Archive

Check here for a range of fun features, ideas and events in February 2005.

WOOD floors not only look gorgeous, they are healthy, hard-wearing and warm because wood is a natural insulator. A wood floor can make a room seem bigger, lighter and more impressive - all factors that give a house character and, according to estate agents

Ref. 29640-32SWINDON TOWN chairman Willie Carson believes it is 'onwards and upwards' after the club announced plans for a £20 million new stadium and sports village, yesterday. The former jockey is confident the good times can return to the club and

A SALISBURY cub has come first in a national competition with the stamp he designed for the scout's Christmas post. Nathan Liversage (10), of the 3rd Salisbury Cub and Scout Group, beat hundreds of other entries to win the annual Scout and Guide Christmas

Barry Gill outside Stonehenge School with his parents Andrew Gill and Donna Dobson. Picture ROGER ELLIOTT DA5093P2A HEADTEACHER has defended his school's anti-bullying policy, after worried parents removed their son because they feared for his safety.

There is a shortage of school governors in Wiltshire, with about 300 vacancies at any one time and the county council is on the lookout for more volunteers. The council's governor support manager David Marriott said: "We are looking for people from a

Main entrance to Skurrays, Old Town, 1965Britain's oldest retailer: WHEN the motoring bug first bit Ernest Clement Skurray a century ago, nobody could have predicted that the automotive industry would grow up to be the giant it is now. In fact, his friends

HONDA in Swindon now employs around 4,300 staff and uses some of the world's most advanced production processes. But its beginnings were more humble. In 1985, the factory only comprised a pre-delivery centre which was tasked with checking the quality

Ref. 25972-13A BREWERY is offering an extra incentive for firms looking to move into its new business development free beer. Arkell's Brewery has developed eight new units on vacant land next to its brewery in Kingsdown, Swindon. Managing director James

Designed by female engineers with features that cater for the female driver. ANDY TATE takes a look. Women are the most demanding of customers, accord-ing to Volvo. And the car maker has taken up the challenge by designing a vehicle with women in mind

FIRE controllers could be moving out of the centre they share with police and ambulance colleagues in Devizes to form a regional set-up. Emergency controllers could form part of a regional emergency call centre made up of fire service representatives

Ref. 29292-42THE SEARCH is on for Wiltshire's unsung heroes. Residents are being given the chance to nominate entrants for this year's People of Wiltshire Awards. Now in its third year, the scheme backed by Newsquest Wiltshire, which publishes This is

SWINDON'S biggest primary school football festival was abandoned on Sunday at the end of the group stages. Driving wind and rain at the Rec in Highworth saw organisers at the Westrop School Football Tournament call it quits shortly after noon on Saturday

RECREATIONAL motor vehicles are to be banned from using the Ridgeway national trail from next winter. Alun Michael, the Minister For Rural Affairs, attended the annual meeting of The Friends Of The Ridgeway on Sunday when he unveiled details of a seasonal

Ref. 29647-11Former champion jump jockey and Wanborough trainer Stan Mellor has told of his dismay after thieves stole five of his most prized trophies. Stan, who was the first National Hunt jockey to ride 1,000 winners, left his Ashbury house for little

Ref. 29641-105CHILDREN came close to being showered with broken glass when yobs attacked a Swindon church. The 20 youngsters were performing at a music festival at All Saints' Church, Ferndale, when vandals threw stones at three panes of stained glass

A MAN was so determined not to take any "nonsense" from a 21-year-old that he raped her, Swindon Crown Court heard. Susan Evans, prosecuting, told the jury that the alleged victim had rejected Daniel Ward's advances on several previous occasions. Ward

Ref. 29626-18Plans to build a new £20 million stadium for Swindon Town FC have been given a cautious welcome. IF THE dream of a new stadium is to become a reality for Swindon Town, the business brains at the County Ground have lots of homework to do.

