Archive

  • Malmesbury postwoman airlifted after fall

    A female postal worker in her 40s was air lifted to Frenchay hospital today with a suspected fractured skull after slipping on ice in Hullavington. A rapid response vehicle and road ambulance were despatched but the Wiltshire Air Ambulance arrived

  • Rudman sets track record in World Cup win

    Pewsey's Shelley Rudman was victorious at today's World Cup skelton bob race at Igls in Austria, breaking the track record in the process. The 27-year-old, who now resides in Sheffield, completed her first run in 55.10 seconds to leave her

  • Wiltshire recycling firm fined over crush death

    A recycling firm has been fined £180,000 and ordered to pay £38,000 costs after worker Paul McGuire, 33, was crushed to death in a baling machine. Swindon Crown Court today heard how Mr McGuire was left alone to operate the baler at the Kingshill Recycling

  • Malmesbury pub landlady dies

    Hilary Timms, the landlady of the popular King's Arms Hotel in Malmesbury High Street, died this morning from a suspected heart attack. She ran the pub, which is closed today, with partner Keith Johnson. Mrs Timms, originally from Liverpool

  • Swindon Town announce Yeovil tickets offer

    Swindon Town Football Club have launched a Season Ticket promotion for next weekend's visit of Yeovil Town. For next weekend only, full paying adult Season Ticket holders can bring a friend to the game for £5. Tickets must be purchased by 5pm, Friday

  • My boys can match the big teams

    The wins at home to Halesowen and Truro earlier in the season were very good but the 3-1 win against Corby on Saturday was fantastic. I’ve said it all along – whenever good sides come here and want to play football with us we can match them

  • Chippenham's Pratt has his season back on track

    Two-goal hero David Pratt believes he is back to his best and has put it all down to sheer hard work and determination. The young forward has been an almost ever present in the Bluebirds side this season but suffered a crisis of confidence when the

  • Now Bluebirds are on the up says skipper

    Fearless skipper Iain Harvey believes the team’s recent upswing in form is merely the tip of the iceberg and that their superior fitness levels will help propel hem up the league. After an inconsistent start to the season, Chippenham have won their last

  • Heating problems close council offices

    Council offices in Chippenham remain closed today due to problems with their gas supply. North Wiltshire District Council offices at Monkton Park have been closed since yesterday morning because of a lack of heating. The issue stems

  • The Steve Nell Ice Hockey column

    Swindon Wildcats general manager Steve Nell with the latest from The Link Centre I think it’s fair to say that our new coach Ryan Aldridge could not have asked for more after an excellent first weekend in charge where we produced two fantastic wins

  • Chippenham defender Casey anxious for another first team start

    Chippenham Town produced a rock-solid defensive display to upset big-spending Corby with stand-in centre back Steve Casey proving an unlikely hero. The former Calne Town player has not started a game since October’s 3-1 cup defeat to Brackley Town where

  • Slack could leave Bluebirds

    Striker Kevin Slack could be set to leave Chippenham Town and is weighing up a series of more lucrative offers from rival clubs. The recently announced budget cuts have resulted in several members of the squad being forced to take a cut in salary but

  • Highworth rider Tapner struck by tragedy

    Highworth international event rider Paul Tapner, who competes for Australia, has suffered the misfortune of losing one of his most promising up and coming horses. Giacometti, who is owned by the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, hosts of The Mitsubishi Motors

  • Mendoza stars in Belgium

    Tockenham rider Jessica Mendoza, 12, has recently returned from Belgium, where she was part of a Great Britain squad taking part in the Neeroeteren U21 international show jumping competition. She has been the dominant force in 128cms show jumping

  • Addis is agonisingly close to title victory

    Teenager Charlotte Addis lost out on a national titles by just .8 of a second. Addis, 18, who is head girl at Stonar School, was in action at the 2008 KBIS British Equestrian/BSJA National Amateur and Veteran Championships in Lincoln-shire. She was quick

  • Runners set for Wiltshire cross country championships

    More than 200 runners are expected at the Wiltshire Cross Country Championships on Sunday. The event will take place on Sunday at Hudsons field in Salisbury with the first race starting at 11.45am. Adrian Clover, a coach at Bath University’s athletics

  • Hughes’ England bid dealt knockout blow

    JINXED Joe Hughes has been left cursing his luck once again as an untimely illness has forced him to withdraw from the England under 21 boxing squad. The frustrated 18-year-old Malmesbury ABA starlet has not had a competitive bout since July, following

  • Memories of Chippenham ambulance staff

    This picture of ambulance staff was taken in Chippenham and shows the smiling faces of both men and women staff. It has no date but looks as though it might have been taken in the 1920s. Some of the biggest advances in the use and development of ambulances

  • The tale of Devizes' Market Place

    Devizes boasts one of the largest market places of any town in the West of England. But until now no one has written a book especially about it. Local historian and blacksmith John Girvan has remedied that situation with a lavishly illustrated

