FOR once, some good news about Steam. Since opening in June of 2000, the railway museum has hung, in financial terms, like an albatross about the neck of Swindon Council and, by extension, the taxpayers of the borough. Its status as a money pit is bitterly
BECKY Jones may soon be swapping the lively pace of her job as Salisbury's city centre manager for the even faster world of hot hatch vehicles. For Mrs Jones, who steps down from the job on February 10, shares with her husband an enthusiasm for the vehicles
LIBRARIAN Hilary Glyde has booked a place in this year's London Marathon - at the fifth attempt. Mrs Glyde, who is Wilton community librarian and also runs Mere, Tisbury and Downton libraries and the mobile library, will take her place on April 18. "I
BECKY Jones may soon be swapping the lively pace of her job as Salisbury's city centre manager for the even faster world of hot hatch vehicles. For Mrs Jones, who steps down from the job on February 10, shares with her husband an enthusiasm for the vehicles
LIBRARIAN Hilary Glyde has booked a place in this year's London Marathon - at the fifth attempt. Mrs Glyde, who is Wilton community librarian and also runs Mere, Tisbury and Downton libraries and the mobile library, will take her place on April 18. "I
A CUTTING-EDGE scientific research company in Swindon which has pioneered a breakthrough in the defence against skin cancer has been rewarded with a £600,000 Government grant. Marine biologists working for the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC
Please, please help. We have lost our six month old Tabby and White kitten Alfie, from our house in Woodlands road, Chippenham. He was wearing a purple collar and had a blue name barrel on, he has been missing since Saturday and our two-year -old daughter
New year, new lease? Business resolutions often concentrate on improving management skill and reducing labour costs but seldom do they consider how important property strategies are to corporate success. JEREMY SMITH talks to Simon Kingsley of Alder King
WOOTTON Bassett needs more bench seats and one of the town's civic leaders is appealing for donations. Coun Percy Miles thinks that the seats are helpful for elderly people in the town, as they can take a rest if they feel tired. He said: "It can be quite
WILTSHIRE could be merged with other South West constabularies to form a regional police force. The county could become lumped in with Dorset, Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall and Gloucester to form one of several regional forces with one chief constable
We would like to thank the players and officials of Westbury United and Corsham Town, along with the match officials, for their willingness to help out at our pink armbands afternoon in memory of Westbury supporter Charlotte Wakeham who died from cancer
THE Rotary Club of Trowbridge would like to thank the people of the town for their generous support of the annual collection around the Father Christmas float. The float was outside Knees during the two weeks leading up to Christmas, and the members of
WHEN I read the Driving Times an excellent publication I never cease to be amazed at the variety of electrical equipment offered as standard on modern cars. I am therefore surprised (at any roundabout in Trowbridge) at the number of cars that appear to
Now that the ballot for places in this year's Flora London Marathon (Sunday, April 18, 2004) has closed, the Arthritis Research Campaign is urging runners who have been lucky enough to get a place to run to help cure arthritis. More than seven million
WITH all the recent press coverage concerning the spread of hospital born infections particularly MRSA I wanted to write and voice my opinions on this subject. Over the past 12 months my husband has been a regular visitor to the Royal United Hospital,
On Saturday, members of the public are invited to meet the railway workers at the Steam Museum in Kemble Drive, Churchward. Former engine drivers, firefighters and railway workers will bring stories of the steam age to life with practical demonstrations
As an orthopaedic nurse, Paula Pagett helps hip replacement patients on a daily basis. Now she is using her skills at home to tend her eight-month-old Labrador, Bosley, while he recovers from a major hip operation. Despite his tender age, Bosley would
A man was taken to hospital early Saturday morning after a traffic accident on Great Western Way, Swindon. Two fire engines were called out from Westlea and Swindon fire stations and the man was released from his car by firefighters. No other vehicles
A father-of-three was killed when he lost control of his motorbike in Stratton Road. The Swindon man, who was due to be formally identified by police today, died instantly after being catapulted from his 400cc Honda following a collision with railings
This man is helping the ailing Steam museum get back on track, making savings to the tune of £90,000 in less than two months. Since John Short, head of Swindon Services, took over Steam's finances at the end of November, he has stemmed losses which were
CORSHAM surged from behind to book their place in the Dorset & Wilts Vase quarter-finals with a 15-7 victory over Blandford at Lacock Road on Saturday. The Wiltshire side had already lost to their visitors in an earlier Dorset & Wilts Division
AN experimental Devizes line-up came up trumps as they defeated Westbury 12-0 in a friendly. Having lost their last two league games, Devizes were also hoping to avenge a league defeat from earlier in the campaign. And they managed it with tries from
Cricklade Town kept tabs on the Premier Division leaders with a 3-2 win over Devizes Town Reserves. "I thought the game was never going to end," said Cricklade boss Graham Jackson. "The referee must have played almost 10 minutes of injury time. "It was
DEVIZES pulled away from the bottom three in the Screwfix Premier Division with an impressive 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Bridport at Nursteed Road. Player-boss Dave Hopkins' fifth-minute free-kick was headed past his own keeper by Dave Newlands. On-loan
