MORE than £500 was raised for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal at Devizes Town Band’s Remembrance Day concert in the town hall last week. The band fielded its largest turnout ever, with 34 musicians performing a range of music under the baton
It was a shameful day for Wiltshire Council when the Conservative administration used its majority to ram through huge increases in the allowances paid to the councillors in the Cabinet. I thought one of the most extraordinary arguments in favour
THIS week we are launching a cracking competition to brighten up your Christmas. Our competition could be the answer to your festive prayers as the five winners will each receive a £100 shopping voucher to help with the cost of all those Christmas
A charity is appealing for donations of unwanted household items after being contacted by a family for help with re-homing. Charity manager Alison Cross-Jones, of the Malmesbury branch of Heals (Help, Encourage-ment and Local Support), was emailed
Dorothy Deadman, proprietor of Dorothy’s Ladies’ Wear in Melksham for 20 years, died of kidney failure caused by pneumonia at the Bath Royal United Hospital on November 8, aged 84. Born Dorothy Hill in County Durham, she moved to Melksham at a
Atworth man Gerald Hubert Fletcher died peacefully on Sunday at the age of 87. Mr Fletcher was born in Chelsea in 1926, the youngest son in a family of eight brothers and sisters. He grew up in Fulham and after leaving school worked for a brief
Well-known Devizes toy shop owner Stephen Hughes has died at the age of 93. Mr Hughes, who had been living in Southfield care home in Victoria Road, Devizes, since last December, died at Great Western Hospital, Swindon, on November 9. Most
Town and parish councils face some difficult decisions after Wiltshire Council reduced a grant aimed at combating Government council tax reforms. During today’s cabinet meeting, held at County Hall, Trowbridge, the decision was made to reduce a
FUNDRAISERS across the county have been amazed and delighted at the response to the typhoon appeal. A four-day collection by Calne Lions raised £3,000 for victims; they were out with their collecting buckets in the High Street on Tuesday and Wednesday
PEOPLE who care for relatives or friends can attend an event in Devizes to help them hold down a paid job. It takes place at the town hall on Friday, November 29, from 11am to 2.30pm to help support unpaid carers into employment. The event,
ROB Dean celebrated his home debut with a goal before admitting that, despite initial reticence, a move to Hardenhuish Park was a “no-brainer.’’ Midfielder Dean’s composed finish five minutes after half time sparked a flurry of three goals in eight
WILTSHIRE'S reigning champion Flat trainer Richard Hannon is to retire at the end of the year. The Collingbourne Ducis based handler, 68, who has bases at Herridge and Everleigh, will hand over the licence to his son, Richard Hannon junior, on
SOME of Wiltshire’s leading business and community figures found themselves on the naughty list on Tuesday, when they were imprisoned in Santa’s grotto for charity. Six unwitting captives, including the High Sheriff of Wiltshire William Wylbore-Smith
An inconsiderate pet owner is causing a stink in Marlborough leaving bags of dog poo dotted around Back Lane. The issue was raised by Pam Eardley, who has lived in Back Lane for 15 years and said the bags started appearing around six months ago
CHIPPENHAM Park chief Dave Ferris says ‘communication is king’ as his side look to find their killer instinct. Park took on Hellenic League Purton in the second round of the Wiltshire Senior Cup but were unable to capitalise on their pressure before
MARK Cooper’s tactical gamble paid off for Town at Colchester last weekend. With first-choice striker Nile Ranger absent, the manager played a 4-6-0 formation, with no main centre forward, with Nicky Ajose and Dany N’Guessan playing as strikers
Born: Lewes, East Sussex, on May 30, 1945. Background: Began training in 1970 when he took over the licence on the retirement of his father Henry (Harry). Married: to Jo and has six children - the triplets Richard jnr (his assistant trainer
OPPONENTS of a 350-home development on the edge of Devizes will have to fight again as the developer Mactaggart and Mickel is appealing against the planning refusal. It was refused outline permission to build on just under 49 acres next to Coate
ObjectionS to revised plans for new housing next to Lay Wood, off Horton Road, have been reiterated by Devizes Town Council, Bishops Cannings and Roundway parish councils. All three councils discussed amended plans by the landowner, the Crown Estate
Tweaksare being made to Wiltshire Council’s highway repairs smartphone app after reports of faults with the service. Since launching in September the free app, My Wiltshire, which allows the public to pinpoint highways complaints including poor
Rosemary Crayford directed Royal Wootton Bassett’s long-established drama group, the Clarendon Players, in Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya - a bold venture into the unremitting toil of Russian rural life in the late 19th century. The sparsely furnished
