Archive
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Home help wanted
Ian Woan says Swindon Town need the fans' backing to banish the home jitters and win a place in the money-spinning third round of the FA Cup. They play host to non-League Gateshead in the second round on Saturday with the former Nottingham Forest man
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What a waste of our money
WILTSHIRE County Council must hold its hand up and admit it blundered by contesting David Rowlands' compensation claim. When he hit his head on a low road sign on a paved walkway at the Bridge Centre roundabout in Chippenham, the county should have admitted
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Don't judge a school on tables
THE primary school league tables published today will be a source of great pride and delight to many heads, teachers and parents as they walk across the playground this morning. To others though they will make grim reading because they appear to show
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New cycle of free use starts on canal after £2,000 grant
KENNET District Council has agreed to give £2,000 to British Waterways to keep cycling free of charge on the towpath of the Kennet and Avon Canal. Councillors at last week's transportation sub-committee heard that in 1997 British Waterways brought in
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Quality amid the cobblers
I've only been to a handful of Town matches since I joined the Adver 10 months ago, and most of them have been pretty dismal until I watched them play the Cobblers last Saturday, writes guest columnist Sam Wheeler. I used to wonder what on earth possessed
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Striking bird of prey makes welcome return
WILTSHIRE birdwatchers are being urged to watch the skies as sightings of the elusive red kite are becoming increasingly common in the county. Once an everyday sight in English towns and rural areas, the red kite, a strikingly marked bird of prey with
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Grant rescues housing project
THE struggling project to restore the historic Lady Hungerford Almshouses has been rescued with a new cash injection from North Wiltshire District Council. The Grade I Listed buildings in Corsham have been covered with plastic sheeting as trustees tried
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Don't be sniffy about seeing a pharmacist
WHEN you next get a sniffle and become fed up with reaching for the paper hankies don't call the doctor, just pop into the nearest chemist and ask the pharmacist what he or she recommends. That's the advice of the Wiltshire Health Authority, which says
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Expert is the driving force behind new film
THE film of the book Captain Corelli's Mandolin is being tipped as the hit of 2001. LEWIS COWEN spoke to the Wiltshire man in charge of all its military vehicles All the military vehicles in the new film Captain Corelli's Mandolin have been organised
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Parents rapped over holidays in term time
PARENTS who take their children on holiday during term time have come under attack from Wiltshire's chief education officer Bob Wolfson. He said they are harming their children's education as well as hitting schools with a double whammy of having to help
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Towns turn on festive sparkle
FOUR of Calne's oldest residents arrived early to turn on the town's Christmas lights on Friday December1, but the illuminated Santa was late. The sound of bugles and drums accompanied the lightshow, as Calne's oldest resident, Bert Hardy, who will be
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Tributes to a stalwart who served town in many ways
TEACHERS and councillors have paid tribute Ted Cooper, a leading figure in the life of Calne, who died last week at the age of 88. Mr Cooper was a town councillor for many years and mayor from 1982 to 1983. With his late wife Louise, he was a governor
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Drop-in centre gets first home
A NEW drop-in centre for youngsters in Calne could open next month. Last week Mayor Eric Porter handed over the keys of premises in Wood Street to the centre's trustees on behalf of Calne Town Council. The centre will be open to youngsters on Thursday
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Scouting delivery
PEOPLE in Calne can send their Christmas cards for less than the price of a stamp this year if they choose to support the Scouts' delivery service. For 15p a card, the scouts will be doing the rounds in the town and all the surrounding villages. The last
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School's gift of festive trees
KINDHEARTED girls from St Mary's School have brightened up six venues in Calne by donating and decorating Christmas trees. Students from the Calne school raised money for Christmas lights and decorations through a number of fundraising events, including
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Caravan plan rejected
STANTON St Quintin residents are celebrating after North Wiltshire District Council threw out a plan for a caravan and tent park in the village. The plan was submitted by Seagry farmer, Gordon Ridout of Nables Farm. He wanted to use land near the Chippenham
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Festive night of traditional fun
CROWDS which flocked into Wootton Bassett High Street last Friday evening were treated to a sparkling prelude to the festive season. The town centre was turned into a traffic-free zone for two hours of fun as part of a Dickensian evening organised by
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Beaujolais birthday fun
Wootton Bassett's Jonathan Munton celebrated his 40th birthday in style with a dash to France in this year's Beaujolais Charity Challenge in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital. Mr Munton and navigator Paul Wyles, set off from Leeds Castle in Kent on
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Head praises students who scale the Everest of exams
