Archive

  • The sweet way to aid charities

    JUNE 3: PEOPLE are limbering up to take part in Swindon Cares week. And Zurich Financial Services, a supporter of Swindon Cares and a member of the fundraising committee, will rise to the occasion by baking cakes. The Swindon-based company, plans to host

  • A shoulder to lean on

    JUNE 3: JOHN Mills says he wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for Macmillan nurses. The 63-year-old was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer last year. Macmillan nurses helped him come to terms with the disease immediately after the diagnosis and they

  • If a residential home has to go, get the right one

    I AM perturbed to read recently that the council is considering closing two of its residential homes, with Wick House being possibly one of them. Although I have not had any direct experience of the residential section of Wick House, I have stayed within

  • Race hit bumpy road after a brilliant start

    JUNE 24: THE sun shone when more than 600 runners set off for the first Swindon People's Marathon in May 1982. Thousands of spectators - many of whom offered runners drinks and damp sponges to help them through temperatures reaching the mid-70s - thronged

  • Web equality for Swindon Cares

    JULY 9: A new web-based Disability Awareness Training course was launched yesterday by local charity Working for Opportunities with support from Zurich. Between now and the end of the year Working For Opportunities are offering a £1 donation to Swindon

  • Pulling together to raise charity cash

    JULY 11: BREWERY boss James Arkell has met charity workers who will benefit from the mammoth Swindon Cares fundraising drive. Mr Arkell, who is spearheading Swindon Cares, met representatives from the NSPCC, Age Concern and the Swindon Cancer Appeal,

  • Radio presenters wear teddies to work and not much else

    JULY 15: RADIO presenters Howard Taylor and Heidi Humphrey didn't have to worry about what to wear to work yesterday. That's because they broadcast the GWR FM's breakfast show while in the nude. They were honouring a promise to bare all if they sold out

  • Guess who is the baby in the photo

    JULY 17: STAFF at a Swindon company took a trip down memory lane to raise money for a unique fundraising drive. Workers at Great Western Enter-prise held a guess the baby competition to raise money for Swindon Cares. The scheme aims to raise £10,000 during

  • Un-bear-able!

    Ref. 27942-38A REWARD has been made for the return of a rugby fan that has followed the fortunes of England at home and abroad. Claverton the bear has gone missing and his owner and avid Bath Rugby supporter Martin Burton, 48, is pleading for his return

  • Lot of cheer as pub raises £2,243

    SWINDON CARES: A PUB in Gorse Hill raised more than £2,000 for a new fundraising drive bringing the total from the first Swindon Cares week to around £12,500. The Swiss Chalet in Chapel Street dedicated a whole week of activities for Swindon Cares, which

  • Lot of cheer as pub raises £2,243

    JULY 23: A PUB in Gorse Hill raised more than £2,000 for a new fundraising drive bringing the total from the first Swindon Cares week to around £12,500. The Swiss Chalet in Chapel Street dedicated a whole week of activities for Swindon Cares, which aimed

  • More than £14,000 raised during charity bonanza

    AUGUST 6: SWINDON Cares, the charity fundraising bonanza, has smashed all expectations, raising more than £14,000 for the town's needy. So far, £14,066 has been collected from individuals, companies, schools and community groups across Swindon. The cash

  • Clean up your act by helping charities

    SHOPPERS at Asda Wal-Mart are being urged to help local charities as well as give themselves the chance of winning a washing machine. The proceeds of the raffle will help Swindon Cares an initiative set up to aid local good causes. This year the fundraising

  • Sacked city council worker loses tribunal

    THE first of four former Salisbury district council employees, sacked in July after going public with accusations of workplace bullying and harassment, has lost her case for unfair dismissal. Bundy Riley, former Environment and Agenda 21 officer, was

  • Plain Crazy

    A REGRETFUL Sammy Igoe prepared himself for a surgeon's scolding this morning and the likelihood he must get plastered once again. The midfielder cut away the protective cast covering his injured left wrist over the weekend to the dismay of Town's medical

  • Spoof nurses check out the cash for Children in Need?

    Ref. 27895-16STAFF dressed as nurses stormed an executive boardroom meeting at Nationwide's UK headquarters and demanded cash for Children in Need. The women, who in previous years have donned fairy and schoolgirl outfits, swept the building in Pipers

  • Creating a community that cares

    JUNE 13: A NEW fundraising campaign has named three local dignitaries to head the initiative. Swindon Cares is an umbrella organisation aiming to raise a minimum of £10, 000 for three local charities Age Concern, the NSPCC and the Evening Advertiser's

  • Bishop looks back ten years

    THE Right Reverend David Stancliffe will be celebrating ten years as Bishop of Salisbury this weekend. He was consecrated bishop on St Andrew's Day (November 30), 1993, in Westminster Abbey, by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, and was

  • Cathedral lit up for advent

    SALISBURY Cathedral's hugely popular advent procession, From Darkness To Light, takes place this Saturday and Sunday at 7pm. The service begins in darkness and silence as the Advent candle is lit at the west end of the cathedral. Music and readings from

  • Devizes slump allows Swindon Tribe to snatch it

    SWINDON Tribe snatched victory in the North Wessex Winter League six-a-side competition after the final round on the Kennet and Avon canal between Wootton Rivers and Wolfhall. Going into the final round, Devizes White held a one-point lead but could only

  • Principal leaves after nine months

    SALISBURY College principal Howard O'Keefe has left the college after just nine months in the post. In a terse statement, the college's board of corporation said that, as of November 20, Mr O'Keefe was no longer an employee of Salisbury College. Mr O'Keefe

  • Brook-side to get a £18,000 green revamp

    PARKLAND trees and hedgerows will be planted along the Hreod Burna Brook after £18,000 was given to enhance the landscape near Rodbourne Green. Copses of specimen trees will take root and existing woodland and hedgerows along the brook will be managed

  • Get ready to pay up!

