Archive
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Elderly thefts are shameful
THE shameful spate of Christmas thefts from old people goes on. But residential home supervisor Rachel George, from whose car thieves stole gifts and food which she had bought for pensioners at the Laurels, should be commended for showing that some people
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Going for the kill
ANDY King wants Gateshead polished off at the first attempt as the thought of a chilly replay in the North East is just too much to bear. When the draw for the second round was made, the Town boss joked he was delighted to have a home tie as he had still
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Tweddle at the double as holders go through
Hallen 0, Chippenham Town 2 TWO goals from Steve Tweddle took holders Chippenham through to the next round of the Les Phillips Cup. There was a blow for Hallen in the opening minute when they had to reorganise after losing Tom Knight with an injury. Chippenham
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Tough test ahead as Vase fever hits Town
FA CARLSBERG Vase fever hits the Town again this weekend as we look forward with anticipation to our tie against East London side Barking, writes Tommy Saunders. Barking are top of the Ryman League Second Division by a country mile and will give us an
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No move-in for fast-food outlet
THE dilemma over the future of East Street in Warminster took another twist as a takeaway's bid to move-in failed. Claims that shops in the street are failing into a dramatic state of disrepair with available space being consumed by takeaway outlets were
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No decision on warehouse plan after residents' pleas
LORRIES delivering to factories near a Warminster residential estate are causing a safety hazard by blocking roads, say residents. They claim that emergency services would be trapped if they had to attend a fire or accident in the Beech Grove area because
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LEAGUE TABLES - 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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Sharp eyes save a sick man's life
A RUBBISH collector has been hailed a hero by colleagues and paramedics after saving a man from the brink of death. Allan Dowling, 52, of West Ashton, was out picking up refuse near Upton Scudamore, Warminster, last Wednesday morning when he spotted an
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Sadly, signs may have no effect on safety
THE FOLLOWING letter is a response to the Give us Signs for Safety (Wiltshire Times, November 24). Alas Mrs Rawlings, we have signs which we thought would make Avenue Road safe but they are to no avail. We have a school at both ends of this road, a passage
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Southwick clinch cup place
CHIPPENHAM SUNDAY LEAGUE THE Shoestring's sponsored Chippenham League managed to take advantage of a break in the weather and were lucky enough to see all but a handful of games completed. The only game to survive the elements in the preliminary round
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Supporters angered by late call-off
WILTSHIRE LEAGUE HUNDREDS of supporters were left disappointed after Trowbridge Town's visit to Bradford Town for a the Skurray's Wiltshire League derby on Saturday became yet another victim of the current problems with waterlogged pitches. Many supporters
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Cole at the double as Athletic win at last
TROWBRIDGE LEAGUE THE weather again caused the postponement of all but four games in the Trowbridge League (sponsored by Just Signs Trowbridge). In Division Three Chippenham Athletic recorded a rare win at Hilperton United Reserves. Jason Cole (2), Jay
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Christmas fund fear for families
FAMILIES living on a Trowbridge housing estate fear money put aside for Christmas in a shop's club fund has gone missing Among those facing a bleak Christmas are two pensioners who were saving to buy presents for their grandchildren. Concerns were raised
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Floods rise again
LORRY driver Sam Boxley was dramatically rescued after his seven-tonne lorry got stuck in the floods. The Hereford driver thought the Holt-Staverton road had a only few inches of water lying over it when he turned down it on Wednesday afternoon (December
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Live music at pub with late licence
LANDLORD of the White Swan pub in Trowbridge, Peewee Hunt, has been granted an entertainment and drinking licence which will allow his pub to stay open until 1am, and also to serve alcohol until that time. Mr Hunt, who used to own Peewee's in Castle Street
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Fire sparks fire alarm warning
FIREFIGHTERS are urging people to check their smoke alarms after a fire at a house in Trowbridge. Crews were called out last Friday morning to a house in Lower Alma Street. They used a revolutionary technique called positive pressure aggression to force
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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, December 2. Mrs Breakspear, 33, of Ryeleaze, Potterne, was thrown in the air and suffered whiplash injuries and
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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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Pig farmer found guilty
A FARMER has been given a conditional discharge by 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 Regulations
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Driver chased death car
DRIVER Barry Smith has been ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service after admitting dangerous driving on the A350 in West Ashton, seconds before a crash in which three people died. Smith, 21, of The Down, Trowbridge, had been chasing the Toyota
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Residents must get rid of their own refuse
