TOWN could yet secure the services of Newcastle United striker Calvin Zola-Makongo, despite the Football League's initial refusal to sanction the deal. Andy King wants to bring the Kinshasha-born forward to the County Ground on loan but he will not be
FOR the first time in Swindon, householders will be able to give their details for the 2004 register of electors by calling a freephone telephone number which could save the council up to £10,000. This will only apply to those households where there is
Ref. 26299-5A DOCTOR from Belarus has visited the Great Western Hospital to say thank-you for £4,000 worth of medical equipment donated to her hospital. Dr Alla Shevko, a paediatrician in the former Soviet State toured the special care baby unit and maternity
ALTHOUGH Ascot is better known as the home of thoroughbred horses and ladies with big hats it was recently the stage for the first ever Wag and Bone dog show. And Dillon, a springer spaniel from Lyneham, out-wagged hundreds of other hounds to win the
THE first step of a radical overhaul of Swindon Council has been carried out by the new chief executive. Last year, the council was slated by Government inspectors as one of the worst in the country, and has been told to improve. Now Simon Birch has brought
They say you can lead a horse to water but not make it drink and Sparky the two-year-old Shetland pony definitely prefers a pint of Arkell's 3Bs. He got a taste for the bitter after picking up a half-empty glass in the garden of the pub where he lives
Ref. 23327-26SWINDON is fast becoming a nudist haven after a naturist group which set up earlier this year has tripled its membership. The naturists hire out facilities at the Health Hydro in Milton Road every week after Swindon Council stopped holding
When mum Elizabeth Morton took six children to watch a Walt Disney film, they had a rude awakening because cinema staff mixed up the film reels. Mrs Morton, 43, from Rodbourne Cheney, was expecting to see Piglet's Big Movie at the Cineworld cinema in
Ref. 26288-39BIG-HEARTED Dale King celebrated his birthday in hospital . . . in a bid to save the life of a young leukaemia sufferer. Mr King, 41, of Paul's Croft, Cricklade, had been on the Anthony Nolan Trust register for 12 years, when he received
Three years ago, Dean McMackin had a £120 a day drug habit. He tells VICTORIA TAGG how he beat it with the help and love of his family. THIS man is living proof that you can beat a lethal addiction to heroin. Dean McMackin, 23, from Kingshill, used to
THE Swindon-based British Computer Society is warning computer users to be more vigilant after the outbreak of the new SoBig-F virus. The organisation, which is based in Sanford Street, says that the virus is more of a nuisance than a threat to computers
STARGAZERS across Swindon will get their best view of Mars next week. At precisely 10.51am on Wednesday the Red Planet will pass within 34.6 million miles of the Earth which will be nearer than at any other time in the past 60,000 years. Because Mars
Another shop is moving out of Old Town, despite scores of new flats, which it was hoped would boost trade in the area. One World furniture store in Victoria Road will relocate once it has cleared its stock after more than five years of being in business
PATIENTS have slightly longer waits for National Health Service operations in Swindon than other parts of the country, according to new Government figures. Department of Health statistics revealed 50 per cent of people dealt with by Swindon Primary Care
A ROYAL Mail worker got a surprise when he returned to his van after collecting some post in Old Town. A red Rover had collided with the side of it, denting an area near the wheel trim, before apparently being abandoned. The postman, 60-year-old Colin
Independent-minded people with learning difficulties are being offered a helping hand with their housing and investors who help out can make a profit too. There are 636 adults with learning difficulties in Swindon. Golden Lane Housing, a charity set up
A CHARITY that loans computers to people with disabilities has been officially re-launched. Tech 4D used to called the Home Computers for Dis-abled People and now operates from the Pinehurst People's Centre. For a £10 fee disabled people can have the
SWINDON people living with lung conditions and respiratory problems will have more information to help them cope with their illness following a grant from Oxford Swindon & Gloucester Co-op. Swindon Breathe Easy has been awarded a £350 Co-op community
POP IDOL judge and railway fan Pete Waterman will open a special event at the Steam museum next month. Mr Waterman, who is currently appearing on the ITV1 talent show alongside fellow judges Simon Cowell, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox, will open this year's