    COUNCIL tax payers in Swindon look set to fork out another inflation-busting 10 per cent next year. But a wages survey today reveals that workers here get an average of £1,600 extra a year in their pay packets than most people in the country. Swindon

  • Bugs that can make you ill

    1. Campylobacter is the most commonly identified cause of food-borne disease. It has been found mainly in poultry, red meat, unpasteurised milk and untreated water. Although it doesn't grow in food it spreads easily, so only a few bacteria in a piece

  • Anger over proposed city centre sex shop

    A PETITION has been launched opposing plans to convert a building in the centre of Salisbury into the city's third sex shop. The council's licensing officers have received an application seeking permission to turn the current X S Appliances premises on

  • Benefit cheat got £9,000

    BENEFIT cheat Trevor Imhorst claimed thousands of pounds of incapacity payments while he held a string of casual jobs Swindon magistrates heard yesterday . Imhorst, 45, of Verwood Close, was overpaid by £9,664, after claiming that he was unfit to work

  • Guess who is the baby in the photo

    JULY 17: STAFF at a Swindon company took a trip down memory lane to raise money for a unique fundraising drive. Workers at Great Western Enter-prise held a guess the baby competition to raise money for Swindon Cares. The scheme aims to raise £10,000 during

  • Orchid set to take root as scheme is passed

    SWINDON'S giant orchid has been given the chance to bloom. Planners last night backed a scheme to put up the 15 metre sculpture dubbed the Angel of the West at the junction of Cricklade Road and Thamesdown Drive. The sculpture, which will be built at

  • £1,200 gives charity drive a head start

    SWINDON CARES has been given a £1,200 boost even before the serious fundraising has started. The initiative aims to raise £10,000 for three local charities during Swindon Cares week - seven dedicated days of moneymaking activities, which starts on Saturday

  • Keeping an eye on our food

    Ref. 27750-15The team of Swindon Council's environmental health officers are responsible for ensuring that when we go out for a meal or buy something from a supermarket we don't end up with food poisoning by keeping a constant check on premises selling

  • Defeat for Highworth at Bassett

    A DERBY upset at Rylands Way dealt a blow to Highworth's Hellenic Premier Division title hopes. John Fisher's side suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at struggling Wootton Bassett - a result that lifts the hosts out of the relegation zone. After an uneventful

  • A chance to show you care

    JUNE 3: Swindon cares is a new campaign which aims to raise funds for three worthy causes in the town, and has the backing of major organisations locally. BHAVANI VADDE reports The launch of a new fundraising drive is set to give a further boost to the

  • The Bones fail to rattle Whites

    SALISBURY City's climb back up the league table following their FA Cup sojourn continued when they picked up three more points away at Rothwell Town. Their 2-0 success was their third win on the bounce proving wrong any doubters who had expected a cup

  • Cathedral lit up for advent

    SALISBURY Cathedral's hugely popular advent procession, From Darkness To Light, takes place this Saturday and Sunday at 7pm. The service begins in darkness and silence as the Advent candle is lit at the west end of the cathedral. Music and readings from

  • Householders face big hike in council tax

    STEEP council tax rises could be on the horizon after senior councillors accused central government of short-changing local authorities. Both Salisbury district and Wiltshire county councils said they were disappointed with the grants they had received

  • Sacked city council worker loses tribunal

    THE first of four former Salisbury district council employees, sacked in July after going public with accusations of workplace bullying and harassment, has lost her case for unfair dismissal. Bundy Riley, former Environment and Agenda 21 officer, was

  • Soldier on trial for attempted murder

    A YOUNG soldier embedded a pickaxe into the head of a Lance Corporal after a bust-up during an army training exercise on Salisbury Plain, a court heard this week. The axe struck Konrad Bisping (26) with such force that the point pierced his skull and

  • Householders face big hike in council tax

    STEEP council tax rises could be on the horizon after senior councillors accused central government of short-changing local authorities. Both Salisbury district and Wiltshire county councils said they were disappointed with the grants they had received

  • Plain Crazy

    A REGRETFUL Sammy Igoe prepared himself for a surgeon's scolding this morning and the likelihood he must get plastered once again. The midfielder cut away the protective cast covering his injured left wrist over the weekend to the dismay of Town's medical

  • Triple success for town lawyers

    THREE trainee solicitors have successfully completed their legal training and are on track for a high-flying career. Mandy Casavant, Hannah Land and Craig Smith, all from Withy King Solicitors in Swindon are due to attend an admission ceremony in London

  • Be quick with your bid for a super quad bike

    SWINDON CANCER APPEAL: TIME is running out to place a bid for a top-notch quad bike and raise money for the Swindon Cancer Appeal. The yellow Suzuki LTA50K4 was originally donated by Swindon motorcycle dealers George White for the Advertiser's charity

  • Web equality for Swindon Cares

    JULY 9: A new web-based Disability Awareness Training course was launched yesterday by local charity Working for Opportunities with support from Zurich. Between now and the end of the year Working For Opportunities are offering a £1 donation to Swindon

  • Triple success for town lawyers

    THREE trainee solicitors have successfully completed their legal training and are on track for a high-flying career. Mandy Casavant, Hannah Land and Craig Smith, all from Withy King Solicitors in Swindon are due to attend an admission ceremony in London

  • Un-bear-able!

