Archive

WESTINGHOUSE Brakes' landlord, The Skelton Group, is hoping to tempt the manufacturer into staying in Chippenham with the offer of a new 82,000 sq ft headquarters. One of Chippenham's oldest manufacturing firms, Westinghouse Brakes announced plans to

Ref.JUDGES were bowled over by the high standard of entries in this year's coveted Chippenham in Bloom competition. Gardeners amazed and delighted judges with their imaginative and carefully tended gardens, courtyards, buildings and plant pots. Scooping

POLICE have released CCTV pictures of two women wanted in connection with a theft from a pensioner in a Chippenham supermarket. The prints show the two suspects entering Somerfield supermarket on May 20. The victim, who was inside the store shopping between

TRAFFIC police uncovered £35,000 worth of crack cocaine bound for the streets of Chippenham when they stopped a motorist for speeding on the motorway, a court heard. Londoner Mark Warren had the stash of drugs hidden under the seats of his Vauxhall Carlton

THE Breast Care Support Group in Chippenham is appealing for women to come forward and share the experiences of their NHS treatment. The group has recently joined the National Breast Cancer Coalition, which lobbies Government for better services for women

AN upmarket Chippenham restaurant that cost £250,000 to set up has closed just a year after it opened because the town could not stomach its high-quality food, according to its owner. Simon Cocking, who owns Hardy's restaurant in Market Place, said he

Ref.10615CHILDREN in Langley Burrell are devastated that their swings have been cut down after a mystery man pretending to be from the council demanded that they be removed. On Friday the bogus caller went to the house of the man who had put up the swings

SWINDON'S Jon Lewis starred as Frizzell County Championship Second Division promotion rivals Glamorgan and Gloucestershire were locked in a tight tussle at Bristol. Gloucestershire had the better of the second day, after Lewis claimed Glamorgan's final

Youngsters enjoy good weights BARBEL into double figures and double figure carp have been caught from the Avon over the last week as the intense heat dropped to a more comfortable level. Plenty of barbel have been taken from Lifelands, Redbrook and Ellingham

LAVERSTOCK kicked off their Hampshire League Division One campaign with a disappointing performance and result against Clanfield. A penalty saved, missed chances and some poor defending cost them dear. Midway through the first half Toby Giles was brought

Gosport Borough 3 Bemerton Heath Harlequins 1 Bemerton team: Domm, Nash, Renyard, Copping, (Chainey) Boswell, Jones, Ahmet, Finlay, Waters, Daubney, (P Gulliver) Harding. Sub (not used) Newman. THERE were a number of new faces in the Bemerton line-up

I HAD a beam-me-up-Scottie, lost-in-space experience last week, courtesy of an Egyptian therapy rediscovered in the Great Pyramid at Giza in 1979. An American chap, Patrick Ziegler, spent the night there, totally illegally as it turns out, knowing somehow

STEVE MILDENHALL'S nightmares about Sam Parkin may have stopped but the former Town favourite knows Tommy Mooney has the potential to cause him more sleepless nights. The 25-year-old keeper is a great admirer of Town's new striker and admits he is a serious

THREE Corsham women are pulling on their boots and getting ready to join fellow trekkers from all over the UK for The National Autistic Society's Ben Nevis Challenge on October 10 and 12. The group will be heading to Scotland to climb Ben Nevis, 4,406ft

CORSHAM residents can now support their local hospice by visiting the new Dorothy House Hospice Care shop in the newly developed Martingate Centre. The shop was officially opened by town council chairman James Fraser on Tuesday morning. It will be the

NESTON School is coming back down to earth after speaking to a NASA astronaut in space and is planning the development of a unique moon base. The base will be built on the school playground and will incorporate a number of themed rooms to provide a hands-on

Ref.10582YOUTH club members have been running what is believed to be a unique skateboard and BMX biking course at Pewsey. The Shak youth club is one of the leading centres in the west for skateboarding and BMX. Over the last five years the centre has

Ref.10585BRYAN Read, the proprietor of the Pewsey Vale Riding Centre, at Stanton St Bernard, near Pewsey, was able to present £1,200 in cheques to local charities last week following recent fundraising events. Mr Read handed over cheques for £300 each

THE Shak youth centre at Pewsey will soon have one of the best recording studios in the West Country thanks to some generous donations. More than £11,000 is being spent on installing state-of-the-art recording equipment in the existing studio at the popular

AFTER years of waiting for a big name band to grace Salisbury with their presence the atmosphere at the Ray McEnhill stadium on Friday night was always going to reach fever pitch. Despite slightly disappointing ticket sales the city's teenagers and a

TOWN traders have reacted in anger to a move by Malmesbury Town Council to bring a weekly market to the Market Cross. The market, arranged by Bath-based firm Landmark Events, is set to begin on September 7 andwill run on a trial basis for six weeks. It

A WORLD record could be broken when thousands of tractors descend on Hullavington this weekend. The Great British Tractor Challenge hopes to attract 2,003 working tractors to the same place at the same time to smash the previous record of 1,832 set in