HOUSEHOLDERS in Melksham and Bradford on Avon will have to get rid of their rubbish themselves during Christmas week. Skips are being taken to the two towns because there will be no proper refuse collection. West Wiltshire District Council says the towns
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Work on bypass could start within two years
ALL the legal steps are in place to smooth the way for the long-awaited relief road around Semington. If all goes to according to plan, contractors could start building the road in 2002. Wiltshire County Council has made compulsory purchase orders and
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Artist hunt
I AM researching the life and work of the artist Featherstone Robson. He was born in Northumberland in 1880 and he died in Toronto, Canada, in 1936. He usually signed his work F Robson and prints of his work were sold by most of the large stores throughout
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Residents fear link road plan
By Joanne Kelly A PUBLIC meeting was called this week to look again at the plan for an eastern link road for Melksham. People living in Saxifrage Bank, a cul-de-sac off Snowberry Lane, called the meeting in the town hall on Tuesday after discovering that
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Do not blame
AS the grandparent of a pupil and as a new governor at Bitham Brook Primary School I was dismayed to read Apostrophe Attack in last week's issue of The Gleaner. It has become sadly commonplace now to blame teachers for all manner of sins, great and small
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Roads outrage leads to double petition
By Joanne Kelly THE mayor of Melksham handed over two petitions this week on behalf of his residents. Cllr Vic Oakman confronted Wiltshire County Council's environmental services committee on Wednesday with two petitions signed by the people of Melksham
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Wheelie bin form request turns into wild goose chase
A FEW weeks ago, my wheelie bin was stolen, so I phoned the council to buy a new one. Until then I had not realised how totally inefficient our local council was. I was told by the council department involved that I would have to fill in a form and return
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Latest mill plan is unveiled
By Holly Robinson PROPOSALS for the derelict Kingston Mill site in Bradford on Avon will bring vibrancy to the area and will take people on a journey from the town into the countryside, according to the developer. Plans for the 2.5 hectare site have caused
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Traders plea for festive break from roadworks
TRADERS in Bradford on Avon have said enough is enough and are calling for an end to roadworks which have been holding up town centre traffic for months. Shops have also suffered since the severe flooding split the town in two and gave motorists and shoppers
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Reaching out to those in need
WHEN she first opened the Swindon Dyslexia Centre, Maria Chivers' main aim was to help people. In the past 10 years, she has helped countless numbers of children and adults in the town to combat the problems of dyslexia. But when she started getting phone
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'Too busy' to help collapsed woman
A SHOP worker refused to call an ambulance for a heart patient who collapsed outside the store. Jewellery firm H. Samuel has launched an investigation following Patricia Jarvis's suspected heart attack outside its branch in Regent Street, Swindon. Pedestrians
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£75m school plan in doubt
AMBITIOUS £75 million plans to build seven new schools in expanding North Swindon have been jeopardised by the Government. It has turned down Swindon Borough Council's bid for £28 million of private money to part-finance the scheme, which would see two
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Driver chased death car
DRIVER Barry Smith has been ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service after admitting dangerous driving on the A350 in West Ashton, seconds before a crash in which three people died. Smith, 21, of The Down, Trowbridge, had been chasing the Toyota
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Students praised for work
STUDENTS from two Trow-bridge schools have been celebrating their achievements in this year's GCSE examinations. Awards ceremonies were held last week for former year 11 pupils from the John of Gaunt and Clarendon Schools. The John of Gaunt School was
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Four-class plan is a national winner
HOLT Primary School has made such impressive progress that it is now in line for a national excellence award. Staff and parents are thrilled after the village school was named as one of the most improved by education chiefs in this year's primary school
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Cash to help schools with angling
THANKS to a ground-breaking partnership with national charity Education Extra, the joint governing bodies of angling will be promoting angling in every school in the UK from December 17, writes Colin Scull. The National Federation of Sea Anglers has got
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Old mill site to be houses
THE ongoing saga over the redevelopment of the Bitham Mill site in Westbury went a stage further on Thursday, December 7, as plans for 54 houses were given the go-ahead. Two developers are now involved in the redevelopment of the site, but plans detailing
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Plans for milk plant go-ahead
The UNITED MILK development on Westbury's Northacre Industrial Park has moved a step closer after plans for an access road, gatehouse and weighbridge were approved. Councillors at the southern area committee approved the application which would provide
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Blue Circle plans tyre store ahead of permission to burn