ALLEGATIONS that improved exam results reflect falling standards have been roundly condemned by Wootton Bassett School head teacher Hylton Thomas. At his final speech day prior to retirement next summer, Mr Thomas claimed such remarks are ill-considered
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Sparkling life to celebrate
BERNARD Sparks celebrated his 100th birthday surrounded by friends at a party in Ridgeway House, Wootton Bassett, his home for the past 11 years. A card from the Queen and a visit from the Mayor Bill Roberts, were highlights of a memorable day. "I'm lucky
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Concerns over safety of play area are raised
CHIPPENHAM Town Council has refused to take on a children's play area in Audley Road because of safety fears over an electricity sub station in the corner. Members also heard the play space, part of a new housing development by Alfred McAlpine, at Kingham
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Fatstock show entry down with farm crisis
THE sad state of the UK farming industry was reflected at Chippenham's Christmas fatstock show and sale where the number of exhibitors has dropped dramatically. Ten years ago the show would have been attended by up to 60 farmers all eager to show off
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Hundreds write to protest at homes bid
MORE than 600 letters have been sent to North Wiltshire District Council to object against plans to build 90 houses and shops on 20 acres of greenfield land in the middle of Minety. Villager Lesley Cowley, leader of the Friends of Minety protest group
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Royal Mail says space shortage needs sorting
THE Royal Mail has joined the outcry against a decision by North Wiltshire District Council to refuse permission for new industrial units on the edge of Malmesbury. Kevin Baddeley, manager of the Malmesbury Royal Mail sorting office, said: "We're very
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Museum could be run by trust
THE Athelstan Museum could enjoy a more prosperous future if it was managed by a charitable trust, according to museum supporters. The Friends of Athelstan Museum are considering options to safeguard the future of the museum as North Wiltshire District
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Resident in plea for a parking scheme
A PLEA from a householder in Kennet Place, Marlborough, for a residents' parking scheme is now being investigated by Kennet District Council. Town councillors however, did not support Val Compton's request, saying there was little benefit because residents
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Fun reigns victorious on evening from past
IF the real Queen Victoria had still been alive and visiting Marlborough on Tuesday instead of her actress lookalike Mary Ratcliff she would probably have been very amused by the town's annual Victorian evening. Downpours held off for the annual spectacle
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Patsy-style glamour lights up town
WITH a little bit of help from local entertainers and an almost miraculous break in the storms which had dogged the day on Tuesday December 5, the Marlborough Victorian evening turned out to be Absolutely Fabulous. The undoubted star of the show was Marlborough's
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Second award
BAYDON building firm W Liddiard (Aldbourne Ltd) has scooped a national title for a second time for its work on building a roof over an ancient Roman mosaic at Littlecote House. Liddiards last won the national title for the best new building costing under
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Rescue bid for redundant staff
HI-TECH medical dressing manufacturers First Water, have brought Christmas cheer to 20 workers threatened with redundancy by the multi-national company Maersk Medical at Ramsbury. The workers at the Hilldrop Lane medical aids company have been offered
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Muggers march boy to cash machine
A TEENAGER whose family moved from London to escape crime was threatened with violence by muggers who marched him to a cashpoint and forced him to hand over his birthday money. The victim, who lives in Calne, went to Chippenham on Sunday December 3 with
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Jobs lost at banana depot
BANANA firm Geest is to close its Chippenham ripening depot on the Bumpers Farm Industrial Estate. The depot employs 85 people and although operations manager Richard Worrall said the future of the employees was his top priority, he anticipated many would
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Festive fury as treat cash goes
THIEVES have left pensioners without a Christmas treat after they stole their savings. The 34 residents at Kingston House old people's home in Derry Hill, as well as visitors to the residential home, had been putting all their spare change into a giant
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Squadron reunion
The 878 (Highworth) Squadron of the Air Training Corps celebrates its tenth birthday next year. The 214 Squadron was changed to 878 Squadron in 1991. The squadron moved from meeting at the Warneford School to its headquarters in Newburgh Place in June
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Delay for awards
DUE to the bad weather, leading to the just 63 league games being completed in November, the Screwfix Direct League manager of the month and team of the month awards have been held in abeyance until the management committee meeting on Thursday December
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Devizes beaten in six goal thrillerYouth football
DEVIZES Town entertained Melksham Park A in the under 11s division of the Wiltshire Times and News Mid-Wilts Youth and Minor League and succumbed in a six goal thriller. Oliver Sivyer and Simon Oldham scored their goals, with replies coming from Daniel
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Highworth step up championship bid
Highworth Town 2, Almondsbury Town 1 HIGHWORTH pulled six points clear at the top of the Premier Division with this narrow success on Saturday. The Highworth line-up included former Swindon Town boss Jimmy Quinn, who was making his home debut, and it
