmas and the latest report from ASH suggests that quitting can save the average smoker
Using the power of their imaginations, children enjoyed a roaring bonfire and fireworks to mark November 5 at The Rowdey Cow farm café and ice cream parlour in Rowde. In the barn, Alison Rollinson, manager for Pyjama Drama in west Wiltshire, led
A battle between industrial communities and environmentalists in the polar regions is the focus of a book by MP James Gray. The 95-page document, which will not be on sale to the general public, was put together to accompany the Poles Apart summit
The medieval St Michael and All Angels Church in Urchfont could be on the verge of a new life as a community hub after the parochial church council held an open day to canvass local people for their ideas. There is support for a café, exhibition
Members of Devizes PHAB Club were delighted when town mayor Pete Smith took part in the November draw of the Nursteed Centre 100 Club. Coun Smith drew out the winning number and members of the PHAB Club drew out the numbers for the four runners
More than 25 children and their families enjoyed a Halloween party at Kington St Michael Club. A children’s Christmas party on Sunday, December 22, at 2pm is one of the next events being planned at the club, near Chippenham. The club celebrated
The Business Secretary, Vince Cable, will give the keynote address at a major conference on community energy in Marshfield on Saturday. The Community Energy - Energising Communities conference will hear from leading experts across the region how
Every day, military personnel return from the front line with both physical wounds and less visible psychological ones. Psychological wounds can have a devastating effect on family life and The Royal Navy & Royal Marines Children’s Fund is
It's never been my luck previously to review Cantamus, a compact chamber choir under the hand of Mike Daniels, a jovial musician of diverse genres. Truly my misfortune, for in this concert of Rossini’s “poor little mass... the final sin of my old
Teenager Miles Webber has been honoured posthumously for saving lives through donation of his organs. Miles, 13, of Littleton Panell, near Devizes, died of injuries sustained in a crash on the A360 near Black Dog crossroads last November. He was
MARLBOROUGH warmed up for this weekend’s top of the table clash with Lansdown in West Clubs League North Division crown by thumping BAC 11-3. The home side scored three goals in the first 10 minutes and by half time a stunned BAC were 6-0 down.
Outraged residents have expressed disbelief that Wiltshire Council has agreed to a substantial increase in members’ allowances only weeks after making 252 staff redundant. The increases, put forward by Wiltshire Council’s Independent Remuner-ation
NORTH WILTS ladies recorded a 28-shot success over Purnell in one women’s national inter-club team championship event – but lost out to Bristol in another by ten shots last week. Making a rare appearance in the consolation Yetton Plate competition
COMPETITORS in next week’s Castle Combe Chilly Duathlon could find themselves up against it in the bike section – with double Olympic champion Ed Clancy set to take his place in the field. Clancy, who helped Great Britain win the men’s team pursuit
SWINDON Spitfires continued their unbeaten run in the Ladies Division with a 7-1 win over Trowbridge Wanderers. Katie Wadey scored four for Spitfires, supported by goals from Emma Pinkney, Zofia Stepien and Morgan Whittaker. Madeline Taylor
Special Constable Mike Tupman, who was made an MBE this year, is celebrating again after being rewarded for consistent and conscientious duty. Mr Tupman was rewarded at the Chief Constable’s Parade, which honours the work of Wiltshire Police’s
WOMEN who have clothes shoved to the back of the wardrobe that are unlikely to be ever worn again can swap them at a “swishing party” in Seend tonight. Swishing is the latest craze to hit the UK, as popularised by the TV show Twiggy’s Frock Exchange
Urchfont car dealer Jason Wildman has been ordered to pay back £127,443 under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Judge Andrew Barnett, sitting at Salisbury Crown Court on Friday, gave Wildman six months to pay the amount or serve two years’ imprisonment
CALNE Town slipped to a 3-2 defeat at Roman Glass St George in the Toolstation League First Division last night. Playing on the Gloucestershire FA’s brand-new 3G pitch, the visitors fell behind to an early penalty, but Calne responded with chances
DEVIZES’ three-match winning run in Netball South West Regional League Three was ended by unbeaten leaders Abbeymeads. The Swindon visitors’ speed and precision meant Devizes struggled to settle into their own rhythm in the first quarter, which
HISTORIC residential and retail buildings in Malmesbury look set to go on to the market after they were repossessed from art collector Frank Faryab. Excitement is brewing throughout the community from those who are keen to see the dilapidated Grade
