FAIRFORD took full advantage for an early season loss, inflicting a 171-run defeat on struggling Witcombe who were made to suffer all afternoon. Fairford posted a season high 263-4, after losing Brothers first ball. Leadbetter carried his bat for 83.
RELEGATION is staring Swindon in the face after they were thrashed by Trowbridge. Despite a fine innings by Matt Baker, Swindon were beaten by nine wickets in their Glos/Wilts League Division 1 game at Trowbridge Having won the toss, Swindon skipper Will
Chippenham under 13s reached the final of the Bath and District League Cup with an overwhelming 149-run defeat of Trowbridge. Batting first, the Chippenham innings was dominated by Liam Dawson, who scored an unbeaten 108, including 15 fours. After a steady
ANGLER Paul Northcott had a change of fortune when he altered his method of fishing in the Raychem AC match at Lillypool. After two hours he had landed just one foul-hooked fish, but by switching to bread presented on a pole, he quickly changed his luck
THE spectacular send-off given to former RAF loadmaster Peter Tyas who died at the weekend said a lot about the kind of man he was. Only somebody special would have inspired his friends to organise an aerial salute by two Hercules aircraft. Peter will
HOLIDAYMAKERS who order travel money through NatWest can enter a competition with a top prize of £25,000. Entry will be offered to people ordering currency through NatWest from now until December, with the winner announced in January 2004. As well as
BUSINESSES in the south west are missing out on a huge pool of talent because work practices alienate women, according to the regional director for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The results of a survey, carried out by Kingston University
LIFE assurance and pensions giant Friends Provident of Salisbury has a member of staff in the running for a top award. Margaret Johnson, who works in the company's call centre, is through to the final of the National Customer Service awards. Liz Boulton
Just like the BBC, Marks and Spencer in Regent Street, Swindon, is setting up its own training 'Academy'. However, the High Street giant insists that its latest initiative is unlikely to mirror the Beeb's 'Fame Academy', in which students are drilled
Ten teenagers from Wiltshire have just completed a regional induction course held by Southern Electric Contracting for new apprentices at the Holiday Inn in Swindon. Graham Elliott, area manager for SEC's Swindon office, said it was important that the
Small businesses in the South West are bursting with great ideas but are failing to put them into practice, claims a new study by Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire. Business owners and managers who claim to come up with at least 'seven good ideas
Triumph International stole the show this week when actress and former Playmate model Victoria Silvstedt opened one of the Europe's biggest lingerie exhibitions in a breathtaking bra designed especially for the occasion by the Swindon-based lingerie manufacturer
SOUTH Swindon MP Julia Drown has backed plans for the first-ever piece of legislation on domestic violence. A consultation paper has been issued, which calls for tougher sentences for those guilty of beating their partners. And she wants the rest of the
TIME is running out for nominations for the next Swindon Council Citizen Award. The honour recognises outstanding commitment and dedication by an individual carer across the whole borough and residents have until Thursday, September 11 to nominate their
PEDESTRIANS and cyclists are soon set to benefit from new footpaths and tracks at Groundwell Ridge. The main track, which is just under a mile, will link the existing routes in the west and east. Work is scheduled to start next Tuesday and will take about
ASDA has been fined nearly £80,000 for displaying food past its use-by date at its North Swindon store. The Asda Wal-Mart hypermarket in the Orbital Retail Park sold 32 out-of-date items including mussels, chicken nuggets, smoked trout fillets, bacon
Ref. 26216-12THREE ducks rescued from a rampaging pack of wild mallards are back in the wild after being released by the Swindon and District Animal Haven. The Wootton Bassett-based charity, which is staffed by volunteers, had cared for the ducks since
Ref. 289976SKATEBOARDERS and BMXers took over Swindon town centre and for once they were given a warm welcome. Mayor Derek Benfield seemed happy to see a team of professionals turn Market Street into a showcase for some of the finest skating in the country
Thousands of people are expected to converge at The Lawn to celebrate all things wooden. The fifth Forest Festival, billed as Swindon's biggest green family event, is less than two weeks away. Swindon's own Scratch Choir and friends will start the festival
Ref. 26051Highworth is a step closer to getting its long-awaited sliding pool roof thanks to a £20,000 donation. Highworth United Reform-ed Church came up with the cash, part of the £2m it received from the sale of the Pentylands Field, pushing the appeal
THE Swindon Games the borough's own version of the Paralympics takes place in less than two weeks. Staged at the County Ground between 11am and 3pm on Sunday, August 31, the games are a special athletics meeting for those living across Swindon with disabilities
