Archive

  • Town eye Chelsea

    ANDY King could get the chance to pit his managerial wits against Jose Mourinho this summer if Town can strike an agreement with Chelsea over the sale of one of their teenage prospects. Mourinho's club, who could be crowned Premiership champions if Arsenal

  • Having fun and eating healthily

    77127-321CHILDREN were able to enjoy a healthy snack and try out a few games when an Active Kids roadshow came to town. The fun day, at Sainsbury's in Bridgemead, was part of an ongoing campaign by the store to encourage youngsters to lead a healthy life

  • Asda sets sights on Somerfield

    UK supermarket chain Asda is planning to join the £1.1bn bidding war for food retailer Somerfield. Asda, owned by Walmart, the world's biggest retailer, is looking at either launching an outright bid for the group, or striking a deal with one of the two

  • Building for the future

    FURNITURE sold off from a Swindon show home will be helping rebuild a school devastated by the Boxing Day tsunami. Crest Nicholson housebuilders are sending £5,000 to Trinconmalee school on the east side of Sri Lanka, most of which has been raised from

  • Mailbags stolen from postman's bike

    TWO bags of mail have been snatched from a postman's bicycle in Wootton Bassett. About 700 first and second class letters were stolen from a grey mail sack and a red mail pouch in the incident in Marlborough Road at about 7.30am yesterday. The letters

  • Through agony to bitter sweet triumph

    WILTSHIRE runners endured the agony and the ecstasy of the London Marathon on Sunday, raising thousands of pounds for local and national charities. Among them was the Rev Chris Tebbutt, vicar of St James' Church, Southbroom, in Devizes, who has raised

  • Film review - Guess Who (12A)

    Kevin Rodney Sullivan's culture-clash comedy bears uncanny similarities to Meet The Parents. Like that smash hit confection, Guess Who pits an overprotective and scheming father against a prospective, eager-to-please son-in-law. In both cases, an escalating

  • There's only one way to go and that's down!

    77138-63SHOPPERS at Asda Walmart were able to get more than a pint of milk and a loaf of bread at the weekend. The supermarket, at the Orbital Shopping Park, was host to a GWR FM charity SCAD diving event yesterday from 10am-4.30pm. SCAD diving allows

  • Traditional favourite to whet their appetites

    77129-32THE Friends of Lethbridge School hosted an organic market offering homegrown produce to mark St George's Day. The mini-market, held in the Old Town school's playground on Saturday, included meat, eggs and fruit and veg from local Swindon farms

  • By George, what a great surprise

    77135-70KEEPING secrets from your family is not always easy. Especially when that secret is a big white horse with a chap dressed as St George on top of it. But that's exactly what Roy and Rita Sims did to make sure their daughter Angela, 36, and new

  • Your chance to quiz candidates

    TONIGHT is your chance to quiz the North Swindon election candidates on the issues that matter to you. The Evening Advertiser hustings for North Swindon is being held at Penhill Primary School, Alton Close, at 7.30pm tonight. All the candidates for the

  • Ancram lends support to Conservatives' campaign

    7128-350HIGH profile Tory Michael Ancram gave Swindon's Conservative candidates a boost by helping them canvass local residents. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was back in his old hunting ground as he was an MP for Swindon before election boundary

  • Pub proud it's a smokeless zone

    77145-122A PUB in Stratton has become the first in the town to call time on smokers. And it is going down a treat with the punters. The Dockle Farmhouse, which opened its doors for the first time last night, will not allow anyone to light-up inside the

  • Ancram lends support to Conservatives' campaign

    7128-350ADVER, APRIL 25: HIGH profile Tory Michael Ancram gave Swindon's Conservative candidates a boost by helping them canvass local residents. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was back in his old hunting ground as he was an MP for Swindon before

  • This service is still load of rubbish

    THREE bags of garden waste have finally collected by Swindon Council after an 18-day wait. This is despite Kevin Coleman, of Bayleaf Avenue, Haydon Wick, putting the waste out on the correct collection day. And, now Labour councillor Kevin Small (Western

  • Alert villagers praised after bogus caller alarm

    PEOPLE in Wroughton are urged not to be complacent about bogus callers after a bizarre false alarm. Swindon Primary Care Trust the body responsible for GP surgeries and other medical services in the area issued a warning after learning that "bogus" callers

  • A little piece of Japan takes root at school

    OAKTREE Primary School in Park South is turning Japanese. Workers from the Nationwide Building Society spent a day creating a Japanese garden for pupils to enjoy. Fourteen employees who swapped life in the retail finance department to clear away undergrowth

  • So that's where our kitchen is!