BLUE Circle Cement has applied for planning permission to build a storage facility for tyres at its Westbury site, even though the Environment Agency has yet to decide whether the firm can go ahead with using scrap tyres as fuel for its kilns. The company
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Politicians unite to help children
POLITICIANS in Swindon are queuing up to add their backing to our Evening Advertiser /Rotary Christmas Appeal. Swindon Mayor Arthur Archer and South Swindon MP Julia Drown are among the names supporting our appeal. Coun Archer said he would back our festive
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Branch out at Twigs open day
PEOPLE can make their own greetings cards at Twigs Christmas open day on Sunday. There will also be a chance to browse for gifts in the craft workshop. Twigs stands for Therapeutic Work In Gardening in Swindon and helps people recover from mental health
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Youth scheme is set for approval
A CONTROVERSIAL youth drop-in centre and credit union is set to win planning permission. If approved, the Clivey Project will be based in Clive Parade on Cricklade Road and will serve people in Pinehurst and Penhill. It will include a centre for teenagers
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Final salute to Korean war veteran
A KOREAN War veteran who died suddenly after suffering a stroke will be given full military honours at his cremation. Bob Marsh fought as a private with the 1st Battalion of the Gloucesters Regiment nicknamed the Glorious Gloucesters in 1950. Most of
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Air cadets take off on festive project
WILTSHIRE air cadets will be bringing a spot of Christmas cheer into the lives of a group of people in a residential home. As part of their community awareness programme Cadets of 2189 (CALNE) Squadron ATC will be giving a Christmas concert on Decem-ber
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Concert to put you in the Christmas spirit
ST LUKE'S Church in Broad Street is the venue for a festive concert by Swindon Symphony Orchestra on Sunday. The performance is being held in aid of Swindon Young Musicians who will provide a choir for the occasion. The audience will be treated to Blake's
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Schools celebrate success
PRIMARY schools across west and north Wiltshire are celebrating steady improvements in this year's performance league tables. The tables, which record the number of 11-year-olds reaching the government's target of level four in English, maths and science
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Chance for some plane speaking on Tattoo
AIRCRAFT enthusiasts are being given the chance to tell the organisers of the world's biggest military air show just what they think about the event. But they will have to hurry because there are only 100 tickets available for people who want to attend
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Blow to homeless
A PROJECT to give homeless people in Swindon a place to stay has been scrapped because a national charity can no longer guarantee its financial backing. Swindon homeless charity Threshold Housing Link (THL) has been working for the past four years on
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Plan is too little, too late
A FIVE-point action plan unveiled by the Government to revitalise England's rural areas could be too little, too late, say people in west Wiltshire. Village shops, post offices, farms and market towns are among those said to benefit from measures proposed
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Bobby beating the 'boo boys'
ANDY King is delighted with Bobby Howe's response to the County Ground 'boo boys'. The Geordie midfielder has been one of the main targets for the fans' frustration during Town's recent struggle. The player himself has been reluctant to speak out about
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Gateshead are planning another upset
GATESHEAD can only look on enviously as Premiership neighbours Newcastle United pull in gates of more than 50,000. The Unibond Premier League side are lucky to attract 500 spectators to their home games at Gateshead International Stadium just a few miles
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£1m WiltshireBond winner
SOMEONE in Wiltshire has become the county's first £1m Premium Bond jackpot winner. The winning number, 13FL 795215, has scooped December's top prize to make its owner the 81st Premium Bond millionaire. The jackpot was won with a bond of £1,000 bought
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Animal research is needed
M HARRISON (Letters) might like to know that my day also benefits from animal research. The reason animals are used in medical research is to save lives and therefore, rather than attacking medical researchers, we should be thanking them. My mother is
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Centre is safe
I WAS very pleased to see Clive Crook's letter of November 29 praising the services of the Clapham Hobbs Centre. The staff and the facilities at the centre are first class and do an excellent job. The borough has had a working group of councillors of
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Patients must not wait long
THE letter from John Walsh, Chairman of Swindon & District Community Health Council (Letters November 14) made interesting and revealing reading, particularly with regard to the CHC's conclusions following the monitoring of the use made of two private
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Bassett made to pay the penalty
Painswick 22, Wootton Bassett 0 BASSETT paid the price for fielding an inexperienced experimental side. Coach Nick Cavill took the opportunity to introduce three new players to the first team; scrum half Rob May, number eight Luke Ashmore and replacement
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Ladies back on form with nap hand victory
Chippenham Ladies 5, Yeovil 2 A VERY positive start saw Chippenham take an early lead, with an open play goal scored by Nick Burrell. The second goal came from a short corner which was struck in by Tracy Hoffman. Chippenham continued to play strongly.