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Police warning to Town's yobs
Devizes police are warning town centre yobs they are to crack down on violence and bad behaviour in the run up to Christmas. The warning comes after a woman police officer was injured during a fracas in the early hours of Sunday morning while the evening
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Santa floats around area
SANTA is on his way around the area from this evening as Devizes Lions Club takes its Christmas float round the streets and villages. The float begins along Bath Road, dropping into Caen Hill Gardens, Mayenne Place, Salisbury Street, Avon Road, Beauclerc
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Ugly bug ball creates a buzz
YOUNG members of Watch, the junior section of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, descended on Urchfont Manor College on Sunday December 3 dressed as members of the insect kingdom. The Ugly Bug Ball was part of a project funded by the Year of the Artist in which
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A rumble in the jungle
CHILDREN at the Old School Nursery in Great Cheverell took part in a very different kind of Christmas play this week. The play, called Mbuti, is set in Africa, the children's topic for the term, and tells the story of the Mbuti, a tribe of people who
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'This selfish sex change vicar should stand down'
When the Reverend Carol Stone took to the pulpit in Swindon on Sunday she was making history as Britain's first sex-change vicar. She has been applauded by many in the church for her bravery and has the backing of her bishop. But, as IAN FANNON reports
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Post back to normal as workers quit strike
MAIL deliveries returned to normal in Swindon today after Post Office bosses persuaded workers to abandon their unlawful walkout. Thousands of homes and businesses in the main urban areas of Swindon received no post yesterday after 700 workers at the
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Driver faces jail for crash
A DRIVER in a crash which killed a Swindon teenager has been warned he faces jail. Geoffrey Fairburn, 29, lost control of his BMW on a bend, and it slid broadside on into an oncoming Volkswagen Polo. BMW passenger Amal Patel, 19, a go-karting friend of
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LEAGUE TABLES - Pupils get a pat on the back
THE figures show a rise in the percentage of pupils reaching at least the national average in English, mathematics and science at the end of primary school, although Swindon is still behind the national average. In English the percentage of children achieving
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LEAGUE TABLES - Bottom, but we're on the up
Oaktree Primary School may have come bottom of the tables but the results show that many of the pupils are already making good progress in the recently launched new school. And head teacher Ann Harris is confident that there will be a big improvement
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LEAGUE TABLES - Top of the class
South Marston Primary School has not only come top of the league tables it is also the first Swindon school ever to gain maximum marks. And acting head teacher Gill Llewellyn has no doubt about the reason for the school's success. "We have a very strong
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Christmas bursts into light
HUNDREDS of people used Friday evening's Medieval Fair in Devizes to buy Christmas presents as the town got its first real taste of a 21st century Christmas. Devizes Town Council declared the fair a massive success in contrast to last year when wet weather
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Residents continue recycling site fight
RESIDENTS of Bishops Cannings are continuing their fight against a proposed neighbourhood recycling centre on Horton Road, close to houses at Wellington Drive and Ferozeshah Road. Parish council chairman Barry Cremin told Monday evening's meeting of the
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New offices in stable
A STABLE block at West Kennett is to be used for offices and a workshop for the National Trust. Kennet District Council's planning sub-committee granted permission for alterations and a change at West Kennett Farm Buildings. A countryside manager and
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Queen to flick switch
THE Christmas lights in Pewsey will be switched on by Carnival Queen Claire Dreweatt at 7pm on Sunday and blessed by Vicar Colin Fox before a carol concert led by the Kings Korner musicians. Carnival chairman Richard Giles will be leading a team of volunteers
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Drugs found in kitchen bin
CARE worker William Chessall has been fined £150 by Kennet magistrates in Devizes after police found cannabis resin with a street value of £155 at his home in London Road, Marlborough during a drugs raid on October 13. Roger Jones, prosecuting, said Chessall
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Paper chain is more work for butchers
BUTCHERS got the chance to take their criticisms of a new beef labelling system to the top. Andy Sears and Andy Ayris, partners at Andrew's Butchers in Highworth, are against new measures being introduced to ensure customers know where their meat is produced
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Forging young art-lovers
FAMOUS paintings by artists such as David Hockney and Thomas Gainsborough have found homes at primary schools in and around Swindon exclusive reproductions at least. Youngsters representing Charter and King's Lodge primary schools in Chippenham and Maud
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Twanky, the Slave and Aladdin
TELEVISION stars are getting to grips with the script for this year's Christmas pantomine in Swindon. They are in town rehearsing for the show, which starts next week. Taking the title role in the production of Aladdin is Peta Janossi, alias Aleetza Wood
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Psst . . . have you heard the one about?