MALMESBURY Town Council has objected to a plan to build 15 houses on the former Suffolk Arms pub site just weeks after supporting a similar proposal from the same developers for 19 houses. At a meeting of the town council held last month, the planning

Ref.10635MOTHER Iris Baker's continuing battle to have her son freed from the hell of a Japanese jail, will take another step forward next month, when she and fellow campaigners present a petition to 10 Downing Street. Mrs Baker, 54, of Oaksey, will present

Stratton Churchways A took over at the top of the Swindon and District League Division Two on shot difference from Town Gardens. Churchways picked up a maximum 14 points from their match at Garrards Peter Cann, Dave Humphreys, Alan and Ian Gough all recording

WESTLECOT ladies are through to the last 16 in the EWBA National Top Club competition. In the last 32, staged on the neutral green at Tiverton West End, they beat Cornish champions Newquay Ladies 3-1. Westlecot will now meet Bridport (Dorset), who beat

TOUR operator John Owen Travel, based in Havelock Street, Swindon, says that despite all the fears about war, SARs, forest fires or even the first decent British summer in donkey's years, business is booming. Despite industry-wide predictions of doom

CHAMPAGNE, stretch limos and a follicley foxy fashion show are just some of the attractions awaiting guests at tonight's re-opening of the West One hair salon in Westcott Place. Closed for four months due to refurbishment, the salon now boasts state-ofthe-art

ZURICH Financial Services, one of Swindon's largest local employers, has finally come out of the red. The company's latest half year reports show that its operating profit has increased by 56 per cent to US$1.3bn for the first half of 2003. This is a

Swindon-based e-business consultant GlobalData is launching an innovative software package this month which aims to encourage and facilitate car sharing among the town's business community. The web-based program is designed to enable employees to link

RICHARD Philpott claimed five wickets as Ringwood (Mark Brockway, 51, and Craig Seymour, 31) kept their promotion hopes alive with a convincing eight wicket win over Southampton Travellers II, 105 (Philpott, 5-31), in the Hampshire League Regional Division

Liphook & Ripsley 175-8 lost to South Wilts 303-3 by 128 runs ECB Southern Electric Premier League Division One THE return to the limited over format of the game has certainly sparked South Wilts back into life following their mid-season slumber.

VOLUNTEERS are needed to welcome visitors to Wiltshire's historic properties. The National Trust is looking for stewards to help out during the summer months, one of the busiest times of the year. People will need to commit to one day a week or fortnight

THE contribution of Wiltshire's special constables was honoured at a special awards ceremony presided over by Chief Constable Dame Elizabeth Neville. Dame Elizabeth presented awards for long service, completion of training, certificates of appreciation

THE county is pinning its hopes on the Wiltshire Warrior and his clan of rubbish raiders to rescue it from its deepening waste disposal crisis. At the moment North Wiltshire's household garbage is flung into massive landfill pits at Compton Bassett and

YOUNG people from Spain and Germany have been in Wiltshire to work with young people from across the county to undertake conservation projects and to have some fun. The ten-day exchange gives the twelve young people from Wiltshire the chance to work with

MoD volunteers were given paid time off work to start renovations on Neston Memorial Hall. More than 35 staff from The Defence Communication Services Agency spent two days shovelling, hacking and hammering at the village hall as part of the first phase

POLICE have issued a warning to cash machine users to carry out some simple checks to make sure they do not become the victim of conmen. The warning follows an attempt to steal a cash card from a Marlborough couple by crooks using a technique known as

SCHOOLS in the Devizes area were celebrating record A-level results last week. At Dauntsey's School, in West Lavington, 72.1 per cent of the 359 subject entries from the school's 118-strong upper sixth were rewarded with an A or B grade and more than

THE legendary tale of Butch and Sundance, the two pigs who escaped from an abattoir and ran for the hills, is to be made into a Christmas TV special by the BBC. The hour-long tale of the Tamworth Two, which is still in pre-production, will tell the story

DOCTORS could almost double their salaries if they agree to work evenings and weekends. The Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust is planning to offer a six figure salary to GPs to work out of hours. From next year GPs can opt out of the responsibility

THE prolonged spell of good weather has proved a boon for butterflies with huge numbers of the brightly-coloured migrants following the southerly winds to Wiltshire hillsides and gardens. Although the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust says that it is too early

TOURISTS are coming back to the Kennet district in droves and the area is enjoying its most lucrative season for seven years, say council bosses. Bed and breakfast operators in the district are putting up no vacancy signs and tourist information centres

SCHOOLS in the Devizes area were celebrating record A-level results last week. At Dauntsey's School, in West Lavington, 72.1 per cent of the 359 subject entries from the school's 118-strong upper sixth were rewarded with an A or B grade and more than

Ref.10580DRIVERS ignoring the 30mph limit as they drove into Avebury last Thursday had a choice of getting a ticket or a lesson in how to drive safely. The police and the Wiltshire County Council road safety unit set up Operation Advice jointly. It was