    A FATHER of twelve has survived a three-day television reality check. Geoff Sherwood, 55, of Toothill, and his wife Angie, 53, took part in the ITV programme Mum's On Strike. Angie was taken off to a luxury hotel and Geoff was put in charge of the family

  • Meeting will help recovery

    SWINDON'S new Eating Disorder Recovery Group will meet on Wednesday at the Well Woman Centre at Milton Road Health Hydro. The group, set up earlier this month, meets between 6.45-8.30pm and costs £2.50. Maggie Arshad, eating disorder practitioner and

  • Helping these young people

    CHARITY Save the Children is inviting Swindon residents to a musical extravaganza. A concert will be held in Fore Street, Trowbridge, next Saturday when Wiltshire-based groups StarBurstz and Triple K will perform live. The event coincides with Save the

  • Musical boost

    WILTSHIRE'S library users are now able to pick up DVDs of top chart performers in concert. The ever-increasing range of DVDs is available to order at all of Wiltshire's libraries including Wootton Bassett, Calne and Chippenham. There are DVDs of classic

  • Annual meeting

    THE Millan Advice Point will be holding its annual meeting on Friday. The centre provides free, confidential and independent advice to anyone and in particular to those who belong to ethnic minorities in the town. The meeting will be held in the main

  • Charity sale set help project

    A JUMBLE sale and raffle in aid of a charity which helps young people in Belarus is being held in Swindon. The Zaslowya project aims to provide hope and develop self-esteem in youngsters and their families living in and around Zaslowya, near Minsk. Fundraising

  • Replica ring sale

    A REPLICA of the Duchess of Cornwall's engagement ring is being raffled by Asda in West Swindon to raise money for charity. Stores around the country quickly sold out of its 2,500 limited edition rings, priced £19 each, before the royal wedding. But they

  • Odds on you'll have a smash

    MOST of us will be involved in a car crash. According to a report by car insurers More Than, nine out of ten motorists will be involved in at least one accident during their lifetime. And, they say a third of these don't even make a claim on their car

  • Yoga for teenagers

    A NEW yoga class for teenagers is being held at the Namaste Yoga Studio, at the Newburn Centre, in Newburn Crescent. The classes will run every Thursday from 4.30-6pm until June 30. For more information phone yoga instructor Jenny Peat on 01793 784 144

  • Teams wanted

    Breakthrough Breast Cancer in Wiltshire is holding a Quiz Night 7.30pm at Haydon Wick Workmen's Club. The event takes place on Tuesday May 3. To register a team of up to six (£3 a head) phone 01793 538475 or 528425 or 790325 before April 28.

  • Players' new role

    SWINDON Town stars Sam Parkin, pictured, Stefani Miglioranzi and Rory Fallon will at the Designer Outlet Village on Wednesday. The trio will be at the Nike Store at 3pm for the launch of a short film in which they have recreated the famous Brazil V Portugal

  • Victim of beatingis still in hospital

    THE victim of a brutal beating may not be able to leave hospital for months. Nigel Fulcher, was transferred from the Great Western Hospital to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol after suffering severe head injuries during an unprovoked attack in Rivenhall Road

  • Plants up for grabs

    PLANT nurseries from Wiltshire will join others from Berkshire and Gloucestershire for a plant sale at Colesbourne Park, Colesbourne, near Cheltenham, on Monday, May 2. For more information phone 01242 870264 or go online at www.colesbournegardens.org.uk

  • Sale aids the funds

    A FUNDRAISING tabletop sale is being held by Chestnut Trees Pre-School at the event at the Memorial Hall, Shrivenham, between 9am and noon on Saturday, May 7. Phone 01793 782550 or 01793 784491 for more details of the event.

  • Hunt for stolen replica rifle

    POLICE are hunting a replica gun which was stolen from a cleaning company. The M16 Armalite rifle was taken from the West Wilts Cleaning Services, based in Melksham, between 2pm on Monday, March 21, and 10.30am on Tuesday, March 22. PC Dean Wright, of

  • Pride Youth meeting

    PRIDE Youth, a group for young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or unsure of their sexuality, will have their next meeting tonight from 6.30-8.30pm. To find out more phone 01793 694700 or text 07766 872565.