TRADITIONAL playground games are set for a come back at Freshbrook Primary School thanks to a new initiative launched by the school. Deputy headteacher Jane Parsons explained: "A number of the older children from year six are being trained as play leaders
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Plea to silent majority over air base plans
IN what Amesbury Mayor Richard Crook described as a strident example of 'democracy in action', people crowded into Antrobus House, Amesbury, for a meeting on Boscombe Down's bid to house the RAFs new tanker fleet. But the talk was of the 'silent majority
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10 burglaries
MUM Kerryanne Hill says she is desperate to leave her home in Pinehurst after being the victim of 10 burglaries in the last two years. Kerryanne, 22, says that property worth a total of £2,000 has been stolen and she is not insured. Now she is asking
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Park and ride site set to open in February
THE completion date for the £1.6m Beehive park and ride scheme will be February 16 - with buses expected to start operating from the site days later. The complications that plagued the planning stages, when two separate inquiries were needed to determine
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Toddlers' fun spoiled by vandals
COMMUNITY leaders on the Bishopdown Farm estate in Salisbury have condemned a small group of teenagers whose repeated vandalism is spoiling the enjoyment of the majority. Last week, a further outbreak forced the cancellation of the morning pre-school
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Nicola's on song for a title
SCHOOL cleaner Nicola Kirsch swept to victory, winning ITV's Stars in Their Eyes grand final in style. Her impersonation of legendary soprano Maria Callas polled around a third of the votes cast - more than 474,000 - to snatch the title with her performance
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Time running out for childless couple
AN infertile couple who desperately long for a baby have accused Wiltshire Health Authority of robbing them of the chance to make their dream come true. Karryne and Simon Hodgkinson, of Livery Road, West Winterslow, cannot have IVF treatment on the NHS
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Home help wanted
Ian Woan says Swindon Town need the fans' backing to banish the home jitters and win a place in the money-spinning third round of the FA Cup. They play host to non-League Gateshead in the second round on Saturday with the former Nottingham Forest man
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Tacky night out
FOR the second year Marlborough Chamber of Commerce have shot themselves in the foot by allowing the Victorian Evening to degenerate into a mini mop fair. People are already staying away because most of the really charming old world touches have been
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Attack is a ploy
ONCE again Mr Allnatt (Lib-Dem) set out to launch an attack on members of the opposition by sending your paper misleading information about Goldiggers. This has been described by the council's solicitor as not only uncorroborated but also without persuasive
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Pub is not viable
I WRITE concerning your article last week,Villagers celebrate as last orders cancelled. As you will probably be aware, Mr and Mrs Lyndon Booth have chosen to spend semi-retirement in the delightful village of Minety, where they purchased the White Horse
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...go on and on
Could all drivers who travel between Devizes and St Edith's Marsh in Bromham please think carefully about which side of the road you should be driving on we have not yet adopted all things European. Why do so many of them feel the need to cut corners
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Attack inaccurate
I MUST defend Calne Town Council against Mr Osborne's uncalled for and inaccurate attack on last week's letters page. I wonder if he has ever attended any Calne Town Council meetings, or even read the minutes of those meetings. If he had he would know
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Tributes to honest men who stepped in to help
PLEASE would you publish a thank you to two men, Mr Holderness and Mr Wade, who found my handbag last Thursday and handed it into the NatWest Bank in Chippenham. Being a housewife and mother of two young children, money is extremely tight, and I was devastated
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Trust's work to make area better in future
I WOULD like to reply to your letters column to Mr Cameron McLennan, Gazette & Herald of the November 30. The Marlborough Area Development Trust is the result of an initiative by Kennet District Council and is one of four such partnerships throughout
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Wartime rationing was not on the menu
I DO hope nobody took Mr Manns' crushing indictment of the views expressed in my letter too seriously because he seems to have misinterpreted everything I said. I did not advocate food rationing now. I merely pointed out that during the war, when we lived
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Chancellor steps in on row over courts
THE Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg, has become directly involved in the future of Devizes magistrates court. His department has responded after a question was put to him by Steve McMahon, secretary of the Wiltshire branch of the Magistrates Association
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Transport Oscar is just the ticket for bus project
THE Wigglybus, the innovative bus service for the villages around Devizes and Pewsey, has won an award in the bus industry's version of the Oscars which were handed out in London Tuesday November 21. The service won the Bus in the Countryside award at
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Ex-councillor dies aged 95