FAIRFORD and Highworth continue to slug it out on the periphery of the Premier Division title race after both clubs picked up maximum points at the weekend. In-form Fairford moved up to seventh with their fourth successive win, thumping Shortwood 5-2,
Cirencester's title prospects continue to improve after a comfortable 2-0 home win over Gresley Rovers. The Centurions moved up to third, with five games in hand on leaders Redditch who suffered a shock 2-0 loss at Evesham. Brian Hughes' charges always
TWO stunning set pieces took Chippenham off the bottom of the Dr Martens Premier Division on Saturday. The Bluebirds came from behind to win 2-1 at Eastbourne as the left foot of Scott Walker and the right boot of Charlie Griffin struck a pair of fantastic
TOMMY SAUNDERS suffered the heaviest defeat of his managerial career in a baptism of fire as Swindon Supermarine's new boss. Saunders cast a forlorn figure in the dug-out as he watched his side crumble to a 6-0 Dr Martens League thrashing at Halesowen
We hear a lot about teenagers hanging around on street corners getting into trouble and causing problems for residents and passers-by. But now it's time to give credit where it's due and the four youths who leapt into action pulling a man from a burning
VOLUNTEERS are needed to help plant 3,000 trees in the latest phase of the Great Western Community Forest project. The latest planting will take place at Oxleaze Farm in South Marston on Sunday, February 1. The forest will eventually cover a vast swathe
A VAN company has been fined £15,000 after it defied a Government order prohibiting workers from spraying toxic paint in an unprotected area. The Health and Safety Executive issued the order to Tom Gallagher Group Ltd trading as the M4 Van Centre after
ALAN King who served four months in jail for possessing child pornography will not be returning to work today following an outcry from his colleagues. King, 43, of Pinehurst Road, was sent to prison in September 2003 after he was snared during a major
SWINDON'S Front Garden could one day have its own canal, if a proposal by the Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal Trust goes ahead. The trust is due to meet soon with the borough council and developer Bryant Homes to put forward its ideas. It will mean a new
The following groups received grants from the council last year: Age Concern Swindon (grant £49,305), Bangladesh Association (£5,470), Broadgreen Breakfast Club (£11,513), Citizens' Advice Bureau (£180,447), Community First (£8,800), Salvation Army's
Budget cuts could mean less money for voluntary groups. ANDY TATE finds out what this would mean for organisations which heavily depend on council grants. VOLUNTARY groups have warned Swindon councillors that proposals to slash community grants could
GORSE Hill Infants School has given a warm welcome to new headteacher Susan Kershaw. Mrs Kershaw has been in the post since January 5 and is already enjoying the job. "It's been very good fun," said Mrs Kershaw, who came from a school in Andover, Hampshire
A WROUGHTON teacher who lost her battle with cancer is to be remembered by an annual award named in her honour. Dedicated Innes Cullen, who worked at the Ridgeway School for more than 20 years, died days before Christmas following a short fight against
Cancer Research UK is launching a major new breast cancer prevention trial and is looking for post-menopausal women, who are at an increased risk of the disease, to take part. The trial is already open at over 20 centres across the UK. More details on
HAVING recently retired I have had more time to walk around the area, rather than using the car. I have noticed quite a few things that, travelling by car, I did not notice before, one of these being the amount of litter lying around the area, mainly
I think ramblers are out of order to expect the right to walk on to private land. Some people buy these places because they are quiet and away from the rat race, only to look out of their window and see people wandering around their grounds. I walk miles
I HAVE been following the opinions in the letters page over the past few months, and in particular those concerned with pensions, council tax, public amenities, and cuts to services. I believe that all these issues broadly lead to the question; what kind
JOHN Connolly saw Bath step uncomfortably into the quarter-finals of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup and then admitted: ''We have tailed off a bit at the moment.'' Pushover tries from man-of-the-match Andy Beattie and late substitute Scott Gray ended Colomiers
Tory council leader Mike Bawden is being criticised by the Labour opposition for plans which might see this year's council tax rise kept to a minimum. The opposition says the measure could lead to cuts in services. That is as may be, but the critics would
ANDY KING admits he faces a tough challenge to unearth a powerful, pacy defender to fill the shoes of 'The Beast'. Jerel Ifil was due back at Watford this morning having completed his third loan spell at the County Ground. The 21-year-old finished on
THE Swindon branch of The Body Shop has been singled out for praise after throwing its weight behind a campaign to end domestic violence. Since the national beauty chain launched its Help Stop Violence in the Home campaign in September scores of mobile
SHOPOWNER and self-confessed loony Roly Gillard has resorted to handing out funny money to boost trade. Roly Gillard, owner of The Little Print Shop in Swindon's Market Hall, has started handing out discount tokens in the form of spoof notes. The £1 notes
ON behalf of the committee of the Friends of Trowbridge Hospital and Community may we express our grateful thanks to all the people who supported our annual Christmas draw. A total of £933 was raised and this brought our CT Scanner Appeal fund up to £12,303
WILTSHIRE could be merged with other South West constabularies to form a regional police force. The county could become lumped in with Dorset, Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall and Gloucester to form one of several regional forces with one chief constable