    Ref. 27942-38A REWARD has been made for the return of a rugby fan that has followed the fortunes of England at home and abroad. Claverton the bear has gone missing and his owner and avid Bath Rugby supporter Martin Burton, 48, is pleading for his return

  • Overtime anger boils at Honda

    DISGRUNTLED Honda workers have turned to the internet to air their anger over working practices. Since the website, www.hondaswindon.com was set up less than a year ago it has had more than 70,000 hits. The creator of the site, Chris Watson, who lives

  • Extra-time heartbreak for Swindon

    SWINDON Primary Schools were knocked out of the Witney Cup by holders St Albans in extra-time. Both teams battled against the elements before St Albans grabbed a 2-1 extra-time victory. St Albans tried to take control of the game early on, but Munton

  • Spare a thought for what's on the table

    'TIS the season to be jolly, to shop till we drop and stuff ourselves silly. But spare a thought for the animals who will suffer. Each year,10 million turkeys are slaughtered for the Christmas table, and millions of pigs, ducks and geese will get the

  • Anger over proposed city centre sex shop

    A PETITION has been launched opposing plans to convert a building in the centre of Salisbury into the city's third sex shop. The council's licensing officers have received an application seeking permission to turn the current X S Appliances premises on

  • Auditions tonight

    SWINDON Opera is planning a production of The Merry Widow next spring. Tonight from 7.30pm to 9.30pm it is holding auditions for principal singers at Lainesmead School in South View Avenue, Walcot. Anyone who can't make tonight can also try out on Wednesday

  • A chapter closes for Old Town shop

    Ref. 27947-27A CHAPTER in Old Town's history is to end with the closure one of its long-surviving shops next year. Victoria Bookshop has been a fixture in Wood Street for the past 30-years but its owner, Steve Austin, has finally admitted defeat in the

  • Plans for memory tree are shelved

    PLANS for a memorial tree for people who have committed suicide have been abandoned for the time being. Mother Jan Andersen, whose son Kristian took his own life at the age of 20 with a heroin overdose a year ago, wanted to decorate a tree with lights

  • Nurses fly in to staff the wards

    Ref. 27931-04Swindon's latest medical recruits have been shown around their new workplace just hours after jetting in from the Philippines. The Great Western Hospital welcomed 19 cardiology nurses who are eager to start work. The latest recruits landed

  • Cabaret night for charity

    SWINDON CANCER APPEAL: Veteran fundraiser John Holmes is once again exercising his musical muscle for charity. The businessman who runs John Holmes Music in Faringdon Road is staging his 22nd Christmas Show and all proceeds will go towards the Swindon

  • Soldier on trial for attempted murder

    A YOUNG soldier embedded a pickaxe into the head of a Lance Corporal after a bust-up during an army training exercise on Salisbury Plain, a court heard this week. The axe struck Konrad Bisping (26) with such force that the point pierced his skull and

  • Meet the goats and sheep that race for charity

    Ref. 27924-37RACING goats and sheep at the Roves Farm visitor centre at Sevenhampton cantered their way to stakes worth £2894 for charity. Lured towards the finishing post by the promise of a rewarding feed, the animals, which were sometimes accompanied

  • Radio presenters wear teddies to work and not much else

    JULY 15: RADIO presenters Howard Taylor and Heidi Humphrey didn't have to worry about what to wear to work yesterday. That's because they broadcast the GWR FM's breakfast show while in the nude. They were honouring a promise to bare all if they sold out

  • Chamber's "cemetery" warning

    SALISBURY is set to become a "cemetery with lights", unless more is done to encourage young people to live and work in the area, the president of the Salisbury and district chamber of commerce has warned. In a letter published in the chamber's monthly

  • Wacky ways of raising cash

    JULY 7: Swindon Cares is aiming to raise a minimum of £10,000 for the NSPCC, Age Concern and the Swindon Cancer Appeal. BHAVANI VADDE reports on next week's fundraising. WITHIN two weeks of being launched, an appeal has inspired people to think of weird

  • Tips to avoid being poisoned

    AT HOME Ensuring good hygiene in your kitchen can prevent food poisoning. Hygiene isn't just about cleaning it refers to a number of things you can do to stop harmful bacteria reaching your plate. Always follow good personal hygiene wash your hands before

  • Extra-time heartbreak for Swindon

    SWINDON Primary Schools were knocked out of the Witney Cup by holders St Albans in extra-time. Both teams battled against the elements before St Albans grabbed a 2-1 extra-time victory. St Albans tried to take control of the game early on, but Munton