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How could anyone be that callous?
IT'S hard to imagine how anybody, even a sales assistant who had a shop full of customers and was rushed off their feet, could be heartless enough to refuse to phone for an ambulance after a woman had collapsed. But this, according to Peter Jarvis who
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Calls for safer road crossing
A MOTHER has warned that children walking to an after-school club in Warminster risk being involved in an accident, if road safety measures are not implemented soon. Claire Randall, 31, of The Teasels, Warminster, believes that something must be done
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Trains ruin day with stars
FOUR children from Warminster were left bitterly disappointed after train delays meant they missed out on a once in a lifetime star-packed London awards ceremony. The pupils from Princecroft Primary School were stranded at Bath station last Wednesday
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LEAGUE TABLES - 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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LEAGUE TABLES - 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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A warming suggestion
I RECENTLY received a donation of £100 from a gentleman who was entitled to the pensioners' Winter Fuel allowance from the Department of Social Security. He said in his letter he did not need the money, and so sent it to us so that it could be used to
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We don't have to go the Gap way
Re: A Gap in the Argument, Wiltshire Times, December 1. Mr Butcher's letter on The Gap might well have been headed, "Always another way". The good news, of course, is that existence of planning permission for something doesn't mean you are necessarily
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Fixture chaos
By Simon Cole JUNIOR and youth football could be facing fixture chaos if the bad weather continues. Waterlogged pitches have led to numerous postponements on five out of the last six weekends and earlier in the season many games were lost because of the
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New plan to tackle shortage of referees
THE continuing shortage of qualified referees and the dwindling number of pitches were among the topics raised at the annual mid-season meeting of the Chippenham Sunday League on Wednesday. Bob Pocock, the recently appointed referees' appointments secretary
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Stiles helps Broughton clear difficult hurdle
Liden 2, Broughton Gifford 3 CHRIS Stiles, with a hand in two goals and the scorer of a classy and decisive third, led Broughton Gifford's injury-hit side into the third round of the Wiltshire Junior Cup at sunny Maunsell Way. Apart from Stiles' contribution
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Pearson snaps up talented teenager
SCREWFIX DIRECT LEAGUE By Simon Cole WARMINSTER Town have signed teenage wing-back Adam Fricker, from Frome, ahead of tomorrow's visit to Wellington for a First Division match. Town manager Gerry Pearson rates the 19-year-old as "one of the best in the
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Manager refuses to blame the Messenger
Corsham Tn 3, Melksham Tn 3 (after extra-time, Corsham won 4-2 on penalties) MELKSHAM manager Robbie Lardner refused to blame the Messenger for the bad news of this shock Les Phillips Cup defeat. Young striker Matty Messenger scored twice in normal time
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Hatswell has the last laugh on his critics
By Simon Cole FORMER Trowbridge Town defender Wayne Hatswell has joined Nationwide Division Two side Oxford United from Forest Green Rovers for £35,000. The centre back, who was ridiculed across the nation on Match of the Day for his spectacular own goal
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Fairford hope to make their mark
HIGHLIGHT of the Hellenic League programme this weekend is the local derby clash between Fairford Town and Premier league leaders Highworth Town. Fairford have disappointed manager Mark Webb on their last three outings but thinks that the league leaders
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Spraying stopped as tests begin
RESIDENTS living on a new Trowbridge estate are being asked to report any dead animals they find to contamination experts. Householders in Paxcroft Mead fear they are being slowly polluted by toxic chemicals, and have blamed weedkillers being sprayed