CELEBRITIES and famous cricket players helped raise £4,600 for Devizes Opportunity Centre which helps pre-school children with special needs. The money was raised at a match between Bishops Cannings Cricket Club and the Bunbury XI at Bishops Cannings
Teenagers used their experiences to persuade others to speak out against online bullying. Eleven Wiltshire Young Commissioners, who help advise Wiltshire Council on issues affecting young people, have produced a film and sent out posters to help
Councillors say they are concerned about staffing levels and patient records at the Royal United Hospital in Bath following a damning report. An independent inspection found staff did not know how much fluid vulnerable older patients had consumed
Rarely can a knighthood have been more richly deserved than that awarded to Sir Terry Wogan. Quite apart from his many years of entertaining the public on radio and television with his gently mocking Irish lilt, leaving aside his championing of
It’s good to see in figures released last week that more and more people in Wiltshire are finding work. In the Chippenham constituency, the number of jobseekers has fallen by 284 – more than a fifth – in the last year, including 65 fewer young
In between unpacking boxes, I have been catching up with Constituency events. A highlight last week was being asked to present an Arctic Star medal to John O’Keefe at a ceremony organised by our local Royal Navy Association in Marlborough. As always
A meeting to discuss how to support elderly people in Calne who may be lonely or isolated takes place on Monday at 1pm in the Lansdowne Strand Hotel. It will look at the possibility of setting up a help group, run by volunteers. The event has
Transport and other ongoing community issues will be discussed by Corsham Area Board tonight. Changes to the bus services in the town will be presented to the board, with details of the consultation into the Zig Zag service to Melksham and Trowbridge
WILTSHIRE women’s hopes of progress in this season’s inter-county championship are over for another year after they fell at the first hurdle, crashing to a 55-shot defeat at the hands of Oxfordshire. They made a reasonable start to the away first
Youngsters got a taste of Roman life during a free activity day at Calne library. They dressed up as Romans, made soldier’s shields, took part in a Roman gods and goddesses hunt and made mosaics. In the afternoon children unearthed artefacts
A limited number of Early Bird tickets to next summer’s WOMAD Festival will go on sale tomorrow. They will remain on sale on line or over the phone until January 3, unless they sell out beforehand. WOMAD, The World’s Festival, will return to
The Manor House Golf Club near Castle Combe and its members have paid a lasting tribute to founder captains Roger Horler and Kirstie Maxwell by unveiling a new clock in their memory. Mr Horler, a former West Bromwich Albion footballer, and Mrs
RESIDENTS of Avon Court nursing and residential home in Chippenham were treated to live performances of feel-good songs this week. In a survey of 1,000 70 to 90-year-olds in September, Louis Armstrong’s 1968 chart topper What A Wonderful World
FORMER RAF sergeant Dean Faulkner, who repeatedly raped a girl and sexually abused two other children, has been jailed for 20 years. Faulkner, 46, first coerced and then threatened the youngsters as he satisfied his “own perverted sexual desires
SUPPORTERS of Children in Need went potty for Pudsey on Friday as they came up with a variety of wacky stunts to raise money. At Devizes School sixth formers dressed in onesies or pyjamas. Onesies were also the order of the day for most staff
Sheldon School in Chippenham raised more than £3,000 with activities including sumo wrestling, a Find Pudsey treasure hunt and a sixth form servant auction with historical fancy dress. Head of sixth form Michael Seeley said: “Fifty sixth form students
The number of organisations supporting the Gazette & Herald’s festive toy appeal has shot up. Since the start of this year’s appeal, several businesses have offered to act as new drop-off points for toys, which will be distributed to families
CHIPPENHAM Town will travel to face Poole Town in the Calor League Southern Premier Division next Saturday (November 30). The Bluebirds, who are without a game this weekend, will make their second trip to the south coast in four days, with a game
A Chippenham charity which helps the visually impaired read local newspapers has received £200 after being nominated in our Sainsbury’s campaign. Chippenham and District Talking Newspapers, based in The Cause, records news stories onto cassette
Salisbury District Hospital has met all essential quality and safety standards, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found. Inspectors carried out an unannounced inspection on October 2 as a follow-up to concerns about staffing levels and some
Actor and comedian John Cleese helped launch the annual Walk of Life to raise money for the Royal United Hospital in Bath. The 21-mile walk along the Kennet and Avon canal from Devizes is in its seventh year and will take place on May 17 to help