  • The sweet way to aid charities

    JUNE 3: PEOPLE are limbering up to take part in Swindon Cares week. And Zurich Financial Services, a supporter of Swindon Cares and a member of the fundraising committee, will rise to the occasion by baking cakes. The Swindon-based company, plans to host

  • Householders face big hike in council tax

    STEEP council tax rises could be on the horizon after senior councillors accused central government of short-changing local authorities. Both Salisbury district and Wiltshire county councils said they were disappointed with the grants they had received

  • Orchid set to take root as scheme is passed

    SWINDON'S giant orchid has been given the chance to bloom. Planners last night backed a scheme to put up the 15 metre sculpture dubbed the Angel of the West at the junction of Cricklade Road and Thamesdown Drive. The sculpture, which will be built at

  • We need money or we'll have to close

    Ref. 27896-27A Swindon charity which has supported people with learning difficulties for almost eight years is to shut unless more funding can be found. Swindon Advocacy Move-ment has been operating from Milton Road since it was founded with Lottery cash

  • Auditions tonight

    SWINDON Opera is planning a production of The Merry Widow next spring. Tonight from 7.30pm to 9.30pm it is holding auditions for principal singers at Lainesmead School in South View Avenue, Walcot. Anyone who can't make tonight can also try out on Wednesday

  • Brook-side to get a £18,000 green revamp

    PARKLAND trees and hedgerows will be planted along the Hreod Burna Brook after £18,000 was given to enhance the landscape near Rodbourne Green. Copses of specimen trees will take root and existing woodland and hedgerows along the brook will be managed

  • Cabaret night for charity

    SWINDON CANCER APPEAL: Veteran fundraiser John Holmes is once again exercising his musical muscle for charity. The businessman who runs John Holmes Music in Faringdon Road is staging his 22nd Christmas Show and all proceeds will go towards the Swindon

  • If a residential home has to go, get the right one

    I AM perturbed to read recently that the council is considering closing two of its residential homes, with Wick House being possibly one of them. Although I have not had any direct experience of the residential section of Wick House, I have stayed within

  • Spare a thought for what's on the table

    'TIS the season to be jolly, to shop till we drop and stuff ourselves silly. But spare a thought for the animals who will suffer. Each year,10 million turkeys are slaughtered for the Christmas table, and millions of pigs, ducks and geese will get the

  • Timely campaign to cut work hours

    PEOPLE in Britain work the longest hours in Europe. In the South West alone 370,000 work more than 48 hours a week, and it's not through choice. Government figures show that 72 per cent of local workers want to work fewer hours. The law is meant to give

  • Apartments get a stamp of approval

    A LANDMARK six-storey development is to breathe new life into the town centre. Planners unanimously approved a scheme for the long-awaited Phoenix Gate develop- ment on the site of the former post office in Fleming Way. The plans, first mooted in 2000

  • Nurses fly in to staff the wards

    Ref. 27931-04Swindon's latest medical recruits have been shown around their new workplace just hours after jetting in from the Philippines. The Great Western Hospital welcomed 19 cardiology nurses who are eager to start work. The latest recruits landed

  • A chance to show you care

    JUNE 3: Swindon cares is a new campaign which aims to raise funds for three worthy causes in the town, and has the backing of major organisations locally. BHAVANI VADDE reports The launch of a new fundraising drive is set to give a further boost to the

  • Badgers pull off shock win

    BADGERS Girls' under 14 team pulled off a surprise 2-0 victory over leaders Chippenham Town in their latest Wiltshire County League encounter. Libby Robinson put Badgers ahead in the first half and added another goal in the second period to make the game

  • Service for our senior citizens

    JUNE 3: AGE Concern Swindon has been working to improve quality of life for older people for more than 50 years. The charity believes older people should be treated as equal citizens and is campaigning to make age discrimination illegal. Based in offices

  • Creating a community that cares

    JUNE 13: A NEW fundraising campaign has named three local dignitaries to head the initiative. Swindon Cares is an umbrella organisation aiming to raise a minimum of £10, 000 for three local charities Age Concern, the NSPCC and the Evening Advertiser's

  • It's back

    JUNE 24: Swindon once hosted a marathon which attracted top runners and raised money for good causes. Now, the athletic tradition looks set to be revived thanks to a new fundraising initiative backed by the town's business community, writes Bhavani Vadde

  • A shoulder to lean on

    JUNE 3: JOHN Mills says he wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for Macmillan nurses. The 63-year-old was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer last year. Macmillan nurses helped him come to terms with the disease immediately after the diagnosis and they

  • Wacky ways of raising cash

    JULY 7: Swindon Cares is aiming to raise a minimum of £10,000 for the NSPCC, Age Concern and the Swindon Cancer Appeal. BHAVANI VADDE reports on next week's fundraising. WITHIN two weeks of being launched, an appeal has inspired people to think of weird

  • £1,200 gives charity drive a head start

    SWINDON CARES has been given a £1,200 boost even before the serious fundraising has started. The initiative aims to raise £10,000 for three local charities during Swindon Cares week - seven dedicated days of moneymaking activities, which starts on Saturday

  • Pulling together to raise charity cash

    JULY 11: BREWERY boss James Arkell has met charity workers who will benefit from the mammoth Swindon Cares fundraising drive. Mr Arkell, who is spearheading Swindon Cares, met representatives from the NSPCC, Age Concern and the Swindon Cancer Appeal,

