THE Flying Pizza Theatre Company’s latest production of Scrooge is being performed in Potterne Village Hall at 2pm on January 3. It has been touring venues in the South West during the past three weeks and has been seen by more than 6,000 children
It’s said that those who don’t learn from the past are destined to repeat it. It looks very much as though history is about to repeat itself on Station Hill in Chippenham with the granting of a licence for the site of the former Karma nightclub.
I see you have stated that the Wiltshire roads supremo hopes for pothole-free roads this winter. I cannot believe this is correct! He must be aware that there is scarcely a road in the county which is not riddled with potholes. I suspect he expressed
We have come to expect Peter Slatter taking pot shots at how councils spend money. His latest suggestion is to toss a coin when choosing who to vote for in his summary of those ambitious people who write letters to the Gazette in getting us to vote
The launch of the Feeding Britain report confirms what many of us have known for some time. The huge rise in the use of food banks demands immediate and urgent action. It’s not scaremongering; the facts are now plain for all to see. Time and
In response to the letter from Ffinlo Costain, ‘Consider the climate’ (December 4), as a Pewsey resident who has taken a keen interest in the Pewsey Neighbourhood Development Plan to 2026 (NDP) and has every sympathy with the need to reduce carbon
December has been a significant month for First Chippenham. It is significant as it marks the submission of our planning application for a new The Range retail store and distribution centre to the north of the A350 in Chippenham. For us, it marks more
At a recent meeting with a local primary school head teacher in North Wiltshire, I was told about the domestic problem that some parents are facing when their younger child is eligible for a free school meal, whilst elder children are not, resulting
The Kennet Valley Hall management committee would like to acknowledge and thank the Marlborough Area Board for providing considerable financial support for various improvement projects over the last five years. It is most encouraging for the hall
It is Christmas, but not for all. On our streets this year, without an address, a homeless person I know of is losing his benefits. If he can get there, he will be one of many visiting the food bank at St Andrew’s in Devizes. He’s not alone.
As I write this, we are halfway into our annual tour around the streets and doorsteps of Chippenham and Corsham with our carol float, and I would like to thank the people of both towns for their generosity and support for our work. The president
Following on from Dr Brian Mathew’s letter in the Gazette & Herald last week regarding the new housing list procedure, we would like to add the following information. With regard to the online re-registration process, it took me nearly an hour
I am writing to express the appreciation of the Chippenham RBL for the generosity of the people of Chippenham and the villages and the hard work of the poppy sellers this year, as a result of which we have contributed £39,600 to the National Poppy
We would like to say a big thank you to Marlborough Town Council from Marlborough Accordion Orchestra for allowing us to use the town crest on our new music stand banners. We are a new and fast-growing accordion orchestra based in Marlborough. We have
Swindon Guide Dogs for the Blind would like to thank everyone who supported our charity during 2014. We would not be able to help the partnerships we have in our area without your kindness and generosity. We have 20 guide dogs in our area and
Thanks to the generous support of the people of Devizes I am pleased to say that the Devizes Branch of the British Heart Foundation raised £160 for the BHF at our stall in the Corn Exchange at the Devizes Christmas Fair on November 28. We also
A primary and a pre-school that work closely together in Potterne are both celebrating good ratings from inspectors. Five Lanes Primary and Carers Nest were delighted with the results following inspections by Ofsted. Inspectors visited the
Firefighters spent an afternoon at Marlborough College last Wednesday helping Cadet Force students develop their leadership, communication and problem-solving skills. The cadets also learned how to work better as a team with a session based on
A CHIPPENHAM family have seen their dad without a beard for the first time ever. Jon Lorton, 67, has not been seen clean shaven since he was about 22. But the retired MoD project manager, who lives in Provis Mead, Pewsham, agreed to get rid
The classroom of the future will include a holographic teacher and a teleport portal according to a national competition finalist from St Margaret’s Preparatory School in Calne. Pheobe Wirick, nine, came third in YPO’s national competition to design
A winter exhibition and sale of paintings by Chippenham and District Artists was opened by the mayor, John Scragg, at the Yelde Hall this month. He commended the exhibition for its range of art and excellent display and presented the prize to the
A carol service and lunch at Bowood on Tuesday was the final gathering of the Wiltshire branch of the Normandy Veteran’s Association after the national group disbanded. Lord and Lady Lansdowne hosted the service for the Wiltshire branch of the
A LONG-serving director of Cross Manufacturing in Devizes, Ralph Flower, says he was honoured to meet the Queen when she presented his MBE. Mr Flower, 87, who received the accolade this month for his services to the British engineering industry
Although we have seen a mixture of weather during the past week, there has been a wintery feel to the air. There were two spells of proper rainfall, but the most noticeable change has been the morning frosts. The sunrise on a clear, chilly, frosty
The widower of a popular children’s author was delighted to see one of her stories brought to life by schoolchildren in Chippenham. Almost 50 pupils from the town’s three secondary schools got involved in a Chippenham Library and Pageturners project
THE Gazette’s annual Toy Appeal has now closed for donations, but the hard work of delivering a special Christmas to Wiltshire’s children will continue throughout the coming week. Toys have been collected from all the drop-off points throughout
Continuing the theme on houseplants over Christmas, it has come to my attention that I missed out a few that seem to be popular as gifts. Pot azaleas for one. These normally flower in spring and will have been forced into flowering earlier than
Until recently the term “bed blocking” was something about which I had little knowledge. However, in the last few days my voluntary work with fire service pensioners has brought me experience of what it really means. A retired firefighter of advanced