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Man denies assaulting his wife
A MAN who got into an argument with his wife has been bound over to keep the peace by North West Wiltshire magistrates sitting at Trowbridge. Prosecuting, Diane Walker said police were called to the home of John Marshall, of Eden Grove, Whitley, at 11.30pm
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Illness blamed for son's crimes
THE MOTHER of convicted robber Daniel De Costa has blasted experts for failing to spot her son's illness, believing his crimes were part of a desperate cry for help. De Costa, 24, was jailed for three years last month for holding Trowbridge off-licence
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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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Villagers unite for their first Christmas tree
VILLAGERS in Holt will have their first Christmas tree this year. Alison Ward-Baptiste, landlady of the Tollgate Inn and friend Jackie Pritchard, have helped to raise £1,000 in five days and have bought a 22ft Christmas tree, base and lights. Mrs Ward-Baptiste
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Mugging victim thanks heroes
TWO brave people jumped to a woman's aid after she had her handbag snatched in a daring daylight theft. The thief swiped the 47-year old woman's handbag in Trowbridge town centre on Monday lunchtime (December 5) as she left the Abbey National in Fore
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Christmas fund fear for families
FAMILIES living on a Trowbridge housing estate fear money put aside for Christmas in a shop's club fund has gone missing Among those facing a bleak Christmas are two pensioners who were saving to buy presents for their grandchildren. Concerns were raised
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Think chocolate and champagne, but keep the bird out of the oven
Forget the flesh, just bring me wine! (to paraphrase King Wenceslas). To most people, turkeys are a joke. The very word is a term of abuse. But there's a lot more to turkeys that most of us realise. Wild turkeys are still found in the Americas where they
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Former flat will create office space
OFFICES will be created at Melksham Community Hospital to help with relocation of staff and to save money. A flat, which was rented to new hospital staff for short periods of time, will be turned into an office for the Swindon and Wiltshire NHS Health
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Tidy town, but look at the river
I attended, as a Melksham resident, the Melksham 2000 and Beyond event which took place at The George Ward school. It was very instructive as well as being very entertaining, and the organisers need congratulating. It made me see Melksham in a different
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Weekend of rest for Bath
Bath have no game this weekend
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Ground is an asset
I REFER to the letter Just not Right in last week's edition of the Wiltshire Times & Chippenham News. While Mr Brakespear is entitled to his opinions, they do not conform to those of many other Corsham people who feel that the Corsham Town FC buildings
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Fair was a success
MANY thanks to all who attended the Bradford Green Fair last Saturday. The participating charities (Bradford Action Group, Compassion in World Farming, Oxfam and Traidcraft) all received excellent support, while the bric-a-brac and refreshments stalls
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Thanks for helping
I WOULD like to thank the lady who stopped to help my daughter when she broke down on County Way in her car on Thursday morning. I would also like to thank Tesco staff who sent two lads to push her car into Tesco car park, and gave her a free cup of coffee
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Record appeal total
MAY I, through the courtesy of your columns, thank the people of Trowbridge and District for their kind and generous support of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal this year. The total collection this year amounted to £13,365.52, which is approximately
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Building comes under fire from the public
CHANGES are already being made to the plans for Kingston Mill following comments made by people who visited the latest exhibition. Taywood Homes gave townspeople the chance to see its plans for the site at an exhibition in the Riverside Inn last week.