  • Alfie makes waves with Howard and Heidi

    JULY 12: SWINDON Cares week kicks off today seeing the start of a fundraising drive to amass £10,000 for three local charities. People around the town have come up with fun ways to raise money for the NSPCC, Age Concern and the Swindon Cancer Appeal for

  • Plunge helps drive beat £10,000 target

    JULY 18: SWINDON Cares week hasn't even finished yet but the fundraising drive has already exceeded its target of raising £10,000 for three local charities. So far companies, schools and individuals across the town have raised nearly £11,000, and the

  • Showing that they care

    JULY 21: OFFICE workers being covered in custard, children stuffing their faces with spaghetti and a headteacher having his legs waxed helped a new fundraising drive surpass its target of raising £10,000 for three local charities. The first Swindon Cares

  • Closing the book

    STEVE Austin's decision to close his Victoria Bookshop after 30 years is bad news for the book trade in general. He is one more bookseller who has found it impossible to compete with stores and the internet which can offer discount prices. His shop's

  • Closing the book

    STEVE Austin's decision to close his Victoria Bookshop after 30 years is bad news for the book trade in general. He is one more bookseller who has found it impossible to compete with stores and the internet which can offer discount prices. His shop's

  • This is not the time for a spree

    WE all know that Swindon is a relatively prosperous town with low unemployment figures. But today's announcement that salaries here are considerably higher than the national average, and that in the south west we are second only to South Gloucestershire

  • Oyez! He's a top dresser

    Ref. 27932-39TOWN Crier Fred Ferris is best known for his booming voice but now his dapper looks are also grabbing attention. Now the 72-year-old from Penhill Drive wants other Swindon men to smarten up their acts, after winning the country's best-dressed

  • Showing that they care

    JULY 21: OFFICE workers being covered in custard, children stuffing their faces with spaghetti and a headteacher having his legs waxed helped a new fundraising drive surpass its target of raising £10,000 for three local charities. The first Swindon Cares

  • Pulling together to raise charity cash

    JULY 11: BREWERY boss James Arkell has met charity workers who will benefit from the mammoth Swindon Cares fundraising drive. Mr Arkell, who is spearheading Swindon Cares, met representatives from the NSPCC, Age Concern and the Swindon Cancer Appeal,

  • Lessons must be learned after Lydiard Park setback

    SWINDON Council chief executive Simon Birch will tonight tell the authority's decision-making cabinet lessons have to be learned from the Lydiard Park setback. The council only committed to the multi-million pound restoration scheme at the eleventh hour

  • Timely campaign to cut work hours

    PEOPLE in Britain work the longest hours in Europe. In the South West alone 370,000 work more than 48 hours a week, and it's not through choice. Government figures show that 72 per cent of local workers want to work fewer hours. The law is meant to give

  • Principal leaves after nine months

    SALISBURY College principal Howard O'Keefe has left the college after just nine months in the post. In a terse statement, the college's board of corporation said that, as of November 20, Mr O'Keefe was no longer an employee of Salisbury College. Mr O'Keefe

  • Many hands make lights work

    Jason and Greg get to grips with the lights.FIREFIGHTERS Jason Nightingale and Greg Lee recently assisted members of the Rotary Club of Amesbury in hanging the lights high up on the town's Tree of Light. The lights will be switched on at 7pm on December

  • Wigs and costumes help set record

    KIDNAPPING a mayor, dressing up in silly clothes or enduring the pain of having hair removed from various parts of the anatomy were just some of the crazy things south Wiltshire got up to on Friday, all in the name of Children in Need. The Salisbury area

  • Sacked city council worker loses tribunal

    THE first of four former Salisbury district council employees, sacked in July after going public with accusations of workplace bullying and harassment, has lost her case for unfair dismissal. Bundy Riley, former Environment and Agenda 21 officer, was

  • Anger over proposed city centre sex shop

    A PETITION has been launched opposing plans to convert a building in the centre of Salisbury into the city's third sex shop. The council's licensing officers have received an application seeking permission to turn the current X S Appliances premises on

  • Veterinary couple say goodbye

    Craig and Janet Irvine-Smith outside teh Stonehenge Veterinary HospitalA COUPLE who founded the Stonehenge Veterinary Hospital in Durrington 13 years ago are leaving at the end of this week. Craig and Janet Irvine-Smith arrived in England from South Africa

  • Householders face big hike in council tax

    STEEP council tax rises could be on the horizon after senior councillors accused central government of short-changing local authorities. Both Salisbury district and Wiltshire county councils said they were disappointed with the grants they had received

  • Stow success

    SWINDON Under 17s defeated their Stow counterparts, scoring three tries in the process. The Greenbridge Road side fell behind to an early John Adams penalty but, from then on, never looked back. They responded with a solo score from Ryan Dowling, converted

  • Sacked city council worker loses tribunal

    THE first of four former Salisbury district council employees, sacked in July after going public with accusations of workplace bullying and harassment, has lost her case for unfair dismissal. Bundy Riley, former Environment and Agenda 21 officer, was

  • Promise not to raise prices

    AGE Concern Energy Services is reassuring its customers that it will not be putting up its gas and electricity prices this winter. The announcement comes at a time when energy providers are facing increasing pressure to raise their energy tariffs. Costs