A CALL centre run by Sarsen Housing Association for customers of the Lifeline alarm system is to close next March. Sarsen, based in Devizes, said it had taken the decision to close its Melksham call centre because it was losing money. The call centre

SARSEN Housing Association is calling for tenants to come up with ideas to improve their neighbourhood. The association, based in Devizes, has £30,000 to give to projects that will improve areas. The improvements could be small scale, such as communal

Ref.10589AUSTRALIAN bush poet Mick Leigh has been enchanting Marlborough and Devizes children with his wonderful zany verse. Mr Leigh, who lives in Rowde, near Devizes, is from Wiltshire but emigrated to Australia at the age of 19. His life farming in

Ref. 25727-33THE local government ombudsman is today handling a complaint about the way Swindon Council has dealt with the proposed eviction of a family at Barbury Castle. Lynne and Brian Simpson of Ridgeway Farm have been ordered to leave the home they

SWINDON CANCER APPEAL: STAFF at Motorola have raised more cash for the Swindon Cancer Appeal. Last month, the telecommunications conglomerate donated £7,500 to the appeal. Now, with the help of other local companies, the firm has raised another £1,400

Ref. 26261-36AN EXTRA £100,000 has been set aside to give Swindon town centre an early Spring clean. The money, which has been released from Swindon Council reserves, is being added to the £1.8m the authority already spends every year on cleaning the

Ref. 26263-51STABLES once occupied by troops of the famous Easy Company before and after they went out to the blood-soaked beaches of Normandy could soon be dismantled and shipped to the US to form part of a lasting tribute to the soldiers. The Evening

Ref. 26270-11A FIRE in a social club in the Railway Village spread to an adjoining nightclub last night. Firefighters attended the blaze at the Royal Navy and Royal Marine Social Club in East Street. No-one was injured in the fire, which began around

Ref. 26257-43RETIRED Terry Hayward wanted to create a colourful community garden he and his neighbours could enjoy. Last month, the 71-year-old former aircraft engineer spent £600 of his own money on seven trees which he planted on the green outside his

STUDENTS will know later today whether their achievements in this year's GCSE exams are better than national figures, which reveal the overall pass rate has fallen. The proportion of entries awarded grades A* to G went down from 97.9 per cent to 97.6

Go-karting champ turned body builder Jon Daltrey died after injecting himself with a diabetic drug bought over the web, believing it would help his training. A CORONER has warned bodybuilders to avoid performance-enhancing drugs after a 25-year-old former

THIEVES broke into a garage at Amesbury business park last weekend, stealing items worth £600. The criminals caused £100-worth of damage to a wire fence by cutting it to get in and took the wheels and grill from a Ford Transit van, before making their

SCHOOL-LEAVERS across the Salisbury district celebrated a bumper crop of high grades in last week's A-level results. In line with the national trend, record highs were set, with many schools in the area achieving overall pass rates above 90 per cent.

SALISBURY District Hospital has come under fire after it was announced that the most critically ill premature babies will need to be treated in other areas because of problems in recruiting specialist staff. Until now, the neo-natal intensive care unit

THE former Salisbury schoolboy just appointed director of public prosecutions has run into trouble after it was revealed that he sent cannabis in the post to a fellow Bishop Wordsworth's School pupil. Ken Macdonald, a prominent lawyer in Cherie Blair's

ANGRY Amesbury residents say their lives have been made a misery by the noise and dust created by the new Solstice Park development. Work to transform the 160-acre site at the side of the A303 into a high-profile business park is well under way and the

RESIDENTIAL streets in Larkhill and Amesbury could be choked twice a month with lorries and holiday traffic, if plans go ahead for twin tunnels at Stonehenge. Each of the 2.1km-long bored tunnels, intended to conceal traffic on the A303 from the view

Ref.10597A BUZZARD, which spent two weeks in hospital after injuring itself, has made a full recovery and is once again free as a bird. Aggregate Industries environmental technician Simon Mundy discovered the injured bird of prey in a field on a routine

BT has agreed to reinstate three public payphones it removed in Devizes but meanwhile has removed four more. Devizes Town Council, which has fought vigorously to stop payphones being removed by BT, was appalled that the company removed four payphones

DETAILED plans for new hospitals in Devizes and Malmesbury are due to be published at the end of this year. The Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust board agreed at a meeting last Thursday that business cases for both hospitals should be produced

SWINDON Supermarine were given a reality check last night as some dodgy defending and questionable refereeing decisions saw them crash to a 4-1 defeat at Taunton Town in the Dr Martens Western Division. Marine travelled to Somerset in confident mood following

Ref.10602KEEN photographer Will Harley has donated pictures he has taken to feature in a calendar to benefit children in West Lavington. Mr Harley, landscape and countryside officer at Kennet District Council, took all of the photographs in the West Lavington

THE jinx on the redevelopment of Devizes town centre continues as the contract between Kennet District Council and developer Phoenicia Barr remains unsigned five months after the company was selected. Council officers were confident that the contract