CRICKLADE got the better of Malmesbury 15-7 in a 14-a-side friendly. Injuries and absentees meant both sides were lacking key players, with visiting Cricklade also lending their opponents three forwards to make up the numbers. Malmesbury's three-quarters

WOOTTON Bassett Colts bowed out of the Dorset & WIlts Under 18 Vase without conceding a point. The home side were held 0-0 by Swanage & Wareham in the quarter-finals of the competition, the Swans progressing under the ruling that says the visiting

DIVISION 4 leaders CJ Electrical missed out on the chance to win the championship when they lost 2-0 at home to Highworth Swindon Fencing. It could happen next week when they travel to Jovial Monk. Behind them Red Lion won 3-2 at Queensfield with John

PREMIER Division sides Westwood and Windmill will meet in the final of the Adver Cup next month. Eddie Gordon and John Kerrigan scored Westwood's goals in the 2-1 victory over Queensfield. And a second-half goal from Nick Thomas saw Windmill into the

A SUGGESTION that Marlborough's pigeon flock could be culled or given a contraceptive was made to town councillors on Monday. The idea came from former mayor Coun Nick Fogg during a debate on how to lessen the nuisance caused by pigeon droppings. The

GAS company Transco is to replace old metal pipes in Rodbourne Cheney and Haydon Wick, meaning possible road closures and delays. The 18-week project, which starts on Monday, April 5, is part of a £15 billion nationwide programme to replace metal pipes

A Swindon church is using the 40 days of Lent to re-examine its spiritual life. Upper Stratton Baptist Church in Green Road, is to host an exhibition of 31 church and community activities on Sunday. The activities show how the church reaches out to the

MOTORISTS in Swindon are to face fines of up to £1,000 if they are caught wrongly using a disabled badge. The Government has tabled an amendment to the Traffic Management Bill to end the abuse of the blue badges, which allow drivers to park in special

CAMPAIGNERS trying to secure Fairtrade status for Swindon need just three more cafes to offer their support. The town has achieved most of the objectives laid down by the Fairtrade Fair Towns initiative, which attempts to get a better deal for Third World

FUNDRAISING ideas are needed to help make Swindon Cares a success again. The week of events will be held from July 11 to 16 and aims to raise thousands of pounds for good causes. Swindon Mayor Derek Benfield, who helped launch the event last week, urged

IMPROVING disabled access to public buildings will be one of the aims of a new network set up to represent disabled people in the Swindon area. The South West Disability Equality Network is the first body for the regional representation of disabled people

FIRE controllers could be moving out of the centre they share with police and ambulance colleagues in Devizes to form a regional set-up. Emergency controllers could form part of a regional emergency call centre made up of fire service representatives

A 40-page glossy guide to Swindon is available for visitors to the town. A selection of international-standard hotels, elegant country houses and family-run guesthouses are listed in the guide. It includes colour photographs of Swindon's hotels, attractions

ANOTHER year has slipped by and the London marathon 2004 is upon us and once again I am looking for sponsors to help my association through another difficult year giving financial and moral help to veterans who fought the Japanese in Burma and the Far

I SEE M Harrison (letters, March 18) is back on her soapbox, to convert us all to vegetarianism/veganism. I have grown tired of the diatribe towards anyone who so much as passes a kebab van. You are entitled to your opinions: This is a free country but

NICK Galvin, his wife Meg and their two children have made what many would consider a crazy move -- exchanging life on a sun-kissed Australian beach for a year living in Chiseldon, Swindon. Here Nick, 37, who has just joined the Evening Advertiser, Swindon

THANKS to the celebrity chefs and cookery programmes that have found favour on the TV, cooking has become one of the nation's most popular pastimes. If you've been inspired by Ainsley Harriot or 'Ready Steady Cook' you'll need the perfect kitchen to create

Moredon Royal Oak Cricket Club, who play in Wiltshire League, Division 3, are looking for new players for this coming season. Indoor nets start at the beginning of April with the first official game on May 1. The club welcomes players of any age or standard

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have branded the government's £200m plans for a 2.1km tunnel under Stonehenge "inadequate", claiming it would bring "irreversible damage to the World Heritage site". At the inquiry this week, representatives of many of Britain's most respected

SECONDARY schools in west Wiltshire are to share facilities, ideas and staff in the first initiative of its kind in the UK. The West Wiltshire Federation will see eight schools join forces to develop a common agenda for education improvement. The aim

