Chippenham Town Council may increase its council tax precept by 10.28 per cent to deal with a £65,000 cut. Leader of the council David Powell insists the council is still very good value for money, with its services each week costing less than
MARK Collier says his Chippenham Town side are chomping at the bit to get back on the pitch this weekend. The Bluebirds have their fingers crossed that the recent wet weather, which put paid to their Calor League Premier Division clashes against
RETIRED accountant Alan Payne is putting his love of local history to good use by setting up a website to make it easy for people in Box to research the background to their homes and family. Mr Payne, who studied history at Leicester University
Marie Blackman, 72, of Royal Wootton Bassett, was an exceptional person who used her God-given talents to benefit others, the Rev Canon Thomas Woodhouse told the large congregation at her funeral in St Bartholomew’s Church on December 30. Mrs Blackman's
Historian Richard Broad-head says it is a disgrace that years after the War Graves Commission recognised the part several Wiltshire servicemen played in the First World War their families are still waiting for headstones to be provided. Mr Broadhead
WILTSHIRE men were beaten in their first friendly of the 2014 season going down by 14 shots to Dorset. Under the stewardship of county indoor president Keith Baker (Westlecot) they led for the first half of the match played at North Wilts but faded
Daphne Inkpen, 84, of Royal Wootton Bassett, was born in Edmonton, Hertfordshire, and was the seventh child in a family of nine. She was in her teens when she moved to Wootton Bassett, and worked at the Food Office, and later at the Post Office
Moira Ponting, 91, of Royal Wootton Bassett, died only three months after the death of her husband Cyril, who for many years farmed at Ballards Ash, in partnership with his late brother Frank, at Folly Farm. In retirement, Mr and Mrs Ponting moved
Youngsters will be following the Yellow Brick Road at a forthcoming production of The Wizard of Oz. The cast of youngsters aged from six to 17 from Chippenham Hi-lights have been rehearsing for eight months with producer Verina Vanzillotti, who
Extreme adventurer Bear Grylls has launched a new fitness concept in Marlborough designed to transform the way people exercise. BG EPIC training was introduced at a pilot venue in Elcot Mews on Tuesday evening and will open to the public on Saturday
Teen Kieran Mulvaney has won an award from the British Youth Council for taking an active role in the community. The year 11 pupil at Hardenhuish School in Chippenham, collected his award from the Houses of Parliament, where he was congratulated
A coffee morning and bring and buy sale in aid of Tinnitus Research will be held on Saturday, from 10am-noon, in Kington Langley village hall. Admission is £1 to include coffee/tea and biscuits. The raffle will be drawn at 11.45am.
Vouchers to the value of over £3,000 were delivered to senior citizens in Sherston and Easton Grey by members of Sherston 1016. Valid until January 31, they can be spent in the Rattlebone Inn, Sherston Post Office Stores or Tucks Farm Shop.
Staff at a Box-based charity will be making their national TV debut later this week as they feature on a new BBC show. Jamie’s Farm will feature on Tough Young Teachers, a six-part documentary which follows a group of high-flying graduates in their
AFTER a quiet week on the pitch at the County Ground, Town confirmed their first signing of 2014. With little to no first team experience, the George Barker deal is based on instinct, him being highly recommended by current first team coach and
A CHIPPENHAM woman who was sexually abused as a girl has expressed her horror at seeing her tormentor walk free from court. The 27-year-old woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered four years of abuse from the age of 12 at the hands
THE North Wilts trio of Sue Cooke, Janet Hardie and Alex Jacobs have all moved a step closer to reaching the latter stages in several women’s national indoor championship events. They are now just two matches away from qualifying for national finals
Illegal phone repeater equipment blamed for the poor O2 mobile signal in Malmesbury since November has been seized. The equipment which, ironically, is used to help boost a poor phone signal, was taken from a home on the outskirts of the town,
Dozens of local people brought their telescopes and binoculars along to Hillworth Park in Devizes this week to take part in the national Stargazing Live event in conjunction with the BBC TV series. The town council had organised the event after
Scores of dancers will take to the stage of the Neeld Hall, Chippenham, this weekend to showcase an array of skills from modern ballet to cheerleading. Sixty performers ranging in age from three to 60 will take part in the Emily Alner Academy of
Farmer William Brown’s attempt to register manorial rights over Aldbourne sports field and Palmers Field has met opposition from the parish council. Manorial rights are rights retained by the lord of the manor when the land becomes freehold and
GREAT great grandmother Phyllis Whitcombe has a lot to celebrate as she reaches her centenary. Mrs Whitcombe (nee Price), of Loyalty Street, Chippenham, gathered with her large family to mark the turn of her century on New Year’s Eve. Originally
NORTH WILTS men were beaten for the third time in a row this season as they lost their Wessex League local derby clash with Christie Miller. The Westcroft-based Chippenham side produced their best performance of the season by far to win on two
The Anaphylaxis Campaign, founded by a small group of parents, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The campaign was founded in 1994 by a small group of parents led by David Reading OBE. Mr Reading’s daughter, Sarah, tragically died aged 17
It has sadly been a very difficult start to the year for many local people who have suffered due to the severe flooding over the past couple of weeks. I understand the floods in Bradford on Avon following the Christmas Eve storms were the town’
Last week I set out my New Year aims for the Devizes constituency. This week the Chancellor set out the choice facing Britain in 2014: to keep working through the government’s long-term economic plan to secure a better future for hardworking people
So we’ve been through the festivities, we’ve dealt with the hangovers, and we can now look forward and plan for the year that is to come. So here are a few of my New Year’s resolutions. In Wiltshire I will closely monitor developments at the Lyneham
ELEVEN recycling banks at fire stations across Wiltshire have raised £1m for the Fire Fighters Charity in just four years. The recycling scheme focuses on textiles, including unwanted clothing, shoes and household items. Wearable items are sent
CHIPPENHAM Town's Calor League Premier Division clash with Arlesey Town has been rearranged for Tuesday January 14. The Bluebirds were due to host the Bedfordshire outfit last Tuesday but the wet weather put paid to that fixture, with the two sides
The New Year should begin with immense positivity – but for me I dread another increase in the cost of my daily rail commute. This year, the Great Western line that runs through Chippenham to London saw fares rise by a comparatively small 3.1 per
A computer glitch that increased train fares a month after a much-heralded expanded rail service was introduced has caused anger this week. The Gazette's sister paper, the Wiltshire Times, has been contacted by commuters who had to pay the full
BLIND RAF veteran David Williams has pledged to donate the royalties from his book to help fellow visually impaired ex-servicemen. The 66-year-old from Avebury suffers from age-related macular degeneration, a condition that set in after he completed
Mum Kate Watson is starting 2014 fighting fit after losing more than seven stone in weight and halving her dress size. Mrs Watson, 35, a former pupil of Hardenhuish School, Chippenham, is now launching her own branch of Slimming World in St Paul
Police officers have been praised for their bravery after they plunged into a burning building to look for a woman they believed to be trapped. Police received a call just after 2.30am on Friday from a neighbour reporting disorder at one of the