DRUG dealer Timothy Cooper, who breached his drug treatment and testing order, has again walked free from court. Cooper, of Waiblingen Way, Devizes, was told at his last court appearance that he would almost certainly be sent to jail for a long period

Ref.10636KEEN gardener Dennis Moxham has impressed the judges again in this year's Devizes In Bloom contest. The 70 year-old has won the best front garden house display prize and, together with three neighbours in Hillworth Road, scooped the best display

SAFEWAY has submitted plans to expand its Devizes store by another 50 per cent. The supermarket chain wants to build a 10,500sq ft extension at the store in Estcourt Street, bringing the total retail space to 35,100sq ft. The proposed extension is to

POLICE have been praised for foiling an illegal rave on the top of Roundway Hill, near Devizes, in the early hours of Sunday. Officers arrived at the popular beauty spot within minutes of revellers, who had already started setting up stereo systems and

A MAN who attended the illegal rave at Savernake Forest, near Marlborough, unwittingly ended up being charged with possessing drugs. Wayne Leary, of Tuffley Lane, Gloucester, attended the rave held over the May bank holiday weekend and was arrested by

THE family of terminally-ill Charlotte Wakeham, the eight-year-old girl who has an inoperable brain tumour, are appealing for someone who has ponies to help them fulfil her last wish. Charlotte's health has deteriorated rapidly in the last few weeks and

PARISH council chairmen in the Collingbournes area, who are angry that Kennet District Council has failed to prosecute the farmer responsible for a plague of flies that infested the villages for two weeks, are to meet to consider what action to take.

Ref.10555NEARLY 20 children aged from six to ten staged excerpts from Twelfth Night, just yards from where a Shakespeare touring company played, and possibly the bard himself, 400 years earlier. The summer holiday one-day Shakespeare workshop at the Merchant's

Ref.10592TEENAGER Jamie Aitcheson is jumping for joy after becoming one of the country's top performing A-level students, notching up an amazing six A grades. The 17-year-old pupil of St John's School, Marlborough, has done so well that he has earned

TOWN councillors and residents were furious when Kennet District Council failed to send anyone to a meeting on Tuesday to explain its plans for Marlborough's tourist information centre. Kennet chief executive Mark Boden said council leader, Coun Chris

Ref. 26253-9Children have been getting their crayons out to design their own T-shirts as part of a holiday club run at the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery. JENNY LEWIS went along to see how they got on. YOUNGSTERS have been having fun learning to design

Ref. 26262-23A PINEHURST couple who say snoring nearly cost them their marriage are enjoying silent nights together for the first time in 17 years. Mother-of-five Sandra Moulding of Limes Avenue slept apart from husband Shaun for ten years and came close

BUDDING film stars took part in a drama workshop to brighten up their summer holidays. Around 40 children, aged between five and 11, gathered at Colebrook Community Centre, in Towcester Road, to take part in the dramatic fun. Jamelia Castle, six, from

Ref. 26244-49GLENN Smith (Con, Covingham and Nythe) will have a new agenda to work to from next month. Coun Smith, who is more used to leafing through pages of council agendas than honeymoon brochures, plans to marry his fiance, Helen Goodyer, next month

Public concern over the closure of Marlborough's Tourist Information Centre highlights the important part TICs play in the life of local communities. The Pewsey Area Community Trust believes there may be a demand for such a centre in Pewsey. Such a source

It may be summer, but pensioners have been told now is the time to start thinking about this year's Winter Fuel Payment. Last year more than 1.1 million households in the South West received the Government handout, aimed at helping older people pay their

DESPITE the proliferation of health information on the internet, women are still more likely to turn to their GP for advice about hormone replacement therapy. That is the conclusion of a study by the Swindon-based Economic and Social Research Council.

I am writing in response to J Corbett's letter on August 14 headlined "Police can deal with drunks." I would like to reassure J Corbett and the wider public that, far from "bleating about inadequate powers" the police in Chippenham are regularly arresting

AN ICE cream salesman died after falling asleep in his car with the engine running while it was locked in his garage. But Swindon and Wiltshire deputy coroner William Bache ruled out suicide in the inquest into the death of David Coxhead, 48, of Wootton

We are regular walkers through the little villages around Chippenham and many of these walks have been through Langley Burrell. It was always a joy to see the children enjoying playing on some swings that had apparently been put up on a large tree by

Ref. 26285-59YOUNGSTERS enjoyed a special teddy bears' picnic in honour of a much-loved friend. Abby Smith, who used to attend the Leapfrog nursery in Highdown Way, Swindon, sadly died from leukaemia in July last year. But she has stayed in her former

Karen Carter, despite being in Devizes for only 12 years, displays all the narrow, self-centred, self-righteousness required to fit right in. However, had she been around longer she would know that moaning minnies, just like her, were complaining about

SALISBURY District Hospital has come under fire after it was announced that the most critically ill premature babies will need to be treated in other areas because of problems in recruiting specialist staff. Until now, the neo-natal intensive care unit

