LOOK along the High Street in Amesbury and there is no visible sign of the place that, half a century ago, had the joint jumping every Saturday night. Ray Ellington, Ronnie Scott, George Melly, Jack Parnell, Chris Barber and many other star names in swing
A CAR salesman accused of the Chohan family murders was asked to help dig the trench where they were allegedly buried for "a few quid". Peter Rees (39) has a string of previous convictions and was involved in a burglary with Bill Horncy, who is also accused
FOR 30 years, Sergeant Colin Hibberd has devoted a great deal of time in his police career to road safety and, although he retired from the Wiltshire police force last Friday, he intends continuing his interest. In a fortnight's time, Sergeant Hibberd
PATRIOTIC onlookers didn't let the dingy weather spoil their enjoyment of Salis-bury's St George's Day celebrations. To commemorate England's patron saint, Salisbury adopted a truly medieval theme last Saturday, with grave-diggers, a ratcatcher, a rabbit
AS the 2005 general election campaign enters its last week, the six candidates standing in the Salisbury constituency are today making their final appeals for the votes of Journal readers. It is the third week running that the Journal has given the six
STRUGGLING to find change for the meter could soon be a thing of the past, if Salisbury adopts a pioneering new phone system for car-parking. A local company is in discussion with the district council and hopes to introduce the revolutionary Park &
PARENTS and teachers campaigning to build a new school to overcome cramped conditions in their 145-year-old village school in Broad Chalke face their first major challenge today. Their plans, for a £1.7m primary school to cater for an influx of more than
FOR 30 years, Sergeant Colin Hibberd has devoted a great deal of time in his police career to road safety and, although he retired from the Wiltshire police force last Friday, he intends continuing his interest. In a fortnight's time, Sergeant Hibberd
THERE is still time to apply for the Swindon Businesswomen's Breakfast Club's Make It Happen grant. The award, in its ninth year, offers up to £500 for women to achieve a professional or management qualification. Winners also get professional career advice
STRUGGLING to find change for the meter could soon be a thing of the past, if Salisbury adopts a pioneering new phone system for car-parking. A local company is in discussion with the district council and hopes to introduce the revolutionary Park &
CONFERENCE centres in Swindon have been given a boost with the news of two makeovers. Tomorrow HTS Lydiard House unveils its new look after an extensive refurbishment. Its 32 bedrooms, 13 meeting rooms and three conference suites are in Lydiard Park,
Picture Ref: 77143-83A WOOTTON Bassett mum has spent three days in the lap of luxury while her husband looked after their four children. And on Friday his struggle to cope will be shown on national television. The ITV's Mums On Strike gave Alison Twine
A HIGHWORTH teenager has been given a six-month referral order after setting fire to a car. The 14-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, was also ordered to pay £120 in costs and compensation. The boy appeared at Swindon Youth Court charged
HEAVY rain did not stop Martin Isles when he scorched to victory, doubling the weight of the second-place angler, in the latest Westleaze Open held last Saturday, writes GODFREY HARGREAVES. Martin used double sweetcorn to take a great catch of 75lb 1oz
A SIXTEEN-year-old boy is to face trial by jury after pleading not guilty to four counts of raping his young male cousins. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty to the matters at Swindon crown court. Three of the charges
HOOKER Scott Chapman will lead Swindon's return to Southern Counties North rugby next season. Long-serving forward Chapman, who takes over after the two-year leadership of centre Paul Wakefield, has been handed the role by Greenbridge Road coach John
RESIDENTS had the chance to put their election candidates on the spot as the Adver hustings came to South Swindon last night. All the candidates were at the meeting, held at Westlea Primary School, to answer questions and try to win over voters ahead
BRADON Forest School were beaten 2-1 in the semi-final of the Coca-Cola South Western Schools Cup by Easthampstead Park School (Bracknell). The English Schools Cup is the largest schools' football tournament in Europe and one of the most challenging to
LIDEN Primary School have qualified for a national football final. Their under 11 girls team finished as runners-up in the South West regional final in the section for primary schools with more than 100 pupils. They now progress to the national under