Ref. 26230-69Arguments may occur over specific pieces, but it can't be denied that Swindon is an arty kind of place. JAMES WATSON asks an art critic for his view on some of the town's sculptures. ART has always taken pride of place in Swindon. Take a
Ref. 26243-40TRAVELLERS have returned to Eldene, despite the efforts of residents and Swindon Council to keep them at bay. More than seven families have pitched up camp in Eldene Drive, near to where 1,500 trees have been planted and wooden bollards fitted
Ref. 26238-4THE MAN responsible for kicking out a noisy neighbour from a council flat has revealed how attempts by the council to find a solution broke down. Martin Jones, a Swindon Council housing officer, told Swindon County Court how the council had
Head of social services Keith SkermanWhile a joint inquiry into the Swindon incest case is under way, police and social services indicate the six children born to the 31-year-old woman made repeatedly pregnant by her father are well cared for. AN investigation
SWINDON Supermarine boss Ray Baverstock has warned his troops not to get 'carried away' following their opening day win against Gresley Rovers. A late Chris Copp goal handed Marine a 2-1 victory and propelled them into the top six of the embryonic Western
MAY I through your paper give an answer to the nameless person who wrote to you regarding Mrs Looms. I happen to be her 75 year old neighbour and did not turn a blind eye, as your staff on newsdesk can confirm. I suggest that before nameless people shout
FRIDAY August 15 was the 58th Anniversary of V J Day (Victory over Japan) but I neither saw nor heard of any arrangements in Swindon to commemorate this. Many paid the supreme sacrifice in this war in the Far East and, with the passage of time, the number
AS lead member on Swindon Borough Council for Equalities and Community, I am writing in to reply to the questions raised in the letter headed Is this Racism, printed on August 11 regarding the African Caribbean Saturday Club from RW Selway. Swindon Borough
MR SELWAY of Stratton St Margaret (Adver, August 6) asks someone to explain why a person fleeing in fear of his life should travel half way across Europe to seek asylum in this country instead of stopping in the first safe region reached. First, millions
Council Green Garden waste sacks. I write with regard to the above and in response to the two letters from Mr Godfrey and Ms Whiston. The council approved the introduction of a charge for the collection of garden waste in 1990 and it is a service that
I decided to take a walk in the Lawns park and the Lawns is a lovely area in Old Town, perfect for a summer lunchtime picnic. It has a little lake, plenty of grass and trees and is something of a bonus to those of us who work in Old Town and feel the
Devizes batsman Joe Hickey hit the final ball of the match for four to give his side a two-wicket win over Goatacre in Glos/Wilts Division 1. After slumping to 30-4 chasing 203, Devizes rallied first through Lambert (38) Vooght (79) and Ashford-Brown
IN the North Wilts Junior Cricket League under 13 division Calne enjoyed their first win of the season in a thrilling game at home to Wootton Bassett. Calne batted first and reached 130-1 thanks to Matt Bevan (58), Courtney Earl (35) and Andy Windsor
Half-centuries from Matthew Maynard and David Hemp helped Glamorgan post 314-6 on the opening day of the Frizzell County Championship Division Two match with Gloucestershire at Bristol yesterday. After winning the toss the visitors had to bat watchfully
THERE is nothing romantic about travellers, the so-called free spirits who do not want to down roots but prefer to camp on other people's green spaces. They contribute nothing to this borough in the way of community tax, yet run up huge bills which the
SWINDON Town fans making the trip to Elland Road for the Carling Cup clash with Leeds United will be able to roar their team on for just a tenner. The two clubs have agreed the prices for next month's game, and both Town officials and supporters' groups
TELECOMMUNICATIONS company 4Com, of Churchfields Industrial Estate in Salisbury, has raised more than £1,000 for a Salisbury charity after taking part in the British 10K run in London last month. Six 4Com staff joined the 15,000 runners at the event and
SORTIMO International, of Old Sarum, has won the contract to supply and install its in-vehicle linings and storage systems into an Essex company's new fleet. "Sortimo's price, availability and ability to develop and evolve the specifications quickly for
THE next meeting of the Business Tax Club takes place at the White Hart Hotel, in Salisbury, on September 11. Run by accountants Smith & Williamson, who have an office in Chipper Lane, the meeting starts at 7.30am and includes a full English breakfast
LIFE assurance and pensions giant Prudential is warning that poor financial planning and wild spending which often follows stressful times at work can end in tears. Prudential said slipping into the world of debt following stress-related spending sprees
SHOPPING around for a competitive loan before getting married could save couples thousands in interest repayments and mean they can pay off the debt much earlier, according to a survey for Sainsbury's Bank. This year there will be about 280,000 weddings