  • Drowning Not Waving, December 11

    We are hurtling towards Christmas, and once again the annual challenge is looming over us like one of Scrooge’s ghosts. Yes, while normal people fret about wrapping paper and final posting dates for Antipodean parcels, we are again all in a lather about

  • Dean Spanley (U)

    Every dog has its day and in Toa Fraser’s gently paced tale of fractious father-son bonding in Edwardian England, it’s certainly a day to remember. Adapted by Alan Sharp from Baron Dunsany’s 1936 novella My Talks With Dean Spanley, this quixotic shaggy

  • Inkheart (PG)

    What if by reading a book, you could literally bring the story to life around you, coaxing characters off the page and into the real world? Inkheart is a fantastical family adventure based on the best-selling novel by Cornelia Funke about a

  • The Day The Earth Stood Still (12A)

    Planet Earth is on the brink of catastrophe and mankind is to blame. The verminous human race has plundered and pillaged natural resources, pumped noxious gases into the atmosphere and buried toxins deep within the ground. Millions of acres of forest

  • Review: Devizes Chamber Choir St John’s Church, Devizes

    During the first half of their annual Christmas concert on Saturday, Devizes Chamber Choir, with Tim Hutchings on organ, delighted a capacity audience with a compelling performance of Saint Saens' Christmas Oratorio. It is difficult to understand

  • Review: We will Rock You, St John's School, Marlborough

    Students at St John’s School certainly made their old school building rock with their latest production, and the last before the school is demolished, We Will Rock You. This show was a sell out days before it opened and, with a matinee for children from

  • Review: The Philanthropist, Marlborough Players

    The Christmas lights are on, and in town and village halls across the country it’s pantomime time – except in Marlborough where, having shot their bolt early with the Hamlet-meets-Aladdin comedy Waiting for Panto at Easter, the Marlborough Players are

  • Wootton Bassett pays tribute to another fallen hero

    The people of Wootton Bassett welcomed home another of the country’s fallen troops yesterday as the union jack draped coffin of Lance Corporal David Wilson was flown home to RAF Lyneham. Residents stood side by side, with heads bowed, as the procession

  • Wiltshire firefighters tackle Cricklade blaze

    Fire crews from across Wiltshire were called to a large fire at Chelwood Industrial Estate in Cricklade last night. Twenty eight firefighters, four fire engines and two support vehicles from Cricklade, Westlea, Wootton Bassett and Stratton arrived at

  • Melksham victory is a must, says Beasley

    Midfielder Kris Beasley has urged his teammates to get back to winning ways tomorrow against Chard Town. Melksham Town are enjoying a season in which they are exceeding all expectations to sit nine points off leaders Dawlish Town with three games in

  • Malmesbury's Marshall tells his players to aim high

    Malmesbury Victoria will play the second of two six-pointers in as many weeks and will be hoping for a much better result than the first. The Vics went into last Saturday’s game with Oxford City Nomads on the back of a six game unbeaten run

  • Wootton: Vale have nothing left to lose

    You would have thought that the one thing Pewsey Vale could do without after four straight defeats, is a visit to the division’s runaway leaders. However manager Steve Wootton has said that his players will go to Hardwicke AFC on Saturday without fear

  • A grand total

    The Poppy Appeal in Calne and District has so far this year raised £12,230.61 – a great result. We would like to say a huge thank you to all those who gave so generously and to all the wonderful volunteer collectors and businesses without whose help

  • Unfair criticism

    I would like to offer a response to one of your readers who voiced her displeasure at being unable to handle alcohol at a Morrisons store recently. It appears that the person in question is unaware of the severe consequences you could face

  • Total is exceeded

    I am delighted to report that in common with many other areas, the Poppy Appeal for the Malmesbury district has exceeded all previous totals. All those who gave their time and money will be pleased to know the final amount will exceed £8,160. The extraordinary

  • Santa a success

    After reading this week how the children and parents were badly let down with Lapland in the New Forest, I can fully recommend a trip to Whitehall Garden Centre in Lacock. On Saturday, my sister and I took her two granddaughters along to see Father

  • A fantastic result

    The Poppy Appeal in Devizes and nearby villages has so far this year raised just over £16,000. A fantastic result. Thank you to everyone who has so generously contributed both money and time to this appeal. Miss A Rowley High Street Littleton Pannell

  • Wiltshire Coroner's questions over Pewsey mum's suicide

    Wiltshire Coroner David Masters has asked hospital staff why they turned away depressed mum Katie Lee before she killed herself. He also wants to know how the mother of three managed to stockpile enough prescription drugs to take a massive overdose.