THE Swindon Sunday Farmers' Market will be open this Sunday. Fresh local produce will be on offer including, vegetables, meat, free range eggs, country wines and home-made sweets. There will also be plants on offer, including willow climbers for sweet
PROPERTY programme Relocation Relocation Relocation comes to Swindon tonight. The show, broadcast on Channel 4 at 8pm, is devoted to Sandy Dillon and Natasha Acres, who are graphic designers and surfing enthusiasts. The production team followed them as
A THREE-day roadshow of stolen items from paintings to furniture will be launched by police tomorrow. Anyone who has lost items in burglaries are welcome to go along to Westlea police station to see if they can spot any of their property. Paintings, porcelain
Rikki Hunt at Swindon FM Picture Ref: 77069-03A NEW radio licence for the Swindon area is up for grabs. The licence, which is now open to bidders, will cover Swindon and the surrounding area. It is for a local FM commercial radio station and Ofcom, the
Alison Nevison with the piles of rubbish outside her home Picture Ref: 77153-30SOMETHING was causing a bit of a pong in a new Swindon street until the Evening Advertiser sniffed out the problem. Residents in Rainham Road, Priory Vale, can finally breathe
Gemma Tinson prepares for her marathon ride Picture Ref: 77163-21A TRAINEE solicitor from Old Town is set to cycle from Bath to Dublin for the second time and raise money for the Dorothy House hospice. Gemma Tinson, 26, of St Margarets Road, completed
A GROUP of residents has scored a major victory in their fight against a mobile phone mast in their street. Last night Swindon Council's planning committee voted to find a new site for the O2 mast in Akers Way following a petition signed by 300 residents
PLANS to build almost 500 houses on the Princess Margaret Hospital site have been given the go-ahead. To the disappointment of the Okus Area Residents Association councillors voted in favour of the Bloor Homes development for 478 homes last night. Outline
Edward Miller with Melinda Messenger, left, and Tony Blair Picture Ref: 77132-290A PIZZA company grabbed a slice of the election action by serving Tony Blair up on a plate. Domino's Pizza made the political art using an assortment of vegetable and meat
Traffic trouble in Gorse Hill Picture Ref: 23271-77TRADERS in Gorse Hill are demanding that a plan is drawn up to boost the shopping area. They held their first formal meeting for 15 years to discuss the options. Fears centre around traffic congestion
The Multiple Sclerosis Trust is calling for people from Swindon to register for Jump in June. They are looking to recruit thrill-seeking volunteers to carry out parachute jumps to raise money for the charity. Full training will be given before the jumps
MACMILLAN CANCER RELIEF: IF you prefer to keep your feet on the ground then try the Castles Bike Ride for Macmillan Cancer Relief. The event, on June 5, features three courses 10, 15 and 25-miles in length which take participants on roads across north
MACMILLAN CANCER RELIEF: TIME is running out to reserve your place for this year's Macmillan Abseil. Dozens of daredevils have already reserved their place for the event on Saturday. They will be abseiling 100ft down the WHSmith building in Greenbridge
MACMILLAN CANCER RELIEF: A CANCER charity has launched a campaign to cut 'out-of-pocket' expenses for those with the disease. Macmillan Cancer Relief the charity we have teamed up with for the Swindon Cancer Appeal says scores of people face additional
I WOULD like to respond to Mrs I Palmer on the subject of under-occupancy of council houses. This administration has inherited some households that are underoccupying family properties. However, as they are secure tenants they have the legal right to
NEIGHBOURS in roads off Kingshill have their orange boxes, and I expected something to be on the doorstep when I came back from a week away after Easter. No just a note saying I had been missed out of the booklet and my collection dates for black and
REFERENCE Clare Bell's letter in response to Michelle Tompkins' article about smoking during pregnancy, I have to say that I think she is missing the bigger picture here. My mum admitted that she smoked during her pregnancies and I consider myself and
TOWN boss Andy King is aiming to add six new faces to his squad this summer in order to provide fresh impetus for the 2005-6 campaign. Those out of contract at the County Ground, including Rhys Evans, Matt Heywood, Sammy Igoe and Grant Smith were handed
A HIGHWORTH teenager has been given a six-month referral order after setting fire to a car. The 14-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, was also ordered to pay £120 in costs and compensation. The boy appeared at Swindon Youth Court charged