  • Alfie makes waves with Howard and Heidi

    JULY 12: SWINDON Cares week kicks off today seeing the start of a fundraising drive to amass £10,000 for three local charities. People around the town have come up with fun ways to raise money for the NSPCC, Age Concern and the Swindon Cancer Appeal for

  • The Bones fail to rattle Whites

    SALISBURY City's climb back up the league table following their FA Cup sojourn continued when they picked up three more points away at Rothwell Town. Their 2-0 success was their third win on the bounce proving wrong any doubters who had expected a cup

  • It's back

    JUNE 24: Swindon once hosted a marathon which attracted top runners and raised money for good causes. Now, the athletic tradition looks set to be revived thanks to a new fundraising initiative backed by the town's business community, writes Bhavani Vadde

  • Cathedral lit up for advent

    SALISBURY Cathedral's hugely popular advent procession, From Darkness To Light, takes place this Saturday and Sunday at 7pm. The service begins in darkness and silence as the Advent candle is lit at the west end of the cathedral. Music and readings from

  • More than £14,000 raised during charity bonanza

    AUGUST 6: SWINDON Cares, the charity fundraising bonanza, has smashed all expectations, raising more than £14,000 for the town's needy. So far, £14,066 has been collected from individuals, companies, schools and community groups across Swindon. The cash

  • Bishop looks back ten years

    THE Right Reverend David Stancliffe will be celebrating ten years as Bishop of Salisbury this weekend. He was consecrated bishop on St Andrew's Day (November 30), 1993, in Westminster Abbey, by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, and was

  • Don't be conned by ID cards idea

    IN response to G Scott and J Adams (November 19) the only reason that the EU can tell us to do anything is due to the idiots in Parliament giving away power and sovereignty without consulting the electorate. Let's not swallow the codswallop about ID cards

  • Principal leaves after nine months

    SALISBURY College principal Howard O'Keefe has left the college after just nine months in the post. In a terse statement, the college's board of corporation said that, as of November 20, Mr O'Keefe was no longer an employee of Salisbury College. Mr O'Keefe

  • Chamber's "cemetery" warning

    SALISBURY is set to become a "cemetery with lights", unless more is done to encourage young people to live and work in the area, the president of the Salisbury and district chamber of commerce has warned. In a letter published in the chamber's monthly

  • Bishop looks back ten years

    THE Right Reverend David Stancliffe will be celebrating ten years as Bishop of Salisbury this weekend. He was consecrated bishop on St Andrew's Day (November 30), 1993, in Westminster Abbey, by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, and was

  • Moot's future is uncertain

    British Trust for Conservation volunteers get stuck in to clean up the Moot pond.DOWNTON'S historic Moot could revert to overgrown jungle within six months, unless help is found to maintain the grounds, Moot trustees have warned. Thousands of pounds and

  • Anger over proposed city centre sex shop

    A PETITION has been launched opposing plans to convert a building in the centre of Salisbury into the city's third sex shop. The council's licensing officers have received an application seeking permission to turn the current X S Appliances premises on

  • Anger and upset as playgroup is hit by vandals

    VANDALS have smashed equipment belonging to a playgroup in Harnham, leaving children, parents and staff devastated. The attack happened at Puddleducks Community Playgroup, in the grounds of Harnham infants' and junior schools, at the weekend. Glass in

  • We need money or we'll have to close

    Ref. 27896-27A Swindon charity which has supported people with learning difficulties for almost eight years is to shut unless more funding can be found. Swindon Advocacy Move-ment has been operating from Milton Road since it was founded with Lottery cash

  • Cathedral lit up for advent

    SALISBURY Cathedral's hugely popular advent procession, From Darkness To Light, takes place this Saturday and Sunday at 7pm. The service begins in darkness and silence as the Advent candle is lit at the west end of the cathedral. Music and readings from

  • First connection wins award for Swindon company

    Swindon's Motorola has scooped an award for saving BT £8 million. The annual Investing In Excellence awards seek to recognise the best suppliers that deliver. The mobile phone and communications company was the winner in the Innovation and Responsive-ness

  • Spoof nurses check out the cash for Children in Need?

    Ref. 27895-16STAFF dressed as nurses stormed an executive boardroom meeting at Nationwide's UK headquarters and demanded cash for Children in Need. The women, who in previous years have donned fairy and schoolgirl outfits, swept the building in Pipers

  • Service for our senior citizens

    JUNE 3: AGE Concern Swindon has been working to improve quality of life for older people for more than 50 years. The charity believes older people should be treated as equal citizens and is campaigning to make age discrimination illegal. Based in offices

  • This is not the time for a spree

    WE all know that Swindon is a relatively prosperous town with low unemployment figures. But today's announcement that salaries here are considerably higher than the national average, and that in the south west we are second only to South Gloucestershire

  • Bishop looks back ten years

    THE Right Reverend David Stancliffe will be celebrating ten years as Bishop of Salisbury this weekend. He was consecrated bishop on St Andrew's Day (November 30), 1993, in Westminster Abbey, by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, and was

  • Lot of cheer as pub raises £2,243

    SWINDON CARES: A PUB in Gorse Hill raised more than £2,000 for a new fundraising drive bringing the total from the first Swindon Cares week to around £12,500. The Swiss Chalet in Chapel Street dedicated a whole week of activities for Swindon Cares, which

  • Un-bear-able!