HALYARD (Marine and Industrial) of Whaddon, the manufacturer of marine silencer and noise reduction systems, has announced a 36 per cent increase in sales. The announcement came following the company's year end on June 30, a year which saw Halyard's turnover
BUSINESSES with a strategic plan achieve 50 per cent more revenue and profit growth than those with no formal business plan, according to research. However, Business Link Wessex, which advises businesses in Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, has
Despite levels of available industrial floorspace rising across the country for the tenth quarter running, the last quarter in Swindon saw a slight reduction in availability according to property consultants King Sturge. The company's latest research
Ref. 26245-05A CANAL nature reserve has reopened after a £900,000 renovation. Rushey Platt Canal-side Park, part of the former Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal, is now officially open to the public. The site, which is just off Mill Lane between the M4 and
Ref. 26247-47A WANBOROUGH man whose family was one of thousands expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin believes it is a tragedy that the tyrant was never brought to justice. Harish Lakhani is one of many Ugandans who have settled in the Swindon area. Harish
Ref. 26225-15A NEW project in Watchfield near Swindon is hoping therapy through horticulture can help people with mental illnesses. Root and Branch, which is based in converted stables at the organic Westmill Farm off the A420, is an ideal setting in
GIRLS wanting to bend it like Beckham rather than sing along to the Spice Girls are being invited to join a rapidly expanding girls' football team. Swindon Badgers Girls FC are looking for new players of all abilities to swell the ranks of the Old Walcot-based
The wife of lorry driver Barry Harding, 51, who was killed in a road accident, is in a stable condition. Carol, 49, suffered seven broken ribs, a punctured lung and head injuries, when their camper van collided with the back of a lorry in a lay-by on
A FIRE at the rear of a disused bathroom and kitchen showroom in Old Town is believed to have been started deliberately. The fire started in rubbish which had been left at the rear of the three-storey property, next to the Wheatsheaf pub in Newport Street
Ref. 26234-31A miniature hand-crafted mill will be the star lot in a charity auction. The mill, which comes complete with working lights, petite furniture and mini food items, is hoped to raise more than £1,000 for Prospect Hospice. It has been made by
I AM writing to support the lady who wrote in about no transport to Ashton Keynes lakes and Coate Water. It would be nice to have buses running to these places during the summer months. We are not all lucky enough to own cars. M HUMPHRIES Freshbrook Swindon
Ref. 26238-4THE MAN responsible for kicking out a noisy neighbour from a council flat has revealed how attempts by the council to find a solution broke down. Martin Jones, a Swindon Council housing officer, told Swindon County Court how the council had
IT WAS like something out of a 1950s science fiction movie. A villager rushed into the local pub and shouted: 'Come and have a look at this.' Drinkers rushed outside, and stood open-mouthed as a circular metallic disc hovered in the sky. This was the
Ref. 26249-10A POPULAR Swindon man has been laid to rest with military honours. As the Union Jack-draped coffin containing former RAF loadmaster Peter Tyas was being carried into St Mark's Parish Church yesterday afternoon, two RAF Hercules roared low
MANY residents using council care services are paying the same, or less, for their help than last year, it has been revealed. An assessment of more than 1,100 people using services such as home help, but still living in their own home, has shown an estimated
BLUNSDON has been officially named the best-kept village in Wiltshire. It won the award in the annual Calor Gas Village of the Year competition, which is organised by the Campaign to Protect Rural England. Blunsdon, which is north of Swindon off the A419
WOMEN in bikinis are welcome to shop at Tesco Express in Swin-don, its manager has declared, but bare-chested men are not. The recent heat has seen people shed clothes with gusto and opt for more appropriate beachwear given the climate even to do their
Ref. 26246-45HUNDREDS of pounds have been donated to the children's ward at Swindon's Great Western Hospital. A summer football tournament, organised by Fish Brothers Renault, raised £675 and several smiles when the money was presented to staff nurses
SOMEONE should tell Mike Bawden that the reason large crowds go to Coate Water is because people like to walk in solitude or be alone in the country with their family, watch nature and have picnics etc. If I want to go to a beach, I go to Keynes Park
DANGER on railways. How depressing to read the above on your outside-of-shops headlines only to find the story on about page five. And was it about railway safety? No, instead it was about railway fences and the underlying message that our society now
G Scott has a touching faith in the justice system. Juries can only consider the evidence in front of them. As a result of the activities of a corrupt detective, a man was imprisoned for the murder of a businessman. The national newspapers reported on
