Archive

THE Royal United Hospital in Bath says hip patients are receiving improved care after a new hip fracture unit opened. A team of geriatric medicine specialists are working alongside the orthopaedic surgeons to provide care on the 20-bed unit. The hospital

Jeff James, the chief executive of NHS Wiltshire, has resigned. Mr James, 58, resigned last Thursday and a spokesman for NHS Wiltshire said Mr James intended to work out his six-month notice period. Mr James has been the chief executive of Wiltshire

UNION officials in Wiltshire say they are alarmed at proposals by South Western Ambulance Service for staff to take a pay cut and lose holiday entitlement. South Western and the neighbouring Great Western Ambulance Service, which covers Wiltshire, Gloucestershire

An application by Dominos Pizza to open a new branch in Calne was due to be discussed at last night’s Wiltshire Council northern area planning committee meeting. The controversial plans would see a store open up next to the new M&Co clothes shop. When

A specialist dementia unit extension at Coombe End Court in London Road, Marlborough, could be part of Wiltshire’s way of dealing with its rapidly-rising elderly population. Three sites in the town are also under consideration for a new extra care scheme

A row over car parking charges in Wiltshire will come to a head on Tuesday when Wiltshire Council delivers its final verdict on the future of the charges. The full council will decide whether to increase charges further, keep them the same, or reduce

FREE car parking spaces in Devizes Market Place were coned off for several hours for an event that never happened. Wiltshire Council put a sign up to say the spaces outside the Bear Hotel were reserved for the Wiltshire Warm and Well scheme

STUDENTS at Devizes School hoping to travel to Kenya next year to work on community projects in poverty-stricken rural villages have recruited local businesses to help them raise the cash to go. The 16- and 17-year-olds, their parents and friends, have

DOROTHY House Hospice is set to open its second charity shop in the centre of Chippenham next week. The shop, which will sell second-hand furniture, will operate from an empty unit at Station Hill, formerly Taylor’s motorcycle shop. It will be the second

A SERIOUS accident on the A350 leading into Chippenham was causing massive traffic jams in the town. The accident is believed to have happened within the last hour, and two fire engines and an ambulance were at the scene. A passer-by

An exhibition of gifts donated to Royal Wootton Bassett has been extended until Remembrance Day. The display at the High Street library, which features items from all over the world in recognition of the respect shown by the town to the war dead, has

Youngsters learned about life in the Iron Age at Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Devizes. The museum held one of its popular family days on Sunday on the theme of Roman v Celts. Re-enactors dressed up as Celtic warriors and a Roman soldier and they talked

SEEND surf star Trevor Hale is celebrating after coming top of the pile at the British Kite Surfing Association Wavemasters championships last month. The 46-year-old, of Perrys Lane in Seend Cleeve, won the men’s over-35 title at the national

CHIPPENHAM could field Six Nations Grand Slam winner Hal Luscombe in more league matches this season after the former Welsh international’s substitute appearance in last weekend’s league victory over Newbury Blues. Luscombe, 30, came on

PEWSEY Vale defender Jon Guthrie says that he will do whatever it takes to convince Crewe Alexandra boss Dario Gradi that he’s worth a deal at Gresty Road. As reported in the Gazette & Herald last month, the 19-year-old, from Milton Lilbourne, first

Centenarian Dorothy Dagger was swept to her 100th birthday party in style, in the luxury of a Rolls-Royce. Mrs Dagger celebrated her milestone event surrounded by family and friends at Corsham Cricket Club with a party on Saturday afternoon. Her niece

To mark the start of Mouth Cancer Action Month, The Dental Health for Life practice in St Mary Street, Chippenham, will be offering free mouth cancer examinations tomorrow (Friday) from 8.30am to 4.30pm by appointment only. To book, ring the practice

DEVIZES coach Andy Smith was full of praise for the trio of players who became the first ladies from the club to earn county call-ups. Fly-half Kate Stradling, 33, and 19-year-old wing Amy Longo, who live in Devizes, and 20-year-old second row Hannah

One of my mum’s finest achievements was to give birth to me at the end of October. It meant my birthday always fell during half term, so I always got a lie in, and I also never had to go through the ritual humiliation of standing at the front in assembly

JAZZ Carlin is hoping that the illness that wrecked last summer’s World Championships is firmly behind her as she looks to reach top form for next year’s Olympic Trials. The 21-year-old former Wootton Bassett School pupil, who won two medals

Tanja Morson, who was dating Vincent Tabak when he murdered Joanna Yeates, has spoken of her sorrow for the victim’s family. Miss Morson’s father Geoffrey also said he was sad about what happened and said their family had been fooled by Tabak. Tabak

Controversial plans from Domino’s to open a new pizza takeaway in Calne were approved by the Northern Area Planning Commitee last night. However, the hoped-for opening hours have been sliced by planners, with the premises being forced to close at 10pm