FORMER district councillor and fervent conservationist Margaret Hunt-Grubbe has died in Dalecare Nursing Home at the age of 95. Mrs Hunt-Grubbe was member for Potterne on the former Devizes Rural District Council and its successor Kennet District Council
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Charity sets up sweet win for Chippenham
Chippenham Town 2, Welton Rovers 0: CHIPPENHAM played a fast and furious game in the Screwfix Direct League Premier Division match on Wednesday night. From the kick-off Chippenham seemed a very motivated side, with Mark Cutler and Steve Tweddle producing
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Congestion could be very costly
ANOTHER blank weekend due to the weather, so I was fortunate to find a game to watch on Saturday, writes Tommy Saunders My assistant Nobby Bush and myself went to watch his son play for Bath City Reserves in their 2-0 victory over Cadbury Heath. It was
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Dacourt lucky to survive outburst
Guest colmunist Sam Wheeler takes a light-hearted look at the world of sport this week. Clown of the week Leeds midfielder Olivier Dacourt, for his foolish comments before his side's clash with Lazio on Tuesday night. The Frenchman had some words for
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Town are guilty of fowl play
People may have accused Town players of ducking their responsibilities in some matches, but one statistic would suggest otherwise, writes guest columnist Sam Wheeler. While they are languishing in the bottom four of the regular Division Two table, they
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Problem schools on the increase
THE number of problem schools in Wiltshire has increased by more than double in the last year, say new council figures. A total of 41 are now in special measures, have serious weaknesses or are underachieving. The report from chief education officer Bob
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School turns the tables on poor report
STAFF and pupils at a Chippenham school are celebrating after being named as one of the most improved in the latest primary school league tables. Redland School was bitterly disappointed when it was severely criticised by Ofsted inspectors two years ago
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Model taken for presents
PENSIONERS who own a Calne model shop believe scalextric-stealing burglars targeted them for Christmas presents. Two men threw a breeze block through the window of Modelmaniacs in Church Street at about 3am on Monday, and stole two Scalectrix sets worth
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Cash grant offered to refurbish town shops
WITH new buildings going up in Calne's town centre, residents in one of the older parts of town are being offered the chance to clean up their buildings. Town mayor Eric Porter is urging tenants of Wood Street and Curzon Street to take advantage of money
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Injured driver given ticket while trapped
INJURED mother of two Shauna Bodman was issued with a traffic ticket while trapped in her car after an accident. Mrs Bodman, from Cherhill told magistrates in Devizes that traffic officer Mark Finistere issued her with a ticket while she was waiting to
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Police appeal after man frightens two teenagers
POLICE are appealing for information after a man in his early 30s frightened two teenagers in Wootton Bassett. Sergeant Richard Guy said a 13-year-old boy was walking home from school along Swindon Road, near Longleaze, on Friday December 1 at about 3.45pm
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Dad killed after car leaves road
POLICE are investigating the cause of a car crash near Wootton Bassett on Sunday December 3 in which father-of-three Ian Rayne was killed. Mr Rayne, 36, of Brooklands, Brinkworth, died from multiple injuries, but his nine-year-old daughter Louise escaped
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OBITUARY
Pat Weedon MANY people have been saddened by the sudden, unexpected death of Pat Weedon, a popular former Mayoress of Wootton Bassett, who led the town's Silver Threads club from 1979 until its closure in 1997, following her move to Haydon Wick. Cremation
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Public inquiry opens on park and ride plan
THE entire Swindon Transport Plan would be in jeopardy if the park and ride at junction 16 of the M4 is not allowed to go ahead. This is the view of Swindon Borough Council's principal planning officer Rob Jones, the first witness to speak at the public
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Council may face malpractice allegation
CAMPAIGNERS against the Front Garden development are considering reporting Swindon Borough Council for malpractice. Swindon councillors decided to allow the development of 3,800 homes to go ahead on the rural buffer between Swindon's Old Town and the
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Queen will visit town on tour for her jubilee
THE Queen will visit Malmesbury with the Duke of Edinburgh in March as part of a tour of north Wiltshire towns. The news has been widely welcomed. Deputy Mayor of Malmesbury and local historian John Bowen said: "In the last Millennium we had seven visits
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Gallery is to become focus for town's art
CHIPPENHAM'S Citadel Gallery is set to become the heart of the town's artistic and creative life, with acclaimed artist and teacher Syrah Arnold at the helm. The gallery, behind the Tourist Information Board in Bath Road, has enjoyed a revamp and is ready
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Traders' outrage at Christmas car chaos
CHIPPENHAM traders say urgent maintenance work in the Emery Gate car park has sparked traffic mayhem in the Christmas shopping rush. A large section of the car park's top level was closed off on Monday as workmen started repair work on the surface. Traders