Grove Hill residents Renee Shephard, left, and Irene Hancock Picture Ref: 77171-61A GANG of thieves were stunned when they were marched back to an old folk's home to return stolen garden furniture. Police in Highworth were alerted to a theft-in-progress
The 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 who
CARPENTER Adie Vearn-combe is the toast of his village pub, after he picked six winners and netted his friends a total of £55,000. The 57-year-old grandfather, who lives in Allington, is a member of a six-man syndicate at the Old Inn, Allington. Members
A MOBILE caterer has been left devastated after his business was stolen, just days before he was due to hand it to a new owner. Robert Padwick's Snack Attack! van has been a popular and profitable feature of Downton business centre for the past 18 months
SALISBURY Cathedral Close, large parts of the Churchfields industrial estate and Wilton town centre face a "significant risk" of serious flooding in the future, according to the Environment Agency. The agency's Foresight Future Flooding report warns that
A YOUNG army trainee died in his barracks after sniffing lighter fuel with friends, an inquest heard. Gunner Michael Riley was based at Stirling Barracks, Larkhill, for the second phase of his training, when he died after falling from a chair in a friend's
A CAR salesman accused of the Chohan family murders was asked to help dig the trench where they were allegedly buried for "a few quid". Peter Rees (39) has a string of previous convictions and was involved in a burglary with Bill Horncy, who is also accused
PATRIOTIC onlookers didn't let the dingy weather spoil their enjoyment of Salis-bury's St George's Day celebrations. To commemorate England's patron saint, Salisbury adopted a truly medieval theme last Saturday, with grave-diggers, a ratcatcher, a rabbit
AS the 2005 general election campaign enters its last week, the six candidates standing in the Salisbury constituency are today making their final appeals for the votes of Journal readers. It is the third week running that the Journal has given the six
CARPENTER Adie Vearn-combe is the toast of his village pub, after he picked six winners and netted his friends a total of £55,000. The 57-year-old grandfather, who lives in Allington, is a member of a six-man syndicate at the Old Inn, Allington. Members
A BUDDING stylist has won a hairdressing competition. Claire Campbell, a trainee at Twisted hair salon in Victoria Road, scooped the prize at Swindon College where she is taking an NVQ in hairdressing. The 25-year-old chose Venus the Roman Goddess of
A VERDICT of suicide while the balance of his mind was disturbed was returned by a Salisbury inquest jury on Friday on a mentally ill man who set fire to his petrol-drenched body at a city filling station. Jason Delstanche (37), who had been living rough
A YOUNG army trainee died in his barracks after sniffing lighter fuel with friends, an inquest heard. Gunner Michael Riley was based at Stirling Barracks, Larkhill, for the second phase of his training, when he died after falling from a chair in a friend's
STAFF and pupils at St Edmund's Girls' School have clinched £360,000 of lottery funding to deliver a revolutionary enhancement programme. Thanks to the three-year grant from Sport England's Active England Fund, St Edmund's will be the first school in
A MOBILE caterer has been left devastated after his business was stolen, just days before he was due to hand it to a new owner. Robert Padwick's Snack Attack! van has been a popular and profitable feature of Downton business centre for the past 18 months
AN Australian aborigine discovered a new spiritual home last week - Stonehenge. It was far from his own homeland, but Francis Firebrace clearly found similar mystic vibes as he performed ritual dances and songs against the background of the 4,500-year-old
Kate Maulik Picture Ref: 77178-57NURSES are returning to Great Western Hospital in their droves, say bosses. Nationally, the Government is struggling to fill vacant NHS nurse positions. But here in Wiltshire, nothing could be further from the truth, hospital
Kate Maulik Picture Ref: 77178-57NURSES are returning to Great Western Hospital in their droves, say bosses. Nationally, the Government is struggling to fill vacant NHS nurse positions. But here in Wiltshire, nothing could be further from the truth, hospital
Picture Ref: 77143-83A WOOTTON Bassett mum has spent three days in the lap of luxury while her husband looked after their four children. And on Friday his struggle to cope will be shown on national television. The ITV's Mums On Strike gave Alison Twine
SOUTH Swindon's Labour candidate has come under fire for refusing to say whether she supports Tony Blair's decision to invade Iraq. Anne Snelgrove is one of 17 new Labour candidates who are refusing to state whether they agree with the war. Ms Snelgrove