WILTSHIRE could be merged with other South West constabularies to form a regional police force. The county could become lumped in with Dorset, Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall and Gloucester to form one of several regional forces with one chief constable
SWINDON'S Front Garden could one day have its own canal, if a proposal by the Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal Trust goes ahead. The trust is due to meet soon with the borough council and developer Bryant Homes to put forward its ideas. It will mean a new
With reference to the plans for Trowbridge all I have seen so far has not filled me with confidence. The pictures show open windy spaces more suitable for large conurbations like Milton Keynes. Trowbridge could be such a pretty intimate town which would
UNLIKE David Thomas, I think the capture of Saddam Hussein was important for morale. Nowadays, nations do not declare war; they engage in hostilities. Hostilities have continually occurred in Iraq since it became a nation over 80 years ago by warlords
A MAJORITY of the residents of The Down and Wyke Road signed a petition, which was presented to the council, requesting urgent action on traffic calming in their neighbourhood. I involved the local councillor in our action and he requested the residents
I WOULD like to put some facts to Phil Reynolds, last week's Wiltshire Times, regarding the hole full of water at the rear of the town hall. This hole is the start of a project initiated to commemorate the millennium for the people of Trowbridge. A design
A government minister has promised travellers will not get special treatment when it comes to building on green fields in Wiltshire, according to North Wiltshire Tory MP James Gray. Speaking after talks with planning minister Yvette Cooper, he said he
MUM Deborah Claridge has wanted to thank Swindon hospital staff ever since they helped her premature baby back to health in 1991. Now, nearly 13 years later, she has decided to do a parachute jump to raise money for the special care baby unit at Great
Swindon is in the grip of a sex disease crisis that will worsen unless cash-starved services get big injections of funds, the Government has been warned. South Swindon Labour MP Julia Drown said that NHS staff were swamped by patients and that medical
A TEENAGER with cerebral palsy cannot attend school because education authorities cannot find an appropriate place for him. Kevin Gunning left Swindon's Crowdy's Hill School, which does not have a sixth form, to attend a residential college in Westbury
Swindon will play Calne in the quarter-finals of the Dorset & Wilts 1st XV Vase after beating Cooper Avon Tyres 17-10 at their Melksham base. The visiting side bagged two tries, skipper Paul Wakefield and second row Andy Morley crossing, but they
AFC Stratton were dumped out of the Wiltshire Senior Cup by Bradford Town after a nine-goal thriller. Visitors Bradford went two goals down after Rick Casey and Gerry Wright put Stratton into a comfortable early lead. But Steve Wickens pulled one back
Checking your bank balance can be a traumatic time especially in the weeks after Christmas. But just imagine using your card and finding the bank has mistakenly given you thousands of pounds. Most of us are likely to say we would give the money to charity
SHOPOWNER and self-confessed loony Roly Gillard has resorted to handing out funny money to boost trade. Roly Gillard, owner of The Little Print Shop in Swindon's Market Hall, has started handing out discount tokens in the form of spoof notes. The £1 notes
A SWINDON asylum seeker bit a woman police officer and threatened to jump from a moving ambulance. Swindon Magistrates Court heard how Kuda Kujeke, 24, who arrived in the country in December 2001 from Zimbabwe had attacked the officer on July 20. At an
CONTACT the Elderly, the charity which was once struggling to find volunteers, is now operating at full capacity thanks to the Advertiser. The Swindon branch held its first meeting last Friday where 12 elderly people and their new drivers enjoyed tea,
People having problems securing credit may improve their chances by ensuring they are on the electoral register. Banks, building societies and finance companies use the register for credit reference checks. Failing to register can lead to difficulties
Student nurse Ruth Yates will have a long time to wait before she faces another bad hair day. The mother-of-five, of Parkstone Walk, Park South, is preparing to lose her locks in a sponsored head shave to raise money for the Swindon Cancer Appeal, in
Fundraisers at Swindon's Well Woman Centre are hoping more dedicated volunteers will join them this year. The centre, in Milton Road, aims to raise £11,000 to maintain its full range of services. But more people are needed to help plan events over the
RESIDENTS in Penhill will soon be sinking their teeth into succulent pears, plums and cherries all carefully tended by their own green fingers. Residents braved the January chill to plant 70 fruit trees in the Penhill Community Orchard at the weekend.
A CUTTING-EDGE scientific research company in Swindon which has pioneered a breakthrough in the defence against skin cancer has been rewarded with a £600,000 Government grant. Marine biologists working for the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC
Jo Osorio, director of Age Concern Swindon, said: "Any reduction in our already very stretched budget would have a serious effect on the quality of life of hundreds if not thousands of older people in and around Swindon. "There would be no grants to lunch
At last a councillor that is prepared to stand up against the council officers best of luck to you Councillor David Renard. A ten per cent rate of extra council tax is still very high, taking into account the increase of the last few years. Could we make
IT'S that time of year again when it seems that all the managers at our great new hospital start living on a different planet. Oh dear, they say, we didn't expect so many patients. Didn't we tell them year after year there were not going to be enough