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Man sentenced for danger drive
MOTORIST Barry Smith has been sentenced to 100 hours' community service for dangerous driving moments before a car crash in which three people died. Magistrates were told that Smith's driving did not directly cause the crash that killed five-year-old
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Funds drive begins
LUCKINGTON Pre-school is gearing up for a major fundraising campaign to enable the school to run a full Montessori teaching programme next year. Committee member Toby Lorford said although the pre-school was currently providing learning based on basic
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Artwork expo
PAINTINGS by more than 30 local artists are on display in Malmesbury Library as part of the art society's Christmas exhibition. Chairman, Jill Holmes, said there were 77 paintings by artists from all over the Malmesbury district, as well as silk scarves
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Toasting town philosopher
MEMBERS of the Thomas Hobbes Society gathered at Malmesbury's Knoll House Hotel for a candlelit supper on Friday, to commemorate the 321st anniversary of the death of the town's famous philosopher. Guest speaker was political analyst and columnist, Dr
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Charity seeks lorry saviour
A CHARITY is appealing to businesses and residents in the Malmesbury area to help needy villagers in Africa. The Nchima Trust collects medical and educational equipment for rural schools and community health clinics in Malawi. It also provides disabled
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Sporting lots of festive cheer
SHERSTON School began the festive season in high spirits on Saturday with a Christmas fair to raise funds for sports equipment. More than 200 adults and children enjoyed the event, despite the threat of gloomy weather. Teaching assistant, Suzanne Price
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Town traders make it a night to remember
HIGH Street traders are making final preparations to ensure that customers enjoy three hours of late night Christmas shopping in Malmesbury on Friday December 8. Shops will open their doors between 6pm and 9pm, but shoppers will also be able to browse
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Eva dies aged 109, the world's oldest woman
EVA Pickles has died at a Fordingbridge rest home aged 109 just days after officially being named the oldest woman in the world. Mrs Pickles came to Fordingbridge in 1951, 11 years after her husband died, and she remained in the area for the rest of her
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Children keep Santa posted
TWENTY children from the College Fields Montessori Nursery School in Marlborough were invited along to the town's Royal Mail sorting office to see their letters to Father Christmas start their journey through the postal system. The children asked if they
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Villagers draw up ideas for Millennium money
THE Avebury and District Millennium Fund has raised almost £4,500 which villagers are considering how to spend on projects that will be of lasting benefit to the communities involved. The money which was largely raised at a gala day on July 15 is to be
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Machine gun brothers fined over lethal barrel
POLICE officers had Marlborough bookshop brothers Peter and Graham Kent over a barrel when they found a Second World War machine gun at their home in Upavon. The Kent brothers, who live at College Farm House, in Upavon, and run the Military Bookshop in
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Chamber battles on in flower power row
THE chamber of commerce is at loggerheads with Marlborough town councillors who claim their flower tubs and sponsorship signs at the entrance to the town are an eyesore. In strongly worded letter to the council, vice president Kevin Ellis said the chamber
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Pensioner injured by road sign wins case
A JUDGE has ordered Wiltshire County Council to pay compensation to Chippenham pensioner David Rowlands, after he collided with one of its street signs. The 69-year-old was taken to Chippenham Community Hospital by ambulance with blood streaming from
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Queen is set for visit to towns
THE Queen is to tour North Wiltshire in March with the Duke of Edinburgh, and will visit Chippenham, Calne and Malmesbury. The news has been greeted with special jubilation in Chippenham as it will be the town's first royal visitor for 57 years. Chippenham
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Highworth News
Christmas concert The Highworth Choral Society Christmas Concert will be held on Saturday at 7.30pm in St Michael's Church. The Society will be performing excerpts from the Bach Christmas Oratorio along with carols and seasonal songs. There will be mulled
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Youngster nets website award
A YOUNG environmentalist from Highworth has won an award for building a website about the rainforests. Claire Mollart, an 11-year-old pupil at Warneford School, was runner up in a national green themed competition. Launched in May, it was organised in
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Sales' triple strike leaves Moors stranded
Salisbury City 3 Moor Green 1: Paul Sales was Salisbury City's three-goal hero on Saturday when he helped his side to their first league win in ten weeks. The striker put Whites ahead just before half time then added a second half brace to take his season's
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Plans for new school on way
DETAILED plans for affordable housing and a new primary school for the Brickley Lane development in Devizes will be submitted soon. A consortium of developers, headed by Bloor Homes, has started work on building a link road on the site. Outline planning
