KEITH Astill has been appointed managing director of UCB Home Loans, the specialist lending subsidiary of Nationwide Building Society. He takes up his new post today replacing Charles Reed, who has been appointed the divisional director of customer service
WOOTTON Bassett Light Operatic Society will be performing Guys and Dolls at the town's Memorial Hall next week. The show runs from Tuesday, April 12 to Saturday April 16. Performances start at 7.30 pm. Tickets, costing between £5 and £8, are available
It is almost as if time has stood still in the pretty and unspoilt village of Lacock, which probably explains why it is popular with film and TV producers all over the world Unspoilt by modern developments Lacock is the perfect example of how things used
Trowbridge, Wiltshire's county town, began life as a settlement on a ridge of stony subsoil by the river Biss. Its growth to urban status started with the building of a castle early in the 12th century. The town was well developed when the wool trade
Corsham Court is one of England's finest stately homes. It was a royal manor in the days of the Saxon kings and the present building is based upon an Elizabethan Manor dating from 1582. Magnificent Georgian state rooms were added in 1760. It houses some
A location of natural beauty with attractive formal gardens surrounding an 18th century house. The museum features agricultural and rural life displays in a historic thatched building, woodland walks and an animal park. The gardens have greenhouses containing
Urchfont Manor is set in 10 acres of beautiful parkland in the heart of the Wiltshire Countryside, a few miles south of the historic market town of Devizes. The grounds include a walled garden, orchards, croquet lawns and magnificent mature trees. The
Iford Manor is a Tudor house with a classical facade. The property, set in the peaceful Frome Valley, was once a centre of the flourishing Wiltshire woollen industry. In 1898 the architect Harold Peto made Iford Manor his home and created the unique garden
The Longleat Estate attracts thousands of people every year and has something for all ages. Youngsters will love the animals in the safari park, which featured in the BBC series Animal Park last year, while older visitors will enjoy browsing round the
There are plenty of different ways to take in the picturesque countryside of Wiltshire, so get out of your car and into the fresh air to experience the county at its best. ...by barge Wessex Narrowboats are specialists for a tranquil bargain narrowboat
St Giles' Church, ImberVillagers were evacuated from Imber, on Salisbury Plain, 62 years ago to allow for military training during the Second World War. They have never been allowed to return to their homes... "Little Imber on the down, seven miles from
The ancient site of Stonehenge is a Mecca for tourists, Pagans and Druids and each year, on Midsummer's Eve, thousands of people gather around the stone circle ready to watch the sun rise on the longest day of the year. But despite speculation nobody
THERE has been a huge rise in the use of complimentary therapies over the last few years, as people are no longer accepting that they 'just have to live' with certain conditions any more. Complimentary therapies treat a range of conditions from stress
Highworth market manager Keith Alexander who knew Kenny Brimson 76790-0THE CAMPAIGN to fund a headstone for a Highworth musician has received a £150 boost. Kenny Brimson, a 60s singer who had a top 30 hit with the Locomotives, was buried in an unmarked
A man riding a mini bike through Penhill MINI moto racers are causing mayhem in Penhill. With the onset of warmer weather, fans of the mini bikes have started using the estate as a racetrack. It is illegal to ride the bikes on the public highway, and
Highworth market manager Keith Alexander who knew Kenny Brimson 76790-0THE CAMPAIGN to fund a headstone for a Highworth musician has received a £150 boost. Kenny Brimson, a 60s singer who had a top 30 hit with the Locomotives, was buried in an unmarked
76766-46A project to encourage us to recycle has been launched by Swindon Council. ANTHONY OSBORNE looks at how we can all play our part. A GREEN revolution has begun in Swindon this morning. Today, the first of some 30,000 homes across the borough will
76782-94AN elderly woman was forced to make a painful walk to Swindon Council's offices as she was not sure whether she could park right outside. Pearl Laverton, 75, had to walk 300 yards back to her daughter's car because the council did not have signs