Police in Calne are urging motorists to take extra care during the winter months after a number of accidents in the past week. Police were called to Bremhill, just past the Dumb Post Inn, on November 8 at 9.14am after a Peugeot travelling down
Do you remember hearing about the US subprime mortgage crisis? It dimly wafted across our national news media for a short time. Few listeners knew what it was; no one was worried; house prices continued to soar; and the banks carried on their merry
During the last week we have seen more good economic news with inflation falling sharply to just over two per cent as the price of fuel and transport finally starts to ease. Coupled with the encouraging jobs data and falling deficit, it all provides
Schools and community groups are starting to make their lanterns for Devizes Christmas Festival. Last year saw the event pass the previous record of 700 lanterns and organisers estimate there could be 1,000 this year. Devizes Outdoor Celebratory
A wine and food fair in Seend could provide ideas for Christmas presents. The event, in its seventh year, takes place at Seend Community Centre on November 30. It will offer about 16 wines to taste and buy, while an indoor market of stalls
THE case against Devizes car dealer Jerry Swain, who had been charged with fraud, has been dropped, even though he still owes £3,400. Mr Swain, 66, of Maryport Street, Devizes, was ordered to appear before magistrates in Salisbury last Friday to
SWINDON Supermarine boss Dave Webb is resigned to losing Rob Dean with the midfielder set to move to Chippenham in the next 48 hours. Dean was subject to a seven-day approach by the Bluebirds last week and has agreed to switch to Hardenhuish Park
Young people in Corsham will receive an insight into British parliamentary life on Wednesday, at a talk at the town hall. Sophie Deeble, parliamentary education outreach officer for the south west, will discuss Parliament and Me with members of
MARLBOROUGH finally broke their Davis Wood League Conference North winning duck at the seventh time of asking as they thrashed bottom side Bristol & West 5-1. After a frustrating start to season in which decent performances had failed to yield
Chirton resident David Baker is helping to establish a historical trail in the African bush in honour of his great great grandfather, Sir Samuel Baker, who discovered one of the significant sources of the River Nile. Mr Baker, 74, and his family
THE historic Quakers Walk gates in Devizes have been restored, complete with dolphin emblems, marking a memorable mammal that legend says saved hundred of lives. Dolphins have been absent from the roundels in the gates for more than 40 years.
Those fundraising for aid in the Philippines are being given the chance to run a free stall at festive markets in three Wiltshire towns. Ellie Gill, Love Your Local Market manager, is organising events in Chippenham, Marlborough and Trowbridge,
Freemasons in Wiltshire have backed their national organisation in giving an emergency grant of £50,000 to the British Red Cross to provide hygiene kits for 8,500 families in the typhoon-hit Phillipines. Philip Bullock, spokesman for Wiltshire
Shelter Box first responder Tom Kinderman is on standby to go out to the Philippines and deliver aid. The charity provides emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world who are affected by disasters. The team at their
AN Australian Buddhist nun who spent 14 years working with prisoners around the world, including many on death row, will be speaking in Corsham next week. The Venerable Robina Courtin will visit the Corsham Almshouses on Wednesday and take questions
Chippenham business owner Rachel Terry is backing a concert raising money for families struck by last weekend’s devastating typhoon in support of her Filipino sister-in-law. Mrs Terry, who owns the Citadel Hall, in Bath Road, has offered the venue
Today (Thursday) DERRY HILL: Children at Rub-a-Dub Pre-school, based in the village hall, will be dressing up as superheroes and doing some baking from 9am to 3pm. DEVIZES: Pupils at Nursteed School will be wearing pyjamas for the day for
A man from Corsham has been arrested after a three-car collision near the town hospitalised a mother and her two children yesterday. The 20-year-old male was driving a blue Peugeot 306 when it overtook a silver Mazda MX5 on the A4 at 3.11pm, and
Rotary Clubs across Wiltshire have been galvanised into action as the full horror of the devastation in the Philippines becomes clearer. Veteran fundraisers for victims of the Boxing Day Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 and the Haiti earthquake disaster
Aspiring artist Daisy Babey has had her talents given the Royal stamp of approval after being shortlisted in the Post Office Christmas competition. The five-year-old, who attends Rushall Primary School, entered the festive competition in the summer
