I was intrigued by the comments made regarding the creation of a Muslim prayer centre in the Devizes Gazette & Herald last week. Your report on this suggests that the facility is already in existence. Any increase in use, or traffic and parking
I joined many residents from Calne in the audience of the BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions programme last Friday evening. I wanted to know the panel’s opinions on how best to tackle the ebola outbreak which many experts predict will soon reach these shores
Claire Perry MP seems to continue to bury her head in the sand over the wishes of her electorate for a vote on leaving the EU before the next general election. To suggest that a referendum on this matter, in a coalition government, is undeliverable
The people who run Wiltshire Council have just taken a large step to distance themselves even further from the people who pay their allowances and salaries, and vote for them (or not, as the case may be). They have moved the planning committee
How sad that Claire Perry MP should sour the brilliant co- operation between Prospect Hospice and Great Western Hospital to open the hospice’s outpatient centre at Savernake Hospital (October 9). But her swipe at the last government for “senselessly
Last Tuesday’s Devizes Town Council meeting was invited to consider the first stage in the re-development of the canal towpath from the Coate Road Bridge to the bottom of the Caen Hill flight. The initial part, a £250,000 project, envisages the
For the last 25 years Marlborough people have supported us whole-heartedly in the various businesses we have run from Moran’s in London Road in Marlborough. For this we say a huge thank you. Marlborough has been a wonderful place to live, work
I would like to reply to two letters in the Gazette & Herald. First, on Mr Rogers’ comments on the unmarked lorry parking outside the Lemon Plaice in Devizes. When I was a member of Wiltshire Council, I voiced my views on this to the then
As I was walking home from my allotment in Quaker’s Walk, a lady loaded down with shopping coming towards me tripped over a raised manhole cover and fell face first onto the road. With the help of another young chap, I managed to get her to her feet
CHIPPENHAM Town manager Mark Collier reckons that minutes on the pitch will be the best way for striker Alan Griffin to get back up to speed. The Bluebirds captain, who had been enduring a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury, continued
Dave the giant dinosaur has become the star attraction at a new shop that makes the most of recycled objects to create original gifts and clothes. Robert and Kathryn Hipkiss combined their talents for engineering and design to create the gifts
Eva Clarke, who was born in a concentration camp, was guest speaker at an open meeting at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy last Wednesday. She talked of her mother’s experiences of the Holocaust, in which many members of her family were murdered.
Friends of Doorway would like to thank everyone who donated to our recent street collections. On September 19 in Corsham we raised £183.05 and on October 3 in Calne on a very quiet morning we collected £129.77. We are very grateful, particularly
The Wiltshire West Cubs and 6th Devizes Cubs spent a recent weekend taking part in an activity/challenge camp at the PGL centre at Liddington, near Swindon. Altogether 63 Cubs and 11 leaders from six packs took part. After a welcome meal on arrival
Plucky pupils at Burbage Primary School have taken delivery of half a dozen eggs laid by their pet chickens. The four hens, Oak, Sycamore, Ash and Chestnut, were hatched alongside six male chicks last summer by children in Woodpecker class made
Royal Wootton Bassett Academy’s link with Malibu High School in Cape Town was strengthened this month with the visit of Cathy Adams, who teaches English at the South African school. Mrs Adams, who was on her first visit to England, is the third
Aldbourne Village Stores is a hub of the community and the hard work of owners Sue and Mark Rendell has been recognised with a Community First award. The Community First charity aims to strengthen the economy and improve quality of life in Wiltshire
CHIPPENHAM Town recorded a much-needed and deserved victory against Banbury United yesterday. The Bluebirds led their Oxfordshire visitors with a comfortable 2-0 half-time lead and the game was wrapped up just past the hour with a third. Although
Pool star Stephanie Millward has told how she fought back from the depths of despair to become a five-time Paralympic medallist. As a teenage sensation she was on course for the 2000 Olympics, but her dreams came crashing down when she woke one
Two former Malmesbury firefighters, who between them served the brigade for 58 years, have been honoured by colleagues who commissioned an ornate bench in their memory. Steve Mills, 45, an on-call firefighter for 15 years, died in April 2011, following
Metal railings put up around the Corsham Mansion House are angering residents and businesses. The new barriers mean shoppers can no longer park for free at the former library. As a result, nearby businesses say they are experiencing a downturn
People who were challenged to walk, cycle and use public transport to get to work have collectively saved almost £9,000. The Connecting Wiltshire Travel Challenge, an online competition run by Wiltshire Council and leading transport charity Sustrans
A Chippenham charity is in with a chance to win a slice of £150,000 as part of Yorkshire Building Society’s 150th anniversary celebrations. The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust applied for a £10,000 donation from the Society’s Lasting Legacy Fund
Organisers of the Devizes Christmas lights switch-on are desperately trying to find a space where big lanterns can be made, with only a few weeks to go before the event. Jo Beal, the artistic director of Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts, urgently
The line on the barograph took a sudden dive at the beginning of the week, seemingly awakening from its recent becalmed state. Falling air pressure lead to some wet and windy weather, with 30mm of rain falling over the first few days. The ground
Villagers celebrated as Mildenhall received its Wiltshire’s Best Kept Medium Village award from the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire on Sunday. An 8ft standard and mounted shield now stands proudly on the village green after it won the Campaign to
If you have patches in your lawn that are looking pale and sick for no apparent reason, it may be there are some bad guys down there munching away at the roots. These could be leatherjackets, which are the grubs of daddy longlegs, or chafer grubs
Quite unusually for me, I found myself standing at a bar the other night. As I was waiting to be served, another chap came in and stood not far away. He was, as is becoming increasingly common, somewhat younger than me. The barmaid was just
Playwright Neil Walker’s debut project inspired by Royal Wootton Bassett residents’ experiences during the repatriations will be brought to stage next month. Do We Do The Right Thing? is an exploration of the relationship between the armed forces
Internet-savvy students at The Corsham School will become teachers to share their IT skills with the community. Eighteen sixth-form pupils volunteer to help the new IT club at Corsham’s Springfield Community Campus. The teenagers will be teaching
Grateful Ruth Pitt will be first in line to volunteer at the new Prospect Hospice facility in Savernake Hospital after experiencing first hand the care the charity provides. Her husband of 28 years, Martin, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and