  • Help for victims

    A WEEK of fundraising for Victim Support, the national charity that helps people cope with crime, starts today. People in Swindon are being asked to set aside an hour and join in to help. To find out more, visit www.makesometime.org

  • Book highlights wildlife havens

    NATURE For Al has launched a guidebook called Swindon's Green Secret. The book contains photographs of all Swindon's nature reserves, including close ups of wildlife by photographer Laurie Campbell. Among the sites photographed are Stanton Park and Barbury

  • Pedestrian in critical condition after accident

    A MAN is fighting for his life in hospital after an accident at a busy Swindon junction. The man, in his early 30s, suffered a fractured skull and injuries to his lungs, leg and ankle after being hit by a car at the junction of Groundwell Road and Drove

  • Prepare your machine properly and live

    TRAFFIC police in Wiltshire are urging motorcyclists to ensure they take extra care on the roads as they wheel their machines out at the start of the season. Many bikes are taken off the road for the winter period and now, as the good weather approaches

  • Vital role for mum's book

    77114-134A MUM-OF-TWO has written a book about dyslexia aimed specifically at parents. Maria Chivers, 49, of Blunsdon, says mums and dads have a vital role to play in diagnosing the condition. She herself suffers from dyslexia so do her two sons, Jeremy

  • Attacker used 10in breadknife

    A DRUNK who stabbed a woman as he robbed her of her purse in her own home has been jailed for three years. Christopher O'Donnell armed himself with a 10 inch breadknife before raiding the house. The 33-year-old was drunk when he attacked the neighbour

  • What you are asking...

    Last week we questioned the election candidates on a range of key topics but today it is over to the readers. Four of the people who contacted the Adver with questions on issues that matter to them Tina Burles, 50, lives in Walcot and works part-time

  • Boys attacked on school trip

    POLICE have launched an investigation after two nine-year-old boys were attacked while on a school trip in Avebury. The boys, who were taking part in an activity day organised by Liden Primary School, were set upon outside a public toilet close to the

  • Calling vets

    THE British Korean Veterans' Association is trying to contact former members of HM Armed Forces who served in Korea/Japan from 1950-1953, and also those servicemen and women who served in these two places at a later date with the Peace Keeping Force 1953

  • Easy solution

    People like poor misguided Robin Summerhill who pontificate against the use of speed cameras used to catch the many idiotic drivers who cause mayhem on the roads, really should do themselves a favour and volunteer to purchase a course of remedial driving

  • Praise for all

    WE would like to congratulate everyone from Swindon who ran in the London Marathon on April 17. We know something of the hard work and dedication that these people commit themselves to. They not only train hard and prepare well but also work to raise

  • Bath is not better than Swindon

    BATH is a city which attracts visitors from all over the world and students to its university. But that does not make it superior to Swindon. Professor Breakwell has no right to think she can annexe Swindon as an overspill site for the benefit of Bath

  • Plan will have a huge impact

    WITH reference to the "ambitious 10-year project to turn the 500-acre Coate site into a self-contained, bustling community" (EA, April 13). They make it sound as if it will not affect anywhere or anyone but the immediate area, which is rubbish. The plans

  • Beverley moves in

    BEVERLEY Reynolds has been appointed to the team running the new Hayley conference centre, opening at the former Princess Alexandra Hospital in Wroughton on May 3. Beverley, 26, is now training at the group's other conference centres. She has worked in

  • Building society delight at profits

    STROUD and Swindon building society has revealed its figures for 2004. During the year its total assets went up 10 per cent to £2.3 billion, and there was £583 million of new mortgage lending, while savings receipts totalled £122 million. Profit after

  • Maternity law set to change

    TIME is running out to have a say on possible changes to pregnancy and maternity rules. The Department for Trade and Industry is running a consultation on the subject, and has outlined several areas that need input. They include extending the statutory

  • Pub proud it's a smokeless zone

    77145-122A PUB in Stratton has become the first in the town to call time on smokers. And it is going down a treat with the punters. The Dockle Farmhouse, which opened its doors for the first time last night, will not allow anyone to light-up inside the

  • Boy tortured in vigilante attack

    A PAIR of thugs who tied a terrified teenager to his bed and tortured him with a cigarette lighter in a vigilante attack have been jailed. Phillip Robertson, 22, and Jason Bristow, 18, used an electric flex from a toaster to bind their 16-year-old victim

  • What you are asking...

    ADVER, APRIL 25: Last week we questioned the election candidates on a range of key topics but today it is over to the readers. Four of the people who contacted the Adver with questions on issues that matter to them Tina Burles, 50, lives in Walcot and

  • Lifelong horse racing fan Kate dies, aged 101

    A LIFELONG racing fan has died at the age of 101. Kit Kilburn celebrated her 10lst birthday with a trip to the races last May. The great grandmother of six, who lived in Salzgitter Court in Swindon, died peacefully in her sleep a month before her 102nd

  • Bid to provide breath of fresh air for new mums

    TWO members of the maternity ward staff at Swindon's Great Western Hospital aim to add fresh air and sunshine to the experience of having a baby. Nursing auxiliary Norma Smith and ward clerk Anne Lye are raising cash to turn a second floor courtyard outside

  • Body discovered on building site

    A BODY has been found hanging from rafters on an Old Town building site. The man, who has not been named, was spotted dangling from rope at about 5.30am yesterday. The alarm was raised by a resident living near the site in Shelley Street. Builders confirmed