A WOMAN bouncer was beaten by her husband after their whirlwind romance turned sour, a Swindon court was told. Turkish-born Fatih Salik, 19, of Calne Road, Lyneham, faces prison after a District Judge rubbished his claims of provocation. The court heard
76800-14A COLLISION involving three cars caused lengthy traffic tailbacks. Two people were treated for minor injuries after the accident on Great Western Way late on Saturday afternoon. Traffic was stacked up all the way to the town centre for two hours
76779-03PENSIONERS are being warned not to carry large quantities of cash after a man in his 70s was robbed of £300. Armed police were called after the man was robbed in daylight in West Swindon. The man is believed to have withdrawn the cash from the
Minety gained some credit as they lost 36-3 to Sherborne in Saturday's Southern Counties South encounter. Minety had lost by 70 points to the same opponents earlier in the season and, although never able to mount a sustained threat to the visitors, they
Wootton Bassett slipped to a narrow 12-6 defeat at the hands of Devizes in Saturday's all-Wiltshire contest in Southern Counties South. The old 'game of two halves' adage certainly rang true as Bassett saw a 6-0 half-time lead evaporate in the spring
Chippenham maintained their play-off push with a 14-3 win over Swanage & Wareham in Saturday's South West Division 2 East match at their Allington Field ground. With Reading Abbey having already won the title, Chippenham knew they had to win to stay
Swindon's Stuart Cock stretches the Gosford All Blacks defence on Saturday Ref: 76799-152Swindon put one hand on the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Premier Division title on Saturday as they swept Gosford All Blacks aside 58-7 at Greenbridge Road. One further
CORSHAM returned to winning ways in the Screwfix Premier, but they left it late at home to Bitton. Despite dominating, the hosts were held until the 70th minute when Jack Cullis netted. Alan Griffin poked home in stoppage time to seal a 2-0 win. Devizes
Castle Combe's James Pope, left, tastes a rare defeat in the cup against Blunsdon 76798-135WILTS Premier Division title outsiders New College and Cricklade both dropped points and have virtually blown their chances of finishing in pole position. Cricklade
MORE offenders will be brought to court in the south west and there will be better facilities for witnesses under a new overhaul of Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS). Under the scheme all 650 crown, county and magistrates courts in England and Wales
CHRIS Evans has claimed Doctor Who is responsible for the break-up of his marriage to Swindon's Billie Piper. He reckons Billie's filming commitments for the programme, currently showing on Saturday nights, meant the couple were rarely together. He told
FIRE engines went to Old Town in the middle of the night after a neighbour raised the alarm. But when they arrived they found a drunk man and no fire. A resident in Kent Road phoned the emergency services shortly after noticing smoke coming a kitchen.
THE National Trust is running art and craft activities for families at Avebury Manor. The Easter holiday activities run until Sunday from 11am to 4pm. A charge of £1.50 towards materials is made, on top of normal admission rates. For more information
LAZY motorists are likely to welcome a new addition to the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet Village. Plans have been submitted for a car valeting service situated near the coach park. The New Swindon Company has objected, saying the building is out of character
THIEVES broke into Lyneham library and stole cash from a filing cabinet. They also stole money from a desk. The break-in occurred some time between March 29 and April 1 at the library in the village's Memorial Hall. The total value of the haul was £58
A CENTRE for children involved in court cases has relocated to new premises. In a move to improve services, the Child and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has moved to Edison Park, Dorcan. The centre was set up in 2001 in the town centre to safeguard
TWO Birmingham men have appeared before a judge accused of the kidnap and false imprisonment of a Swindon man and his girlfriend. Malachi Halstead, 23, and Robert Mohid, 24, pleaded not guilty to a string of charges relating to an alleged incident in
THREE soldiers based at Tidworth Garrison have appeared before Swindon Crown Court accused of raping a woman in Swindon. Cosmus Cupid, Jason Rushton and Milon Warrican are all charged with raping the girl on Friday, November 26 last year. Cupid, 25, and