Ref. 26259-20FIRST GREAT Western has been slated by a rail watchdog for increasing prices for the third time this year. The Swindon-based train operator has announced increases of between £1 and £2 to certain fares between London Paddington and South

Headline July 24: "Outcry at bid to shut centre for tourists." Headline August 7: "Fury at tourist centre closure" Perhaps there was another headline in the week between, when I was away, but two weeks is a very short time for an irreversible decision

ANOTHER two motorists lost their lives this week on the roads surrounding Salisbury. Emergency services were called to three major crashes, which resulted in several serious injuries and traffic chaos. At 9.20 on Thursday morning, 70-year-old Anthony

THE residents living in Kent Road are not the only ones concerned over the conversion of houses into bed sits. I have written several letters to two councillors representing Eastcott ward, but only one, Coun Stan Pajak has bothered to reply. He expressed

WITH reference to your feature on parking wardens for the Swindon area, starting in September, I spent an entire afternoon last week trying to find out what the arrangements are going to be for, trades people and workers who need to work from their vehicles

KEEN gardener John Welch was devastated when vandals ruined his garden for the third time. Mr Welch, 57, of London Road, Chippenham, said his prize begonias were uprooted from his front garden and strewn across the pavement and road overnight last Wednesday

BREWSTERS restaurant at Cepen Park, Chippenham, is top of the pots after donating more than 1,000 pieces of crockery to the local Barnardo's branch. Cuddly mascot, Brewster the Bear, ensured the charity was given silver service when the crockery was collected

A WORLD record could be broken when thousands of tractors descend on Hullavington this weekend. The Great British Tractor Challenge hopes to attract 2,003 working tractors to the same place at the same time to smash the previous record of 1,832 set in

Ref.10603MIKE Pope lost his right leg below the knee in a farming accident but on Sunday he will attempt his latest mammoth charity cycle ride, pedalling 104 miles to London. Mr Pope, 60, of Hatt Farm, in Box, lost his leg in 1980, when he became entangled

Ref.10627ARMY chiefs flew Corporal Fraser McNaught, 26, home from Iraq after his six-year-old son, who suffers from leukaemia, was taken gravely ill. His son Daniel contracted a bacterial blood infection while his father was in Az Zubayr, 15km outside

A NIGHT out with friends turned to horror for 23-year-old Barry Kelly, when he was glassed in the face in an apparently motiveless nightclub attack. Mr Kelly needed 18 stitches to his cheek and nose and another six in his eye after the attack in the garden

Downton 2 Fareham Town 2 Downton team: Ford, Lumber, Pelling, Archer, Trim, Smith, Cranmer (White), Savage, James (Trollope), M. Guy, J. Guy DOWNTON emerged from their campaign opener with a hugely creditable point against Fareham Town at Wick Lane, writes

SHREWTON United began their new campaign, in the Screwfix Western division One, with a tricky away trip to a Corsham side quietly fancied to be at the top of the table at the end of the season. This ground has been a happy hunting ground for United in

ARE you disappointed with your A level results? Or, have you done better than you expected and want to go to university? Connexions Wiltshire and Swindon can offer advice in either circumstance. Julie Tremlin from Connexions advises that the first and

THERE is a busy football schedule over the bank holiday weekend, and Salisbury will be desperate to get some points on the board after two defeats. It will not be easy though, because they travel to Banbury Utd on Saturday, before Bashley visit the Raymond

SALISBURY slipped to a disappointing opening day defeat against newly-promoted Burgess Hill Town in front of a Sunday crowd of 557, writes Ryan Lovejoy. The Hillians have won the Sussex County League in five of the last seven seasons and it is notoriously

ALAN Blencowe races at Brands Hatch this Bank Holiday weekend (Sunday and Monday), hoping to make up the ground on his Barwell Motorsport team-mate Luke Hines who leads the BTCC championship. Blencowe told Journal Sport: "I suffered with a gearbox problem

CHAMPION biker Daryl Bolter is looking forward to elite international competition after scooping the Expert Enduro Championship in only his first year in the class. The 18-year-old Durrington racer sped away with all but one round of the championship,

HELP is at hand to help obese youngsters lose those bulging pounds and get a leaner, fitter lifestyle. Kick-boxing coach Stuart Lambert is offering children with weight problems the chance to burn off those pounds. Hopefully, they will also stop eating

ALL pensioner Terry Hayward wanted to do was create a beautiful area for his community where his neighbours could sit on a bench and enjoy his trees and flowers. He invested not only his own money, but considerable time and energy too, into making an

CONCERNED Corsham resident Don Stevenson claims many of his questions were left unanswered at a meeting to discuss the development of contaminated land. Plans for a controversial 600-home development at Pockeridge Farm and Peel Circus, has angered residents

AN EXHIBITION revealing plans for the new Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office is to go on show in Chippenham. The exhibition will be at Chippenham Library from September 1 until September 26. The plans show what the new record office and heritage centre