  • Plea for Tesco

    With the impending demise of Woolworth’s, there will soon be a large black hole in most town centres, including that of Chippenham. Many local folk have expressed the hope that another large and competitive supermarket will come to Chippenham and

  • An enjoyable night

    Along Lickhill Road and North Street in Calne people were sitting outside their houses to watch the Calne community at play during the Christmas lights parade. Even the intense cold could not keep people away. Smiles, waves and cheers greeted everyone

  • Scrooges might like to lend a hand

    I felt, when I read the letter from David Witt in last week’s paper, that it is more the “ba humbug” brigade who are out in force at the moment. I am not a practising Christian, but I am someone who has tried, for the last few years, to help the volunteers

  • Cash for causes

    Thanks to those who continue to help the Lions Club of Devizes. Many provided goods for us to sell in our Christmas fair on Saturday. On the big day our visitors were as generous as ever, and we expect to have raised around £5,000. Meanwhile, for

  • We deserve more

    It seems that there is always money to spend on new and often hideous new developments, such as the approach road from Marlborough, which could make any visitor decide to drive through, thus missing the marvellous architecture of the town. Why is there

  • Shape our future

    may I express my delight in reading that the Community Area Young People Issue Group would like to be taken seriously in their pleas to become more involved in the town’s future. I often wonder if our efforts through councils, Devizes Development Partnership

  • Gallows sign rare

    I found your article on the damage to the pub sign, belonging to the Swan at Enford, most distressing. I belong to a group known as the Inn Sign Society and we are only too well aware of how rare signs of this type are. They are known as gallows signs

  • Stop this action

    It is very sad that the Friends of Savernake Hospital have had to use their precious funds legally to try to re-open the minor injuries unit and day hospital at Savernake and taxpayers’ money has been used lavishly by the Wiltshire Primary Care Trust

  • Council must get real

    What is going on with Marlborough Town Council? The Gazette has highlighted that the allegedly cash-strapped town council has £100,000 to spend thanks to the retiring Kennet’s largesse. Apparently, it has been decided that this money will be splurged

  • Time to clean up

    It was reassuring to read of the police action against motorists causing a nuisance and upsetting residents in Devizes. Now, how about a police crack-down on other anti-social issues, by people who do not so much break the law as ignore it? Such as

  • GP is meticulous

    I write in support of my GP Dr Minar Parsley after your front page story in last week’s edition. In March, I had a potentially life-threatening illness. I was examined by two doctors before seeing Dr Parsley. Dr Parsley immediately recognised and

  • Gifts for children

    We would like to thank everyone who contributed towards our Operation Christmas Child shoebox campaign 2008. Thanks to your effort, 2,800 children will receive a box filled with gifts, but more important, will know that someone cares for them. We

  • Unethical to try to convert Muslims

    I would like to respond to Ella Dickinson’s letter (November 27), in which she quotes Rev David Applin, chief executive of Samaritan’s Purse, as declaring that the religious pamphlets which normally accompany the shoeboxes Operation Christmas Child distributes

  • Devizes man dies after crash

    A Devizes man in his 60s has died following a crash in Nursteed Road on Thursday night. The Renault 19 left the road and crashed into garden wall shortly after 11pm. The driver was rushed to Great Western Hospital in Swindon but died shortly

  • Swindon drivers warned over black ice

    Police are warning drivers in the north of Swindon to drive carefully due to black ice on the roads. The warning comes after several road traffic collisions occured due to the dangerous road conditions. Drivers have been asked to be extremely cautious

  • Road bocked at Tockenham after crash

    Emergency services are attending a crash between Lyneham and Wootton Bassett. The two car collision on the A3102 at Tockenham occured just before 9am this morning and the road has been completely blocked off while the scene is cleared. Drivers are being

  • Devizes police raid suspected drug dealer's house

    Police battered down the door of a suspected drug dealer in Victoria Road, Devizes, this morning. In darkness two armed officers led the raid on the flat at 7.15am and arrested the sole occupant of the house, a 34-year-old Devizes man, who

  • Devizes man who built a road over Australian mountains

    The story of a Devizes man who was the first to build a road over the Blue Mountains in New South Wales is on sale at Devizes Books. Eric Leeson from Wimborne in Dorset is raising money for Cancer Research UK from sales of the short biography of William

  • Wiltshire Search and Rescue gets vital grant

    Wiltshire Search and Rescue have given a grant to buy vital equipment by The Community Foundation for Wiltshire and Swindon. The team has been awarded £4,700 for equipment, clothing, van upkeep and day-to-day running costs. The Grassroots Grants

  • Marlborough students show driving ambition

    Students at St John’s School in Marlborough can now hone their basic mechanical skills thanks to the generosity of three local car dealerships. The managers of the town’s three car salesrooms, Clarke and Rodway, Elm Tree Motors and Skurray’s, have each

  • Wiltshire ewes mauled in dog attack

    A ewe had to be destroyed after several were attacked at a Seend farm by what is believed to have been dogs. Eight sheep were mauled in the attack at Great Thornham Farm during Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Farmer Digby Hawkins and his wife