CHIPPENHAM swimmer Branwen Harris is hoping to continue as one of the country’s top lifesavers after coming home with four medals from last month’s Commonwealth Lifesaving Championships in South Africa. The 23-year-old helped her Great Britain teammates

Former Devizes Taxis director David Ascough may have to wait until the end of March next year before he knows what financial penalty he will have to pay. Ascough, 65, from Coate, near Devizes, was convicted in September of 14 out of 19 counts

WE were playing in the Red Insure Cup last night and we try to utilise the contest for its benefits. If it helps lads get 90 minutes under their belts, which means they get up to match speed quicker for when they come back into the squad, that

IAIN Harvey has hailed the strength in depth of the Chippenham Town squad and reckons the Bluebirds are coping admirably in the midst of a mini injury crisis. Harvey featured as Adie Mings’ side played out a goalless draw at Hitchin Town last weekend

Groundworker Stuart Guard died in a freak accident with a trench cutter on a work site near Box, an inquest heard on Tuesday. Mr Guard, who lived in Gloucester, was found dead by colleagues after he had been working on the machine, which he

CHIPPENHAM Town manager Adie Mings is still considering legal action over comments made by Poole Town boss Tom Killick after last week’s FA Trophy replay at Hardenhuish Park. The Bluebirds produced an unlikely comeback victory to beat Poole 2-1 at Hardenhuish

POLICE said Halloween this year was a treat instead of a horror as it passed off without trouble. Extra patrols were laid on in Marlborough, Devizes and Chippenham, but officers said the evening was the quietest for years. In Chippenham, there were

NORTH Wilts Ladies, previous winners of the Yetton Trophy in the 2007-08 season, began their quest for glory in the competition again today (Thursday), writes DAVE EATON. They were facing Bristol in the top ladies inter-club championship event. And

I read with interest the article by Jill Crooks entitled End of an eyesore? in last week’s publication. I found myself wondering how many other readers had, like myself, experienced the feeling of deja vu. The application submitted by Gatewells’ agents

My name is Mike Gorringe and work for Medequip based in Calne. On Thursday I inadvertently dropped my small wallet somewhere around Station Hill council offices area and didn’t miss it till lunchtime and from then on kept wondering where it might

I have just read your article and feel I must correct a mistake. The Clover Unit mentioned is actually part of SEQOL the social enterprise (previously Swindon PCT) and not part of the Great Western Foundation Trust. Patients are never transferred

Kellogg’s Cornflakes are not only smaller, they are far inferior in several ways. We are an old couple (95 and 92) and can go back to the early 1930s. Then they were larger, crispier, darker and much tastier – distinctly malty. We had them for

It is interesting to note that Coun Pitts intends to cover a tree with lights for Christmas near St Mary’s Church, having previously spent a considerable sum to put a power point in the middle of the Green. Is it now greener to put lights for

In your paper last week, someone was suggesting using the footpath as a cycle way. As most cyclists have no insurance, who do you make a claim from if you get injured by one or do you claim from the council? The best action would be to build

The Devizes fundraising committee is celebrating raising £100,000 after just five years of supporting Cancer Research UK. The Devizes local committee began fundraising for Cancer Research UK in 2007. The £100,000 was raised by a variety of community

I refer to last week’s letter from Andrew Carr (Can MP explain?). Mrs Perry, the Conservative MP for Devizes, appears to be an ambitious and I feel sure a political careerist. The last thing she would do is go against the whips and David Cameron

THE final day of the flat turf season gets underway at Doncaster on Saturday with the feature race the totesport.com November Handicap, over one mile four furlongs. Last season’s meeting provided the climax to the flat jockeys championship between Richard

On behalf of Grenville Jones and Devizes Good Afternoon Choir, I would like to thank St Andrew’s Church ladies for providing catering facilities of tea, coffee, juice and sandwiches for Bath Welcome Choir and Devizes Good Afternoon Choir soloist Sarah

We are writing to you in desperation as there is so much dog mess on the footpaths around our school. Many of us go on weekly walks into the surrounding countryside with our teachers in order to learn about our environment and wildlife. However, every

I would like to thank the kind donations of visitors to the The Hat Shop in Devizes who have raised £38.51 and £48.69 for the charity BEAMS (Broadening the Experience of children with Autism at the Manor School) from our collection pot within the shop

I would like to add my support to objections to the closure of the Ivy House Hotel in Marlborough. I frequently stay at the Ivy as I fly from Clench Common airfield. The hotel is comfortable and economic. Accommodation is of a better standard

Recent inquiries show that agricultural land sells for around £6,000 per acre, while the same land with planning permission for houses sells for around £500,000 per acre. So for each of the suggested developments to the east of Devizes, those at Coate