THOSE who enjoy looking at buildings will have a unique opportunity to attend a course called Understanding Architecture in Malmesbury this autumn, when the University of Bath in Swindon runs its first part-time evening course at the library. The university

Ref.10649PEWSHAM residents are making a desperate plea to Wiltshire Constabulary to keep two community officers on the troubled estate. Residents fear petty crime and anti-social behaviour will increase if the estate loses the civilian officers. Community

TICKETS are selling fast for the musical Extravaganza to be held at Sutton Benger at the end of the month. Organisers have advised people to get their tickets in advance because there is only a limited number for the hugely popular annual event. The cricket

Ref.10633RABBITS, tortoises, fish and dragons are all being expertly carved with chainsaws out of chunks of wood up to three tonnes in weight at Westonbirt Arboretum this week. Sculpture at the Festival of Wood is the biggest event of it's kind in the

GP Barney Williams enjoyed a brief respite from his ongoing dispute with health chiefs, to return to the skies, 40 years after his last flight. Dr Williams of Marshfield Road Surgery in Chippenham, was invited by an RAF friend to pilot a Chipmunk on a

DETAILED plans for new hospitals in Devizes and Malmesbury are due to be published at the end of this year. The Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust board agreed at a meeting last Thursday that business cases for both hospitals should be produced

Ref.10618IT may be summer, but knitters from around Sherston have been busy making woolly hats, and they need more help. With temperatures soaring into the 90s last week most people were trying to keep cool, but the knitters' needles have been hotting

A WIDOW was left distressed and shocked when she discovered a used a condom and needle casings as she laid the ashes of her husband at Malmesbury Abbey last week. The 63-year-old retired nurse, did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, but said

JUST a year after the last round of 590 redundancies, business tycoon James Dyson has announced the end of the line for manufacturing at his Malmesbury plant. Vacuum cleaner manufacturing operations were moved to Malaysia last year with the loss of 845

WITH local hospitals and maternity units under threat of closure, it does seem preposterous on the face of it that the health care trust should be even contemplating upping GPs salaries to £100,000 to work evenings and weekends. It is no secret that the

PURTON'S hopes of glory in the EBA national fours championship at Worthing ended in round two. The rink of Miles Roberts, Mark Wadsworth, Chris Cheesley and Ray Sowden thumped Barnes Park (Durham) 30-12 in their first match. But in the next they went

AFTER years of waiting for a big name band to grace Salisbury with their presence the atmosphere at the Ray McEnhill stadium on Friday night was always going to reach fever pitch. Despite slightly disappointing ticket sales the city's teenagers and a

THREE Downton teams were left counting the cost of defeat at the weekend when their results in Hants & Isle of Wight League matches were crucial to divisional status for next summer. Biggest sufferers were the ladies, whose 7-2 home defeat by Lee-on-Solent

WOODGREEN scraped home by one wicket off the last available ball when they entertained Ordnance Survey and the victory has lifted them just out of the relegation zone in the Hampshire League Regional Division Two South West. Dave Russell, 26, and Mike

The £50,000 Listed Sovereign Stakes provided one of the highlights of the season so far at Salisbury Racecourse when Passing Glance pipped last year's winner Priors Lodge to the post. The thrilling short-head victory also rekindled memories of Mill Reef's

A JUDGE has issued a warrant for the arrest of a Trowbridge woman who is accused of theft and deception. Jayne Knight failed to turn up at Swindon Crown Court to answer charges relating to the alleged theft and use of a benefit book. The 38-year-old is

MYSTERY surrounds the origins of the crop circles that annually appear in Wiltshire. CAMERON RAMOS spent a moonlit night with a three man team who showed how they could forge an elaborate formation in just a few hours ALIEN creations, complex awe inspiring

MORE than 23,000 people have booked First Great Western train services for their Bank Holiday Weekend getaways. But the company is warning that bookings are necessary as it is amending its timetable to accommodate engineering work. The train operator

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Devizes Maternity Unit from closure are urging pregnant women from outside Devizes to use it. More than 2,000 leaflets have been produced promoting the midwife-led unit. Devizes, along with Malmesbury Maternity Unit, is under

PEOPLE who adopt will be able to get more support from the county council in the future following the allocation of a £60,000 grant. The money will be used to improve services for adopted children, families, birth parents and adopted adults. Part of the

Ref.10562MOTHER-OF-TWO Michelle Smith is appealing for a lift to help her to get her disabled son safely up and down stairs. Miss Smith's three-and-a-half-year-old son, Kieran, has cerebral palsy, which affects his mobility. He is wheelchair-bound and

Ref.10619A GERMAN prisoner of war and the Wiltshire farmer who employed him have been reunited after more than 55 years, thanks to the Gazette and Herald. Despite the intervening years, Ron Wiltshire, who owns and runs Loiterton Farm, Seend, instantly

Ref. 26257-43RETIRED Terry Hayward wanted to create a colourful community garden he and his neighbours could enjoy. Last month, the 71-year-old former aircraft engineer spent £600 of his own money on seven trees which he planted on the green outside his