    Ref. 27942-38A REWARD has been made for the return of a rugby fan that has followed the fortunes of England at home and abroad. Claverton the bear has gone missing and his owner and avid Bath Rugby supporter Martin Burton, 48, is pleading for his return

  • Overtime anger boils at Honda

    DISGRUNTLED Honda workers have turned to the internet to air their anger over working practices. Since the website, www.hondaswindon.com was set up less than a year ago it has had more than 70,000 hits. The creator of the site, Chris Watson, who lives

  • Town gets pat on back for caring

    THE Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire has heaped praise on Swindon for raising more than £14,000 for local charities during the Swindon Cares week. Sir Maurice Johnston said that he was proud to be associated with the town and said the rest of Wiltshire should

  • Pulling together to raise charity cash

    JULY 11: BREWERY boss James Arkell has met charity workers who will benefit from the mammoth Swindon Cares fundraising drive. Mr Arkell, who is spearheading Swindon Cares, met representatives from the NSPCC, Age Concern and the Swindon Cancer Appeal,

  • Principal leaves after nine months

    SALISBURY College principal Howard O'Keefe has left the college after just nine months in the post. In a terse statement, the college's board of corporation said that, as of November 20, Mr O'Keefe was no longer an employee of Salisbury College. Mr O'Keefe

  • Race hit bumpy road after a brilliant start

    JUNE 24: THE sun shone when more than 600 runners set off for the first Swindon People's Marathon in May 1982. Thousands of spectators - many of whom offered runners drinks and damp sponges to help them through temperatures reaching the mid-70s - thronged

  • Veterinary couple say goodbye

    Craig and Janet Irvine-Smith outside teh Stonehenge Veterinary HospitalA COUPLE who founded the Stonehenge Veterinary Hospital in Durrington 13 years ago are leaving at the end of this week. Craig and Janet Irvine-Smith arrived in England from South Africa

  • Many hands make lights work

    Jason and Greg get to grips with the lights.FIREFIGHTERS Jason Nightingale and Greg Lee recently assisted members of the Rotary Club of Amesbury in hanging the lights high up on the town's Tree of Light. The lights will be switched on at 7pm on December

  • Plans for memory tree are shelved

    PLANS for a memorial tree for people who have committed suicide have been abandoned for the time being. Mother Jan Andersen, whose son Kristian took his own life at the age of 20 with a heroin overdose a year ago, wanted to decorate a tree with lights

  • Bugs that can make you ill

    1. Campylobacter is the most commonly identified cause of food-borne disease. It has been found mainly in poultry, red meat, unpasteurised milk and untreated water. Although it doesn't grow in food it spreads easily, so only a few bacteria in a piece

  • Tips to avoid being poisoned

    AT HOME Ensuring good hygiene in your kitchen can prevent food poisoning. Hygiene isn't just about cleaning it refers to a number of things you can do to stop harmful bacteria reaching your plate. Always follow good personal hygiene wash your hands before

  • Keeping an eye on our food

    Ref. 27750-15The team of Swindon Council's environmental health officers are responsible for ensuring that when we go out for a meal or buy something from a supermarket we don't end up with food poisoning by keeping a constant check on premises selling

  • Un-bear-able!

    Ref. 27942-38A REWARD has been made for the return of a rugby fan that has followed the fortunes of England at home and abroad. Claverton the bear has gone missing and his owner and avid Bath Rugby supporter Martin Burton, 48, is pleading for his return

  • Devizes slump allows Swindon Tribe to snatch it

    SWINDON Tribe snatched victory in the North Wessex Winter League six-a-side competition after the final round on the Kennet and Avon canal between Wootton Rivers and Wolfhall. Going into the final round, Devizes White held a one-point lead but could only

  • Lessons must be learned after Lydiard Park setback

    SWINDON Council chief executive Simon Birch will tonight tell the authority's decision-making cabinet lessons have to be learned from the Lydiard Park setback. The council only committed to the multi-million pound restoration scheme at the eleventh hour

  • A chapter closes for Old Town shop

    Ref. 27947-27A CHAPTER in Old Town's history is to end with the closure one of its long-surviving shops next year. Victoria Bookshop has been a fixture in Wood Street for the past 30-years but its owner, Steve Austin, has finally admitted defeat in the

  • Get ready to pay up!