I read the comment in John Bain’s letter last week that “Mr Baker merely resurrected the youth club”. The man that he decries took the young people off the streets some 20 years ago and kept them off the streets some 20 years later. While I would not

Reference your article in the Gazette and Herald on October 27. We are concerned by the increase over the past two years of bulk refuge juggernauts coming through the town to dispose of their loads. We have followed these fully loaded lorries along the

DAVE Turner admitted that his side were fortunate to be awarded the last-ditch penalty that allowed them to complete a dramatic comeback win over Carterton in the Hellenic League Challenge Cup last weekend. Alex Green bundled in the winner after Mitch

CORSHAM Town manager Trevor Rawlings was disappointed that his side couldn’t mark their 500th game in the Western League with a win. Corsham invited former managers and players for the landmark match, but despite Aaron Ledgister’s equaliser, goals from

MALMESBURY Victoria boss Simon Winstone was left buoyed by his side’s performance as they held their nerve to see off Premier Division Ascot United. The Vics led their Premier Division opponents up until the 92nd minute of normal time, thanks to Max

NEW Melksham Town boss Dave Clayton believes his side’s victory over their local rivals Westbury United was more important than their FA Vase giantkilling antics last week. Melksham sprang a surprise by beating Southern League outfit Wells 2-1 to make

DEVIZES Town assistant boss James Dore says that the Nursteed Road management team have no plans to step away from the club as they continue to struggle at the bottom of the Toolstation League First Division. Devizes were beaten 4-0 at Chard Town last

JEFF Roberts is hoping that a number of new additions will help keep his Calne Town side in the mix at the top of the Toolstation League First Division. The Lilywhites have signed defender Andy Westall from near neighbours Devizes Town while joint-boss

A man wielding a hammer caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to several shops in Devizes. Police were called twice in the early hours of Sunday morning to reports of a man smashing shop windows and ATMs with a hammer in the town centre, but the

Playright Nick Fisher is a seasoned TV scriptwriter responsible for, among other successes, the BBC comedy Manchild, which, like Basket Case, enjoyed the talents of Nigel Havers But this is his first stage play and it feels a bit like a work in

The choir makes a return visit to Melksham this week, after a popular appearance last year, performing at Melksham Oak School on Monday at 4.30pm and Melksham Assembly Hall on Tuesday at 7.30pm. The choir is being hosted by the GoodNews Church Melksham

In preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games in London The Pound arts centre is hosting a commemorative performance of Much Ado About Wenlock at 7.30pm tonight. The production from the Vamos Theatre is set in 1850 and follows residents of Much Wenlock who

A 13-tonne digger was knocked off a lorry yesterday in the latest incident involving a “problem” railway bridge. Despite laser technology to warn lorry drivers approaching Kingway bridge, on the A429 south of Malmesbury, the digger hit the bridge and

DISABLED Foxham rider Toby Bevins saw off allcomers at the West Wilts Equestrian Centre’s senior BS (British Showjumping) meeting at Holt, writes KATE HEALEY. The 18 year old, who is paraplygic, has represented Britain in para showjumping competitions

Neston Hedgehog Rescue have sent out a warning to revellers celebrating Bonfire Night to check for stray hedgehogs hibernating. The hedgehog sanctuary based in Elley Green, Neston, has asked people making bonfires to check under their bonfires

NORTH WILTS and Christie Miller men’s teams both lost their opening 2011-12 matches in the central section of the Wessex League on Sunday, writes DAVE EATON. The former lost by 29 shots when beaten 90-61 by newcomers to the group St. Andrews (Weston-Super-Mare

The town clerk of Marlborough, Liam Costello, has announced he is leaving in December to join a market town council nearer his home in Northamptonshire. It will mean the town council having to advertise for a new town clerk for the third time in five

New walls specifically for graffiti were unveiled in Chippenham on Tuesday after police and councillors teamed up to provide a large-scale easel for street artists. Organisers hope the white-washed walls, under the Gladstone Road Bridge, will

CHIPPENHAM’S Georgina Bryce has proved invincible in one section of national riding club competitions this year, writes KATE HEALEY. The Bath Riding Club competitor, Bryce, mum to young sons Hamish and Archie and about to return to work as a secondary

RICHARD Gee's 90th-minute winner handed Devizes only their second league win of the season in last night's derby, denting Calne's early-season promotion charge. Devizes, who were four points adrift at the bottom of the table, fell behind just past the

Wiltshire Council has announced the £130,000-per-year corporate director it is making redundant will be Mark Boden. Mr Boden, who headed up neighbourhood and planning, has been issued with compulsory redundancy after fought to save his job.

Weeks after Devizes butchers Walter Rose & Son was shortlisted for the title of butcher’s shop of the year, it has been nominated for another regional award. The shop in Sidmouth Street, Devizes, is one of only eight local butchers chosen as