WITNESSES are being asked to contact police about a fight in the town centre. A man and woman who were out together on Friday night became involved in an altercation with three males. The three men called the police claiming they had been injured. Police
Louise Crook with her mother Cathy Clews 76802-35REFORMED heroin addict Louise Crook has hit back at criticisms of the rehab scheme that has transformed her life. Louise, 24, has nearly completed a six-month Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO), which
THE County and Swindon Borough councils propose to go ahead with building the new Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office on a proven toxic waste dump in Chippenham. Because of the noise from the main Bristol-London main line only metres from the building
I DO wish Michael Wills would stop banging on about how much extra money his lords and masters have supposedly ploughed into Swindon. Whatever the amount of cash, it pales into insignificance against the council tax taken since the Labour Government has
ANDY KING stubbornly refuses to accept that Town's play-off dream is now dead, although he concedes a lack of ruthlessness could ultimately prove costly in the final shake up. Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Hartlepool United leaves the Wiltshire outfit 11th
DELTA Blues player Jim Tigwell is playing a concert in Highworth on Wednesday. Jim Tigwell's career has spanned 35 years. The concert has been arranged by the White Horse Folk Club at the Fox Inn. For information call 01793 762070.
THE DATE of Highworth's annual town meeting has been announced. Residents will have the chance to grill their town councillors about recent decisions. Coun Steve Weisinger said: "It is a chance for us to tell people what we have done over the last year
CHIPPENHAM banished their Easter blues as a 2-1 win over Halesowen revived their Southern Premier title hopes. After successive losses against Bath and Tiverton, Steve White's men bounced back thanks to Dave Gilroy's late winner as championship favourites
THE shortlist has been announced for the Greater Western rail franchise the amalgamation of the Great Western, Great Western Link and Wessex Trains franchise due to come into effect in a year's time. The three firms bidding to run the services, which
ONLY a quarter of employees in the south west see their manager as a role model and many see their boss's failure to involve them in making decisions as a real turn-off. That's the finding of a new MORI survey released about management in the south west
FOR any residents of Wootton Bassett who may think the town has lost a certain aura of calm, a possible explanation can now be revealed. A statue of Buddha has been stolen from a back garden in Marlborough Court. The statue of the Enlightened One is made
A GANG have made off with the front wheel of a lawn mower after breaking into a Wootton Bassett garage. The thieves broke into the detached garage in Bincknoll Lane overnight on Thursday March 31. They tampered with two sit-on machines and stole the wheel
A WOMAN'S mobile phone was stolen while she drank in a Wootton Bassett pub. Sergeant Andy Fortune said: "The woman was standing by the pool table in the Cross Keys pub in the High Street. "Somebody removed the Motorola mobile phone from her handbag while
The medieval town of Bradford on Avon is a gem of a place to explore with its specialist shops, riverside and canal walks and breathtaking views, so head to this charming place and see for yourself what it has to offer Bradford on Avon has existed as
The garden has a wide range of flowers, including 270 different varieties of hydrangeas with many for sale. In the spring there are many unique daffodils, the names of which have been registered with the Daffodil Society. Spring is also a time when the
The stunning 40-hectare garden at Stourhead was created by the Hoare family, who were bankers, between 1741 and 1780. Sheets of water reflect specimen trees, shrubs and temples in a design inspired by classical painters such as Lorraine and Poussin. The
Marianne Faithful and Michael Palin are among those appearing at this year's Salisbury International Arts Festival, which features top names from the world of performance, literature and art. Salisbury and the surrounding area makes a great sightseeing
Stuart Fegredo, above, lights a candle at Holy Rood Church in Groundwell Road 76803-10RELIGIOUS leaders in Swindon have spoken with fond affection of the lasting legacy of Pope John Paul II. As the faithful continued to pay their respects in St Peter's