Asking the right questions. Members of the audience at Westlea Primary School Picture Ref: 77186-21RESIDENTS had the chance to put their election candidates on the spot as the Adver hustings came to South Swindon last night. All the candidates were at
A TEENAGE boy is due in Swindon Youth Court today to face charges of possessing a gun and dealing in heroin and crack cocaine. The boy was 15 when he was arrested in August last year. He is now 16, and is believed to be the youngest person charged with
Grove Hill residents Renee Shephard, left, and Irene Hancock Picture Ref: 77171-61A GANG of thieves were stunned when they were marched back to an old folk's home to return stolen garden furniture. Police in Highworth were alerted to a theft-in-progress
Mark Sutton with graffiti on the war memorial Picture Ref: 77170-41A MEMORIAL to Swindon soldiers who died in both world wars has been desecrated by vandals. Radnor Street Cemetery, off Clifton Street in Old Town is the final resting place for dozens
Gary Philpott Picture Ref: 77156-344A NOTORIOUS drink-driver with 28 previous motoring convictions was caught driving while banned just eight months after leaving prison for the same offence. Police have dubbed Gary Philpott a menace who is oblivious
Wiltshire have announced their team for the forthcoming C & G Trophy match against Kent at South Wilts CC, Salisbury on Tuesday, May 3. Captained by Russell Rowe, they include as their overseas player the Australia and Western Australia opening bat
SOUTH Swindon's Labour candidate has come under fire for refusing to say whether she supports Tony Blair's decision to invade Iraq. Anne Snelgrove is one of 17 new Labour candidates who are refusing to state whether they agree with the war. Ms Snelgrove
Swindon Badgers girls under 12s continued their domination of the Wiltshire Girls League with a 4-0 win over Swindon Town Girls in the final of the League Cup. Badgers attacked from the first whistle with Katy Kingshott causing the Town defence some problems
SHRIVENHAM are one win away from securing the Hellenic One West title after a hard-fought derby victory last night. Alan Dyton's men beat Purton 3-1 at home thanks to a brace from Steve Avenell, pictured, and one from Steve Thomas. Shrivvy could be crowned
A RODBOURNE church is to celebrate its new organ. A recital will be at St Augustine's Church, Summers Street, next Wednesday. It will be given by Prof Ian Tracey, organist and Master of the Choristers at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral who has played at
Have you seen this man?THIS is the face of a cyclist who punched a woman waiting at a bus stop before stealing her phone. The robbery happened when a 20-year-old woman was on the phone at a bus stop in Welcombe Avenue, Park South, when she was approached
Kate Maulik Picture Ref: 77178-57NURSES are returning to Great Western Hospital in their droves, say bosses. Nationally, the Government is struggling to fill vacant NHS nurse positions. But here in Swindon, nothing could be further from the truth, hospital
Bill Holliday Picture Ref: 77179-23A RESIDENT is so sick of seeing cars going the wrong way up a one-way road that he has started taking snaps of guilty motorists. Bill Holliday, of Bedwyn Close, said that nearly every day during rush hour traffic cars
A SWINDON man who attacked a Turk in the town has been remanded in custody by a judge. Shane Timms pleaded guilty to a charge of racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he appeared before Swindon Crown Court. The 24-year-old, of
Picture Ref: 77173-14THE boss of a Swindon employment agency has been slaving over a hot oven for the Swindon Cancer Appeal. Maggie Heavens, managing director of the Field Staff Agency in Commercial Road baked cakes for the appeal to raise a total of
SWINDON Council has told householders they will collect garden waste if it is put in a green bag with Swindon Council on it. My daughter has tried to purchase the green bags to no avail. The Link Centre has not got any. Does anyone know where we can buy
IN 1945 when Britain was at war, our troops all over the world were given the right to vote. Yet in 2005 with all the technology available, our troops in Iraq are being deprived of their right to vote. What, if anything, is Tony Blair doing to rectify
I'VE just read a very interesting set of figures. Apparently since the Wilts and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership (that's the people that operate the speed cameras, to you and me) was set up in 2002 the fatality rate reads: 2002 43; 2003 49; 2004 61.
I WELL appreciate the anger that is felt by your correspondent about Salt Way School. But had she had spoken to me first, as many parents and some governors have done both on the doorsteps and by telephone, she would know that I too am deeply concerned