A SHOOTING estate near Marlborough is scoring huge success among top guns throughout the south and south east and not a single bird has to lose its life. The Kennett Shoot, a 700-acre estate in the Marlborough area, has been lauded by leading field sports

WILTSHIRE residents who normally enjoy a bank holiday visit to the ghost village of Imber on Salisbury Plain will miss out this year as it is the venue for an experimental arts event. The music and art event is being organised by Artangel, the organisation

A BITTER relationship break-up sparked a burglary at the home of a man's former girlfriend in Devizes, a judge has been told. Salisbury Crown Court heard on Friday how 19-year-old George Preston and the rejected boyfriend, who had since skipped bail,

Ref. 26229-76Obesity in children is creating a growing concern. Kickboxing is a good way of combating this, says instructor Stuart Lambert who is offering ten youngsters a free three year course in the sport. TAMASH LAL discovers how kickboxing can help

AMESBURY parish church choir is on the lookout for some new vocal talent. The St Mary and St Melor Church has an excellent choir with a good repertoire but, due to the relocation of some members, they are now seeking choristers of all ages. Anyone interested

WAR veterans have paid their respects to friends who lost their lives in the six-year Burma campaign, on the 57th anniversary of VJ day. On Friday, almost 30 former soldiers wearing full uniform paraded in Salisbury's market square to commemorate the

TWO sisters celebrated a double family success last week, after passing their exams with flying colours. Months of hard work brought Sarah and Alice Walcock A-grades in all their subjects studied at Westwood St Thomas School. Sarah (18) achieved two A-grades

A DEVELOPER has increased security at the site of a former nursing home in Calne, which has been the victim of a series of attacks from vandals. Rothwell Homes Ltd, of Wootton Bassett, recently brought Dunstan House, but has become concerned by a recent

A TROUPE of baton-twirling majorettes will be one of the star attractions at a charity fun day in Calne on Saturday. The event has been organised by Calne Town Football Social Club to raise cash for two local charities the Wiltshire Air Ambulance and

CALNE'S most talented performers and artists will combine forces for a week long extravaganza of music and art this October. Tickets are already on sale for the town's 29th annual Music and Arts Festival, which has a programme bursting with events to

A PAIR of talented Calne water babes had a stroke of luck when they were both awarded with cash grants to help develop their aquatic skills. The money came from the Calne Sports Centre Trust, which awards money to young athletes each year to help them

Ref.10595ANXIOUS mum-of-four Michelle Watkins fears for her children's safety in her garden, which has been used as a dumping ground for lethal blades. The problems began two months ago when Mrs Watkins found a four-inch kitchen knife in her back garden

A CALNE hotel, which survived the second of two near fatal blazes in February, has been targeted by thieves days before its reopening. Dee Comrie, the manager of the White Hart Hotel, said burglars broke into the bar overnight on August 9, stole the juke

Ref.10616HUNDREDS of families turned out to enjoy Devizes carnival's picnic in the park on Sunday. Most of them brought their own food and settled down for the afternoon at Hillworth Park. The carnival picnic is in its third year and the organisers are

Shaw FC are looking to strengthen their under 10 squad and seek new players. The team train on Wednesday evenings on the artificial pitch at Greendown School (6-7.30pm) and will play competitive football in the North Wilts & District Mini Soccer League

THE recently formed FC Abbey Meads are appealing for sponsorship to help support their new venture. The club have received affiliation from the Wiltshire FA and have joined the newly formed North Wilts & District Minors League. They will initially

THE thriving Cub pack in Urchfont is in danger of closing because it has no leaders. Leader Peter Winkley has been forced to give up due to pressure of work and former leader Mary Oliver, who lives in Urchfont, is appealing for interested people to come

SAINSBURY'S has been arguing for the right to keep the bright orange signs on its store in Monday Market Street, Devizes. Its appeal to keep the signs was heard before a Government planning inspector, Gareth Pryce, at a planning inquiry on Tuesday. Kennet

Ref.10643WHEN it comes to serving a good cuppa and tasty food, Dawn Phillips, of Little Cheverell, near Devizes, knows a thing or two. She is back as one of the owners of the caf at Devizes Leisure Centre, after being made redundant twice by franchise

CARNIVAL costumes and how to make them will be the subject of two free morning workshops being organised by the Marlborough Carnival Committee. The cost of the workshops is being met by a £5,999 grant from the National Lotteries' Awards for All. The drop-in

MARLBOROUGH Town Council's policy on health and safety at its parks and buildings has been held up as a good example of best practice. The current issue of the Local Council Advisory Service's health and safety bulletin features an article by Marlborough

RESIDENTS in Avebury gawped in wonder on Saturday night as a white, saucer-shaped UFO skimmed through the air over the village. Many drinkers taking the air outside the Red Lion Inn at about 9pm stood in amazement as the object circled over the ancient