Stuart Fegredo, above, lights a candle at Holy Rood Church in Groundwell Road 76803-10TAMASH LAL and DAVE Andrew report on Swindon's reaction to the death of Pope John Paul II. RELIGIOUS leaders in Swindon have spoken with fond affection of the lasting
CALNE gained a narrow 14-10 victory over Calne in their Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North encounter. In a tense but open derby match, Calne handed first-team call-ups to Mike Robison, Max Whiston, Mark Edwards, try scorer Alan Henley and young second
BMW MD Bob BolamEXCLUSIVE: THERE will be no more redundancies at BMW's Swindon plant, according to its MD, who has revealed that new jobs could be created there. Business is booming at Swindon Pressings in Stratton following the success of the new Mini
SUPERMARINE, blighted by last-minute call-offs, gave champions Corsham a run before slipping to a 38-20 defeat in Saturday's Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North match. The late absences meant skipper and openside Jamie Titcombe having to switch to scrum-half
Purton's Bryan Halestrap scores a penalty Ref: 76794-70THERE was no upset in the Hellenic League derby at Malmesbury as high-flying visitors Shrivenham won 3-0. But they were made to work hard for their reward and the relegation-threatened hosts held
Marine's Adie Adams, right, goes past a Stourport Swifts opponent Ref: 76795-66Supermarine missed the chance to all but put to bed fears of relegation as a below par performance against Stourport Swifts saw Mark Collier's men slip to their second consecutive
THIEVES broke into the University of Bath in Swindon campus and made off with two laptop computers and a digital projector in a lunchtime theft. Swindon police are now appealing for witnesses to the burglary in Marlowe Avenue, Walcot, on Friday, March
POLICE are re-appealing for witnesses to an arson attack on public toilets in John Street in January. Damage to The Parade toilets has been estimated at £55,000. The vandalism has forced Swindon Council to remove and replace all 18 toilet blocks, repair
A PIANO trio will provide the accompaniment for a tea dance in Gorse Hill. The dance takes place in Gorse Hill Community Centre on Monday, April 18 between 2pm and 4pm. Tickets cost £3 in advance or £3.50 at the door. For more information telephone 01793
THE Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is coming to Swindon this week They will play a programme of music by Sibelius, Dvork and Walton during their concert at the Wyvern Theatre on Friday. Li-Wei Qin is the soloist for Sir William Walton's Concerto for Cello
MARK Gibson one of the airmen killed in the Hercules crash in Iraq will be laid to rest today. A military flypast was planned to honour him during a ceremony at Lydiard Tregoze parish church at 11am. Flight Sergeant Gibson was based at RAF Lyneham. He
TRIBUTE band the Bootleg Beatles will be performing at the College Memorial Hall, Marlborough on Friday April 15. The bootleggers' tickets cost £20 and are available from White Horse Bookshop. They can also be bought at Sound Knowledge or by calling 01672
PROTESTERS are busy making banners for this weekend's march to save Coate from the bulldozer. The STOP Swindon Together on Planning march is being held to stop the development of a university and housing at Coate. Organiser Terry King said: "We need to
76804-78MORE than 50 people took part in a charity abseil jump for the Wiltshire Blind Association and raised a total of £8,500. Caroline Langmaid, the community fundraising manager of Wiltshire Blind was overwhelmed by the level of support. One individual
I WISH Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles every personal happiness. Whatever we think of the monarchy it is clear that they love each other and I think it is a real shame that his mum and dad are being so unsupportive. But it does show what a circus
This election is making people think about the global consequences of their vote more than ever before. The fact is, a vote for Blair is a vote for Bush. A third term Tony will put Britain's security, its reputation and the lives of Wiltshire's young
I AM writing regarding the Foundation Dance Course at Swindon Dance. I was at Swindon on placement as part of my BA (Hons) degree from 1993-1994. I am now a professional dancer and am appalled at the decision to stop funding this course. It provides young
NOW the demolition of the former General Post Office in Fleming Way is almost complete, why stop there? Why not move 20 yards further on and demolish that giant rusting, graffiti-splattered, modern art sculpture the Swindon Big C. In the years it has
