Archive
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King John
Every sports club needs a stalwart to hold it together but few people have served two clubs as loyally as John Oliver. The 64-year-old from Haydon Wick has played more than 1,000 matches for Swindon Hockey Club and close to 1,000 for United Churches Cricket
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We will have a happy Christmas
DESPITE suffering more than their fair share of bad fortune, a Stratton family is determined to celebrate Christmas in style. Mother-of-six Wendy Gilbert, 35, is epileptic, suffers from multiple sclerosis and last year doctors told her she has a brain
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Knuckleduster trio attacked me says man
A 22-YEAR-old man claims he was attacked by three people wearing knuckledusters and brandishing a knife while going for a walk in Wootton Bassett. Ahmed Shujah, who has been living in Swindon for just over a month after relocating from Pak-istan, managed
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Mean thieves steal pre-school's collection box
thieves broke into a Swindon betting shop and stole a charity box destined for a pre-school. As well as donations from customers, the box also contained the proceeds from a raffle held a few days before. It was put in Wilson Bookmakers in Clive Parade
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Inspectors to visit authority
SWINDON'S local education authority will undergo the same rigorous inspection as its schools next year when a team of Ofsted officials come to town. It is one of 16 in the country which will be visited in the second wave of inspections to take place in
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Kosovan jailed for Samurai stabbing
KOSOVAN asylum seeker Fred Pjetri has been jailed for seven years for playing his part in a violent fracas in Swindon town centre. Shoppers in the busy precinct scattered as the 19-year-old stabbed a fellow countryman with a Samurai sword on May 8, Swindon
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Appeal for witnesses
SWINDON: Police are renewing an appeal for witnesses to a collision on the M4 involving two lorries and a Vauxhall Vectra in the early hours of Wednesday, November 29. Before the emergency services arrived it is believed several motorists drove through
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A talk for life
MOTIVATIONAL speakers are hosting an evening dedicated to personal development at Blunsdon House Hotel. The Gift seminar will feature two of the country's most well known speakers Tony Wilson, creator of The Motivation for Life Programme and author Richard
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Roadshow highlights post dates
THE Royal Mail Roadshow is coming to Swindon in a bid to spread awareness of Christ-mas posting dates. Posties expect to handle more than 2.5 billion cards and letters this Christmas. Highlighting the last posting dates for Christmas cards going overseas
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'Accident' in curry house led to court appearance
STOPPING for a curry cost drunken Mark Sydney-Smith more than a penny after he wet himself in a restaurant, a court heard. The 38-year-old father-of-two stopped off at the Lahore take away in Regent Circus at 11.30pm on Sunday when the accident happened
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Nicola speaks out for teenage girls
THE job of ensuring that the views of young people in the UK are heard has fallen on the shoulders of a Swindon teenager. Nicola Haracz, 16, from The Bramp-tons, Shaw, has taken a place on the UK's first ever teenage advisory board, Generation Wicked.
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From humble beginnings to an heroic life
AN ADVENTURER who was born in Swindon has died at the age of 101 at his New York home. Ralph Bates was born on November 3, 1899, and became a railway worker before going on to work as a Spanish docker, travelling mechanic, mountaineer, soldier and distinguished
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Oldest woman dies aged 109
BRITAIN'S oldest woman, Swindon-born Eva Pickles, has died at the age of 109 just days after being awarded the record. Mrs Pickles, born in Swindon in 1891 when Gladstone was Prime Minister and Queen Victoria still had 10 years to reign, died on Thursday
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Dear Sir, we'd like the job of England manager
ENGLAND'S new football coach fought off a challenge from Swin-don youngsters before landing his dream job. Sven Goran Eriksson may have been the FA's choice to lead Eng-land's World Cup bid, but 25 Churchfields School pupils made sure there was plenty
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All change
STAGECOACH will introduce an emergency schedule on several Swindon services from Monday after admitting it is in the midst of a staffing crisis. The company is currently working at just 75 per cent strength, after a rush of resignations were filed in
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Car and van damaged
FRESHBROOK: Oakley sunglasses and bricklaying tools were stolen from a white Vauxhall Astra van parked at the Freshbrook Village Centre overnight on Wednesday. Goods to the value of £950 were taken and £100 worth of damage was caused to the door lock.
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Buddy plan at nursery
A NURSERY school has started a new buddy system to help support parents of new children. In the pioneering scheme Leapfrog Nurseries, at St Andrews Ridge, Abbey Meads, is pairing up parents who have registered their under-fives for childcare with similar
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Play equipment is serious pub fare
CHILDREN at Ferndale Infants School will now enjoy playing out in the winter weather much more thanks to the generosity of pub regulars. The school took delivery of outdoor play equipment on Wednesday bought with £291 raised from a conker competition
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Governors...we need you
THE GOVERNING body of a school is what makes it tick, solving day-to-day problems as much as developing long-term policies to improve the education its pupils get. Without governors, Ofsted inspections would be failed, staffing problems could get out
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New action planned by protesters
CAMPAIGNERS against the Front Garden development are considering reporting the borough council for malpractice. Last week Swindon councillors gave the go ahead for the development of 3,800 homes to be built on the rural buffer between Old Town and the