THE residents of Marlborough are being invited to take part in possibly the largest dramatic presentation the town has ever seen, being staged for its 800th anniversary next year. Wheels Of Time is due to be performed at various locations in the town

COLESHILL is holding a village open day on Monday, September 7. Attractions will include stalls, demonstrations, farmyard animals, guided walks and a hog-roast. Coleshill and its neighbouring estate, Buscot, are run by the National Trust. Visitors can

Michael Ancram in his column headlined 'National grid for water is good idea' (Gazette, August 14) displays a logical inconsistency and over simplifies a good idea, long overdue. No doubt the Scots and the Welsh would find it strange that Wiltshire water

My name is Ken D'Souza. I am aged 80 and am semi-crippled and use a three-wheel support. This letter is to point out the magnificent body of welfare people we have amongst us. I, for one would have despaired. My closest family is 100 miles away and my

WILTON councillor Anthony Brown-Hovelt is back from one of the 14 Wiltons in the United States with a plaque for Prime Minister Tony Blair. Mr Brown-Hovelt, who represents Wilton on Salisbury district council, has been to Wilton, in Maine, for the town's

POSITIVE steps have been taken in the city to increase the reporting of crimes against gay people. Salisbury police, together with local community action group Gay Men's Health, are launching informal drop-in sessions at the Duke of York pub, Salisbury

THE SWINDON disease has claimed another victim. Peter Ovens of Nythe Road in Coleview died on March 12 aged 70 after spending 34 years working as a coachbuilder for British Rail Engineering in Swindon. He is survived by his wife Jean. Mr Ovens started

The report about Marshfield Road surgery, Chippenham, in the August 14 edition of the Gazette was not entirely correct. The report states "on August 5 the PCT sent letters to all of Doctor Williams' patients stating they were withdrawing the emergency

WAR veterans have paid their respects to friends who lost their lives in the six-year Burma campaign, on the 57th anniversary of VJ day. On Friday, almost 30 former soldiers wearing full uniform paraded in Salisbury's market square to commemorate the

TWO sisters celebrated a double family success last week, after passing their exams with flying colours. Months of hard work brought Sarah and Alice Walcock A-grades in all their subjects studied at Westwood St Thomas School. Sarah (18) achieved two A-grades

HOME carer Eileen Roche was suffering from clinical depression when she took an accidental overdose. Wiltshire and Swindon Deputy Coroner William Bache recorded an open verdict into the death of Mrs Roche, of Hazel End, Wootton Bassett, who died on September

Thank you for the excellent article published in the Gazette last Thursday. During the past months Dr Williams and I have been deeply touched by the wonderful letters of support from the patients of Marshfield Road Surgery, which you have published, and

SCHOOL-LEAVERS across the Salisbury district celebrated a bumper crop of high grades in last week's A-level results. In line with the national trend, record highs were set, with many schools in the area achieving overall pass rates above 90 per cent.

I AGREE with Dorothy Nichols, an outdoor adult swimming pool would be marvellous. When I came to Swindon 40 years ago there was an adult outdoor pool and I used it every day in the summer, spending all day there. Swindon needs more swimming facilities

Having attended the council's public meeting on transport yesterday, I'm pleased that so many people came to give the council officers and members their views. It was very clear that the residents have not felt in the past that they have been listened

We were astounded to read on the front page of the Gazette on August 14 that a 20 bed ward in Devizes Hospital is due to permanently close in October. The intention is that people who do not need to be in hospital will be cared for at home by a team of

THE former Salisbury schoolboy just appointed director of public prosecutions has run into trouble after it was revealed that he sent cannabis in the post to a fellow Bishop Wordsworth's School pupil. Ken Macdonald, a prominent lawyer in Cherie Blair's

I THOUGHT that I had heard everything until I read Mr Prescott's letter in Monday's paper regarding the fountains at the Orbital Shopping Park. Good as it is to see children enjoying themselves in this beautiful weather, these fountains are a decorative

RESIDENTIAL streets in Larkhill and Amesbury could be choked twice a month with lorries and holiday traffic, if plans go ahead for twin tunnels at Stonehenge. Each of the 2.1km-long bored tunnels, intended to conceal traffic on the A303 from the view

YET again the Liberal Democrats want to increase the ever growing burden on the council tax payers of Swindon. Coun Michael Dickenson (letters, August 6) expounds the benefits of Home Zones and yet fails to tell the people how much it will cost. While

THANKS to the kindness of the owners and the perseverance of a Mr Harboard at RAF Innsworth, I was recently able to make a visit to the RAF Hospital at Wroughton. I was a student nurse there in the 60s and it was a really lovely place to work. It was

In your report on the new parking enforcement in the town Coun Bawden is quoted as follows: "Last week I drove along York Road and counted 29 vehicles parked on double yellow lines." In future I shall no longer park my car outside my property, for fear

Before Swindon Borough Council start to enjoy reaping the bounty of new revenue from parking fines in Swindon, perhaps someone should scrutinise the provision for parking that SBC makes. The fact is that in Old Town and the town centre at least, the provision