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Farmer pleads guilty to keeping pigs in filth
A FARMER has been given a conditional discharge by Devizes magistrates despite admitting four charges of neglect against his pigs. Richard Bourne, of Queenfield Farm, Lower Forest, Melksham, pleaded guilty to four breaches of the Welfare of Livestock
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Backing for £5,000 to forge new Links
KENNET councillors have supported moves to grant £5,000 to enable more good neighbour Link schemes to be set up. Kennet District Council's transportation sub-committee heard on Thursday that the Wiltshire Link project was formed in 1996 with money from
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Horse and rider are left injured after accident
RIDER Karen Breakspear's horse was left seriously injured after they were in collision with a car as they rode along the A360 on Saturday morning. Mrs Breakspear, 33, of Ryeleaze, Potterne, was thrown in the air and suffered whiplash injuries and extensive
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Police warning to town's yobs
DEVIZES police are warning town centre yobs they are to crack down on violence and bad behaviour in the run up to Christmas. The warning comes after a woman police officer was injured during a fracas in the early hours of Sunday morning while the evening
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Nurses visit PMH
NORWEGIAN nurses have arrived at Princess Margaret Hospital to analyse its world-beating anti-infection techniques. The Swindon hospital asks all frontline staff to make sure they wash their hands between attending to one patient and the next. Its policy
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Gang sent to jail for attacks
A GANG of four who launched an horrific attack on a mother and her son after a Valentine's night out have been sent to jail. Joanne Roberts, her partner Robert Hunter, Adam Fox and Karen Taylor gave Kathleen Murphy and her son Michael a "thorough beating
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Jackets to keep our bobbies on their beat
SWINDON police will soon be walking the beat dressed in bullet and knife-proof jackets. The Wiltshire force will become the first police force in the South West to issue all its officers with protective body armour as standard. The armour will help the
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Council tax: How much extra do you want to pay?
SWINDON residents and businesses will be asked whether they want to pay either an additional five, seven and a half or 10 per cent rise on their council tax. People will be told how much money will be released for services such as housing, education and
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Come back you've had a heart attack
PETER Grant was sent home from Princess Margaret Hospital after waiting 10-hours on a trolley because staff could not work out what was wrong with him. But the following day he received an urgent telephone call telling him to return to hospital because
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LEAGUE TABLES - Hard work is closing the gap
SWINDON'S primary school heads have welcomed the improvement in the town's figures. Colin Green, chairman of their association, said: "We are closing the gap. I think that is the key and it is to be celebrated. "I think the hard work of the council in
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LEAGUE TABLES - Village rules, OK
A SMALL village school has shot from nowhere to top the overall league tables for Swindon's primary schools. And South Marston Church of England Primary also became the first ever to gain 100 per cent in all three subjects English, maths and science .
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Lakes prove the best bet
Lakes have been providing the bulk of catches over the last week with the Avon and Nadder both now coloured and back in flood again. It is a pity there has been further rain because at the end of last week some good bags of dace, grayling and roach were
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Town says rise in fees spells double trouble
TOWN and parish councillors have urged Kennet District Council to think again about more than doubling the cost of parking in Station Road, Devizes. Last week district councillors approved a rise in the hourly rate in Station Road car park from 15p to
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Royal touch at festive revels
THE first Victorian evening in Aldbourne, which saw Carnival Queen Stacey Pattemore switching on the lights on the village Christmas tree, was a big success with about 400 attending. The village took the opportunity to make the best of a window of dry
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Top results for these music-makers
SEVENTEEN musicians from Technics Music Academy, run in association with John Holmes Music impressed examiners to scoop top awards. Their results were: Grade Intro: Natalie Slee, marks 87, award received Honours; Emma North 881/2 Honours; Stephanie Witts
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Short of drivers but bus service is better
BUS firm Stagecoach has reported a significant improvement on its Swindon services after introducing an emergency timetable. Commercial director for Swindon and District, Phil Stockley, said new schedules introduced this week were proving far easier to
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Carols on CDs to help Hospice
PROCEEDS from a seasonal CD are helping terminally ill people at the Prospect Hospice. Swindon Choral Society has released the recording, containing 22 carols, and is donating £1 from the £9.99 price of the CDs to the hospice. Kathy Danswan, publicity
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'site will not be an eyesore'
A PARK and ride site in the rural buffer zone between Swindon and Wootton Bassett would not adversely affect the landscape, according to a leading council architect. Christopher Anniss, landscape architect for Swindon Council, was the second person to