SCHOOLS in west and north Wiltshire are being urged to adopt an anti-bullying charter to combat the growing problem head-on. The charter, drawn-up by the Secondary Heads Association, the National Union of Headteachers and the Anti-Bullying Alliance, recommends

MARCH 26, SALISBURY: Dr. Pamela Tudor-Craig, remembered for her TV series 'The Secret life of Paintings' and more recently for her contribution to 'Richard lll: Fact or Fiction' will be one of the speakers at a forth coming weekend in Salisbury. Entitled

A SALISBURY cub has come first in a national competition with the stamp he designed for the scout's Christmas post. Nathan Liversage (10), of the 3rd Salisbury Cub and Scout Group, beat hundreds of other entries to win the annual Scout and Guide Christmas

CAMPAIGNERS trying to secure Fairtrade status for Swindon need just three more cafes to offer their support. The town has achieved most of the objectives laid down by the Fairtrade Fair Towns initiative, which attempts to get a better deal for Third World

THE New Swindon Company, the urban regeneration company that has been tasked with the regeneration of Swindon town centre, has appointed Withy King Commercial as its local legal adviser. Withy King Commercial, based on Newport Street in Old Town, will

EIGHT staff from Triumph International Limited celebrated their long service with a bit of a do at the company's headquarters at Groundwell. The staff received gifts of engraved goblets, rosebowls and crystal bowls as well as bouquets from Triumph managing

Ask anyone what kind of car they'd buy if they won the lottery and a Lamborghini would certainly rank in most self-respecting supercar fan's top 10. Well I want one anyway, especially now I know that the raging bull's Murcilago is arriving in the UK in

One in five road smashes are due to sleep-deprived drivers reports ANDY TATE. MOTORISTS who get behind the wheel when tired account for 20 per cent of Britain's road accidents. The findings come from research by online motor insurance company InsureYourMotor.com

Ref. 29157-5One in three motorists may be breaking the law by driving vehicles with dirty number plates. Following the recent wintry weather, the RAC has warned motorists to clean up their act or face possible prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000. And

WHILE lemons are a welcome addition to pancake day, they could turn things sour in the search for a used car bargain, the AA has warned. "Lemon is a generic term used to describe a dodgy car," said the AA's Chris Dobson. "One in three cars we check has

The car's the star in the new film version of Starsky and Hutch. ANDY TATE looks at other eye-catching autos from the movie world. Starsky and Hutch From September 1975 to August 1979, detectives Dave Starsky and Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson trounced criminals

FIRE controllers could be moving out of the centre they share with police and ambulance colleagues in Devizes to form a regional set-up. Emergency controllers could form part of a regional emergency call centre made up of fire service representatives

A 40-page glossy guide to Swindon is available for visitors to the town. A selection of international-standard hotels, elegant country houses and family-run guesthouses are listed in the guide. It includes colour photographs of Swindon's hotels, attractions

JACK Gentle only scored once in Amesbury's 9-0 win at Castle Combe but he had a hand in the other eight. With defeats for their nearest rivals in the under 13 Blue division, Amesbury moved two points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand.

Highworth Juniors were knocked out of the Cirencester & District Cup in an epic semi-final at Oaksey. Malmesbury defeated the Swindon side 5-4 after extra time in the under 15 clash, gaining belated revenge after losing to Highworth in the final two

A TEENAGER'S face was left badly bruised following an assault on a bus. The 14-year-old youth was punched on the left side of his face while travelling on the number 1 Thamesdown bus service, which runs between Middleleaze and Covingham, on Saturday,

A MAN who pleaded guilty to neglecting his 15-year-old dog has been banned from keeping animals for five years and ordered to pay £500 in RSPCA prosecution costs. Mark Hoskins, of St Mary Green, Swindon, pleaded guilty to Swindon magistrates to the offence

Ref. 29646-05Brave Joshua Pedder-Jones has been given the all-clear eight months after he was diagnosed with a potentially fatal brain tumour. Now the bright, bubbly nine-year-old, from Eldene, is looking forward to playing with his friends outside. He