  • Building starts on new school

    BUILDING work has begun at Moredon Infant School to create a new school. Building of a new school started this week in the field at the back of the existing school. The new school will combine the current Moredon Infant and Junior schools to create Moredon

  • Lift scheme for school is now offthe ground

    A NEW lift is being installed at Kingsdown School. The lift will open up the first floor of the building to disabled people. Peter Webber, head of the Humanities faculty, said: "This lift is really for access and it's part of our technology bid. He added

  • Thanks for your lovely shrubbery

    GROUPS and individuals who have turned little corners of Swindon into thriving habitats, have been honoured. Green-fingered community work was recognised at the Quality of Life Awards and Eco-Bash at the Punjabi Community Centre in Gorse Hill yesterday

  • Traders' fury at car park costs

    FURIOUS traders in Gorse Hill say they could refuse to pay their business rates if car parking charges are introduced. Swindon Council could bring in fees at the Chapel Street car park because of fears motorists are abusing it by leaving vehicles there

  • Help is wanted

    VOLUNTEERS are needed to help run the Duke of Edinburgh's Award centre at the Westbourne Youth Centre. Anyone who thinks they can help should get in touch with Danny Robinson, the Duke of Edinburgh Award development officer, on 01793 536066.

  • In the running for a charity

    ORGANISERS of animal charity PDSA are looking for runners in Swindon to support them by running in the New York marathon in November. The money raised by runners will go towards the free veterinary treatment PDSA provides to 4,650 sick and injured pets

  • New magazine targets parents

    PARENTS in Swidon can now learn from a new parenting magazine. The NSPCC has launched Your Family in 400 Woolworths stores nationwide, including Swindon, Marlborough and Chippenham. Your Family, a free magazine, is aimed at mums and dads of young children

  • Forum is formed

    SEVEN Nythe residents have been chosen to sit on the new forum set up to tackle the problems with a hostel in the area. Residents have complained of trouble from the homeless hostel St Ives Court, in Tyneham Road. Coun Bert Smith, (Con, Covingham and

  • Tree set on fire

    YOBS are believed to be responsible for setting light to a tree in Wroughton. Firefighters from Swindon were called to the fire in a field off Falkirk Road. Buckets of water were used to put out the flames. Police and the fire brigade are investigating

  • Ideas please

    LETTERS have been sent to groups in Swindon asking them for ideas to celebrate the 200th anniversary of engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel's birth on April 9, 2006. Organisers are hoping to arrange a weekend festival in the Railway Village, Faringdon Park

  • Starting afresh

    DISRUPTIVE pupils may be given a fresh start in state boarding schools under plans being considered by Education Secretary Ruth Kelly. Unruly children at risk of being excluded could be sent to the establishments for a period in a bid to improve their

  • Car on fire

    A RANGE Rover burst into flames close to junction 17 on the M4. Police and fire crews were called to the scene at around 8pm on Friday. No one was injured. The cause of the blaze has not been established.

  • Helping youngsters

    VOLUNTEERS happy to spend time playing with Plasticine or colouring pictures are being sought by the Home Start Family Group in Walcot. The group, based at Queens Drive Methodist Church hall, runs sessions on Thursdays aimed at offering parents and children

  • Choose a local hero who deserves an award

    PEOPLE in Swindon are being urged to nominate local heroes to mark the Year of the Volunteer before next Friday's deadline. The Nationwide Awards for Voluntary Endeavour are designed to reward those that make a difference in their community. Regional

  • Cash comes in to save medals

    Chris Scott, 72A GROUP of Swindon Town fans raising money to save the medals belonging to one of the club's greatest footballers are more than half way to their target. But they desperately need more cash before the auction on Wednesday. Supporter Chris

  • Having fun and eating healthily

    77127-321CHILDREN were able to enjoy a healthy snack and try out a few games when an Active Kids roadshow came to town. The fun day, at Sainsbury's in Bridgemead, was part of an ongoing campaign by the store to encourage youngsters to lead a healthy life

  • Chivalrous theme to raise money for local charities

    77136-37A CHARITY ball has raised thousands of pounds for a host of Swindon charities. This year's Evening Advertiser-backed ball was held at the Marriott Hotel on Saturday and attracted 160 guests. Among them were business leaders and civic dignitaries

  • Parents wanted

    THE Daycare Trust has launched its 2005 Childcare Champions Awards in association with Calpol. The awards recognise parents who have campaigned in their community to improve access to quality affordable services for all families. To enter the awards,

  • Listen to all these ways to help

    Deaf Awareness Week runs from May 2-8 and The National Deaf Children's Society is the only organisation dedicated to the support of deaf children and young people, their families and professionals working with them. Here are a few things everyone can