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Getting a key to the Green Door
CHRISTMAS can be hard for visitors to the Green Hut drop-in centre. It's open to anyone and everyone, from the elderly to single parents to homeless people. The Green Hut is one of the charities which are set to benefit from the Evening Advertiser/Rotary
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Council pay row erupts
ANGRY staff have hit out at Salisbury District Council chiefs over what they see as the "insensitive" timing of a pay rise to top officers. The award to the four members of the council's management team - understood to be an inflationary rise of two to
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Lewis show on ice
TICKETS are selling fast for the Link Centre's Ice Show, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Although the show does not open until December 15, most of the tickets have been sold for the ice show adaptation of the popular CS Lewis fantasy story. The
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Judge rapped as iron bar attacker freed
A BULFORD man, convicted by a Salisbury jury of hitting a man over the head with an iron bar, has been cleared and freed from a five-year jail sentence. Terrance Reginald Neville (26) walked free from London's Criminal Appeal Court after three judges
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Join tomorrow's big sleepout
A GROUP of volunteers will sleep in the streets tomorrow to raise money to help homeless people. Around 20 people are expected to take part in this year's Sleepout event, which involves volunteers spending one night sleeping in the streets. Organisers
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Wearing orange and blue
STAFF at Swindon's Nationwide Building Society are being given the chance to get into voluntary work. Local agency Swindon Volunteers marked the United Nations International Year of Volunteers by presenting Nationwide with a orange and blue ribbon the
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Brace yourselves!
SEVERE winter storms loom on the horizon after an autumn of misery. Winds reaching 70 mph are forecast to hit Swin-don again today and will continue overnight and into Friday morning. Weather warnings for severe disruption were issued today just a month
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Bid to end stalemate in store war
COUNCILLORS are to resort to compulsory purchase to resolve the store war that is blighting efforts to breathe new life into Amesbury town centre. Their patience with delays - triggered by the Co-op pulling out of plans to build a new superstore only
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Salisbury's pain is well worth the gain
Salisbury 0 Dorchester 33: Salisbury's strategy of playing their friendly games against high quality opponents was taken to its zenith when they took an experimental team to face South West 1 side Dorchester. Inevitably Salisbury lost, but the long-term
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Army big guns leave village shellshocked
SHELL-SHOCKED villagers in Tilshead claim that big gun firing on Salisbury Plain is making their lives a misery. Ninety-pound shells from the Army's giant 155mm AS90 guns screamed over the village on three consecutive days last week, leaving children
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It's time to live up to your name, son
DANNY Invincible's footballing education may have started in sunny Sydney but the visit of Gateshead to a soggy County Ground on Saturday provides the youngster with another opportunity to test himself. His manager is adamant the player has the potential
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New site is needed
MY previous letter on the notice to quit the allotments, in which I addressed the problem as being praiseworthy for Calne Town Council, has since been nullified by the council's behaviour towards the allotment holders. It stated in its letter: "The enclosed
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Foot has hand in victorySkurray's Wiltshire League
THERE was yet another afternoon at home for most of the Skurray's Wiltshire League's footballers as game after game was postponed due to waterlogged grounds, just seven matches surviving. In the Premier Division Stratton Crosslink's Rick Casey was the
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Sixth form needed
WHAT a terrific achievement for Pewsey Vale School to be in the top four schools in Wiltshire for GCSE passes, especially as the other three were one grammar and two independent schools. It is a tragedy that these pupils are denied the chance to stay
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Cheering us all
IN these weeks of doom and gloom when the rain never ceases, the trains have ground to a near halt, and everyone is endlessly struggling through longer and longer traffic jams, one man's consistent cheerfulness is a ray of sunshine. In all weather, come
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Pleas to drivers...
It was with concern that I read the article last week on page 9 of the Gazette. This Government seems to have a strongly anti-rural attitude and this has yet again shown itself in the underfunding of services in our rural county. The grant per capita
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Consider 'rabbit'
I read with interest the comments on Marlborough's Portman Building which I gather is now to be replaced. While replanning this area I hope that the Polly Tea Rooms, looking rather like a rabbit with one ear is included in these plans. Yes, I am a Marlburian
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Changes to parking could damage town
THE article in the Gazette's November 23 edition on parking in Devizes, and my own sources, tell me that the information given and the quality of the debate on the Area Transport Plan at the Chamber of Commerce AGM fell short of being open and informed