DETECTIVES have been given extra time to quiz a murder suspect over the fatal stabbing of a Swindon man. Officers now have until late this afternoon to either charge or release the 32-year-old man, who comes from the Swindon area. The suspect was arrested

Division Four Kingsclere thumped Coleshill United 5-2 with strikes from Roger Jones (2), Sam Toyne, Dwayne Pettitt and Eddie Grantham in the quarter-finals of the Charity Shield. Lambourn Sports sunk Marcham 2-0 with Adrian Mooney and Ben Hopkins the

CORSHAM Centre ended North Star A's league and cup treble hopes with a 3-0 win in the semi-final of the Rainbow Launderette-sponsored WG Parr Trophy on another weather-affected day in the Chippenham & District Sunday League The other semi, between

Despite a weekend of awful weather more than half of the scheduled matches were played and another title was secured, in the Under 11 North Division, where Blunsdon Colts were crowned champions after a 6-1 win at Purton. Blunsdon's goals were scored by

This year's Intermach Cup final will be between Mainlink and Lady Margaret following a dramatic finish to the second semi-final between Mainlink and Goatacre. With the wind behind them in the first half Mainlink took a 3-0 lead with goals from John Litton

Swindon Badgers Girls under 12 white team looks almost certain to win the under 12 league title after beating local rivals Swindon Spitfires 4-2. The Badgers girls played some breathtaking football, in atrocious weather conditions at South Marston, to

CIRENCESTER travel to Sutton Coldfield this evening in need of a win to reignite their Dr Martens Western Division title hopes. A 1-0 home defeat to Halesowen on Saturday left Ciren 10 points behind leaders Redditch. Forward Gareth Hopkins (pictured)

Competitors are in full training for this year's Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race. Among the charity paddlers in this year's line-up are the husband and daughter of Wiltshire's Chief Constable Elizabeth Neville. LEWIS COWEN spoke to them about what lies

Ref. 29292-42THE SEARCH is on for Swindon's unsung heroes. Residents are being given the chance to nominate entrants for this year's People of Wiltshire Awards. Now in its third year, the scheme backed by Newsquest Wiltshire, which publishes the Evening

THE courage of the south west's lifeboatmen and women is to be the subject of a special film evening at the Steam Museum. Matt Lane, a former crew member of the St Agnes Lifeboat, in Cornwall, is to give a talk about his experiences with the Royal National

Ref. 29599-78CHILDREN are being urged to bin bogus chain letters that promise a place in the Guinness Book Of World Records. Sisters Jessie and Ellen Howard, aged 11 and 10, contacted the Evening Advertiser after a Royal Mail note was posted through their

Ref. 29616-15TWO keen ballet dancers have taken a step closer to their dream of becoming professionals. Lucy Gallagher and Lucy Jefferies, both Hreod Parkway pupils from Haydon Wick, beat more than 50 competitors to win prizes at an international ballet

Ref. 29609-11KAMTORN Ridgers has dreams of becoming a mechanic but he claims employees are refusing to look beyond his date of birth. At 24, he claims that he's not the usual age of apprentices but he insists he has a lot to offer a prospective boss.

Ref. 29627-6TWO care assistants will be treading on hot coals this weekend in a bid to raise cash for the comfort fund at the home where they work. Mother-of-four Jan Vincent and her colleague Emma Collins, who both work at Church View, in Stratton, are

Ref. 29627-22SWINDON'S Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Coalition has launched its official website. It has information on a broad spectrum of issues affecting the LGBT community and is the first of its kind in the borough. Coalition leader Helen

THE fall of the Spanish Government, perceived by many to be the result of one terrorist attack, will confirm to the terrorists that European countries are weak and soft and would collapse like a pack of cards if faced by a sustained campaign of terror

SINCE day one the council's attempt to enforce the traffic/parking regulations in the borough was doomed. Mr Foss may be correct in the number of tickets issued. However, how many of these tickets have been paid? This council has a backlog of £10 million

In one of the most eloquent letters in my postbag over the past few months, Martine Garbacz says it breaks her heart to see that almost all the huge gardens in the street where she lives are laid down to grass. "Flower borders are beautiful and attract