    COUNCIL tax payers in Swindon look set to fork out another inflation-busting 10 per cent next year. But a wages survey today reveals that workers here get an average of £1,600 extra a year in their pay packets than most people in the country. Swindon

  • Lot of cheer as pub raises £2,243

    JULY 23: A PUB in Gorse Hill raised more than £2,000 for a new fundraising drive bringing the total from the first Swindon Cares week to around £12,500. The Swiss Chalet in Chapel Street dedicated a whole week of activities for Swindon Cares, which aimed

  • Stow success

    SWINDON Under 17s defeated their Stow counterparts, scoring three tries in the process. The Greenbridge Road side fell behind to an early John Adams penalty but, from then on, never looked back. They responded with a solo score from Ryan Dowling, converted

  • Development is not right in Highworth

    DEVELOPERS have been told to re-think plans for a sheltered housing complex in Highworth. The committee rejected plans to build 50 sheltered housing apartments and eight affordable flats on the site of the former Vorda Works in Brewery Street. Members

  • Defeat for Highworth at Bassett

    A DERBY upset at Rylands Way dealt a blow to Highworth's Hellenic Premier Division title hopes. John Fisher's side suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at struggling Wootton Bassett - a result that lifts the hosts out of the relegation zone. After an uneventful

  • Badgers pull off shock win

    BADGERS Girls' under 14 team pulled off a surprise 2-0 victory over leaders Chippenham Town in their latest Wiltshire County League encounter. Libby Robinson put Badgers ahead in the first half and added another goal in the second period to make the game

  • Wigs and costumes help set record

    KIDNAPPING a mayor, dressing up in silly clothes or enduring the pain of having hair removed from various parts of the anatomy were just some of the crazy things south Wiltshire got up to on Friday, all in the name of Children in Need. The Salisbury area

  • Development is not right in Highworth

    DEVELOPERS have been told to re-think plans for a sheltered housing complex in Highworth. The committee rejected plans to build 50 sheltered housing apartments and eight affordable flats on the site of the former Vorda Works in Brewery Street. Members

  • Apartments get a stamp of approval

    A LANDMARK six-storey development is to breathe new life into the town centre. Planners unanimously approved a scheme for the long-awaited Phoenix Gate develop- ment on the site of the former post office in Fleming Way. The plans, first mooted in 2000

  • Be quick with your bid for a super quad bike

    SWINDON CANCER APPEAL: TIME is running out to place a bid for a top-notch quad bike and raise money for the Swindon Cancer Appeal. The yellow Suzuki LTA50K4 was originally donated by Swindon motorcycle dealers George White for the Advertiser's charity

  • Town gets pat on back for caring

    THE Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire has heaped praise on Swindon for raising more than £14,000 for local charities during the Swindon Cares week. Sir Maurice Johnston said that he was proud to be associated with the town and said the rest of Wiltshire should

  • Promise not to raise prices

    AGE Concern Energy Services is reassuring its customers that it will not be putting up its gas and electricity prices this winter. The announcement comes at a time when energy providers are facing increasing pressure to raise their energy tariffs. Costs

  • Meet the goats and sheep that race for charity

    Ref. 27924-37RACING goats and sheep at the Roves Farm visitor centre at Sevenhampton cantered their way to stakes worth £2894 for charity. Lured towards the finishing post by the promise of a rewarding feed, the animals, which were sometimes accompanied

  • Benefit cheat got £9,000

    BENEFIT cheat Trevor Imhorst claimed thousands of pounds of incapacity payments while he held a string of casual jobs Swindon magistrates heard yesterday . Imhorst, 45, of Verwood Close, was overpaid by £9,664, after claiming that he was unfit to work

  • Clean up your act by helping charities

    SHOPPERS at Asda Wal-Mart are being urged to help local charities as well as give themselves the chance of winning a washing machine. The proceeds of the raffle will help Swindon Cares an initiative set up to aid local good causes. This year the fundraising

  • Tories reject would-be women MPs to take on Drown

    CONTROVERSY continues to surround the selection of South Swindon's Conservative parliamentary candidate for 2005. Former MP Simon Coombs may still challenge Labour MP Julia Drown at the general election if he is reselected by central office. During a

  • Oyez! He's a top dresser

    Ref. 27932-39TOWN Crier Fred Ferris is best known for his booming voice but now his dapper looks are also grabbing attention. Now the 72-year-old from Penhill Drive wants other Swindon men to smarten up their acts, after winning the country's best-dressed

  • Anger and upset as playgroup is hit by vandals

    VANDALS have smashed equipment belonging to a playgroup in Harnham, leaving children, parents and staff devastated. The attack happened at Puddleducks Community Playgroup, in the grounds of Harnham infants' and junior schools, at the weekend. Glass in

  • Don't be conned by ID cards idea

    IN response to G Scott and J Adams (November 19) the only reason that the EU can tell us to do anything is due to the idiots in Parliament giving away power and sovereignty without consulting the electorate. Let's not swallow the codswallop about ID cards

  • Tories reject would-be women MPs to take on Drown

    CONTROVERSY continues to surround the selection of South Swindon's Conservative parliamentary candidate for 2005. Former MP Simon Coombs may still challenge Labour MP Julia Drown at the general election if he is reselected by central office. During a

  • Plunge helps drive beat £10,000 target

    JULY 18: SWINDON Cares week hasn't even finished yet but the fundraising drive has already exceeded its target of raising £10,000 for three local charities. So far companies, schools and individuals across the town have raised nearly £11,000, and the

  • Moot's future is uncertain

    British Trust for Conservation volunteers get stuck in to clean up the Moot pond.DOWNTON'S historic Moot could revert to overgrown jungle within six months, unless help is found to maintain the grounds, Moot trustees have warned. Thousands of pounds and

  • First connection wins award for Swindon company

    Swindon's Motorola has scooped an award for saving BT £8 million. The annual Investing In Excellence awards seek to recognise the best suppliers that deliver. The mobile phone and communications company was the winner in the Innovation and Responsive-ness