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Residents must get rid of their own refuse
HOUSEHOLDERS in Melksham and Bradford on Avon will have to get rid of their rubbish themselves during Christmas week. Skips are being taken to the two towns because there will be no proper refuse collection. West Wiltshire District Council says the towns
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Police urge security check
VILLAGERS near Bradford on Avon have been urged to check their security after a spate of burglaries. Householders have also been asked to keep an eye on neighbouring properties to help stop thieves ruining someone's Christmas. PC Shaun Thomas, of Bradford
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Gran sets off on yacht race
INTREPID grandmother Carolyn Walker has set off on the second leg of a round-the-world yacht race. Mrs Walker, 57, of Monkton Farleigh, was picked to join the crew of Bristol Clipper, one of eight yachts taking part in the Times Clipper 2000 race. Since
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There's new hope on line
THE rail network may appear to be falling apart but Sir Richard Branson has given travellers in Swindon a glimpse of better times ahead. He unveiled the first of 78 new 125mph trains set to pass through town as early as next summer. It, and the already
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Worker dies after being electrocuted during cable laying
A WORKER died after being electrocuted during cable-laying work near Wootton Bassett. Liverpudlian Steven Curren, a married 32-year- old construction worker, was working at Hunters Hall, Trow Lane, near Gritten-ham, when the accident happened. Attempts
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Smugglers seized in Operation Caper
SMUGGLERS were caught trafficking drugs, cigarettes and alcohol through the South West in a 24-hour operation near Swindon. Lorries, vans and some cars were stopped by Wiltshire Police at junction 15 of the M4 and escorted to a nearby gritting depot.
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Town escapes worst of the overnight storms
WIND and rain lashed Wiltshire overnight but left the Swindon area relatively unscathed. Gusts as high as 70mph were recorded and about an inch of rain fell after the storms arrived later yesterday afternoon. Overnight, people living near the River Ray
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Electronics giant creates more jobs
Hundreds of jobs could be created following news that electronics giant Lucent Technologies may be planning to occupy a purpose-built campus of five three-storey buildings on a 30 acre site in South Marston. The buildings are believed to be planned mainly
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Swindon shops slip down in the ratings
SHOPPING facilities in Swindon are falling behind others in the country, according to a new retail survey. The town has slipped 20 places in the last two years to become only the 58th best centre out of the UK's 1,000 shopping centres. But the research
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'It was dire and dismal'
IT was a dismal and dire game, but credit must go to Bristol as they made far fewer mistakes than we did and on that account alone deserved to win the game. I was dismayed and again horrified by our ineptitude in keeping hold of the ball. It is disturbing
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Crash-driver fined
DRIVER Sean Haughey reversed into another car parked in The Shires shopping centre car park, in Trowbridge, and drove off without exchanging details, a court heard. Haughey, 50, of Hawcroft, Holt, near Trowbridge was involved in the incident in April.
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Link opens early
AFTER months of work the new £1.6m Hawkeridge link road is due to be opened. County council chairman Lt Col Jarvis will conduct the official opening at 11.30am on Tuesday, December 12. The new road will allow heavy goods vehicles travelling between the
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Rebuilding of walls approved
THE PARTIAL demolition of one of Westbury's listed buildings was discussed at a meeting last week. A retrospective application to demolish and reconstruct three first floor walls and the roof of William House, in Eden Vale Road was approved by district
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Link with Gambia planned
NOW that Matravers School has gained specialist arts college status, there are some ambitious and exciting projects being planned. Deputy head Michael Gorman is working on developing an exchange programme with Gunjur, a small community in Gambia. Mr Gorman
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New arts college
MATRAVERS School, in Westbury, is celebrating its achievement of specialist arts college status, with effect from September 2001. David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Education, gave his approval to the school's bid on November 30. The specialist status
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Crisis over waste as landfill space begins to run out
LANDFILL space at a site near Blue Circle Cement in Westbury is expected to run out by 2004, a spokesman for the Environment Agency said. A report issued by the Agency says there is less than five years of landfill space left across the south west. During
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Traditional name, but new concept in buses
THE Caerphilly Castle bus and locomotive bearing the same name came bumper to buffer at Swindon's Steam museum. One of the vehicles in the new fleet of low-floor buses run by Thamesdown Transport has been named Caerphilly Castle after the loco which forms
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Flytipper collects a £450 fine
WHEN David Farnsworth missed the usual rubbish collection he jumped in the car to take the rubbish to the local household waste tip. But when he found the tip was closed he decided to dump the five bags full of household waste in a farmer's field. Farnsworth
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Don't forget to have your say
THIS is the last chance to phone in your vote on the future name of what will be Swindon's general hospital for the 21st century. Phone lines close at lunchtimetoday, although the deadline for e-mails and postal votes is not until January 18. Health service
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Be a star and post early for Christmas
SWINDON posties are star struck this Christmas. Postmen and women got a visit to thank them for all their hardwork in the build up to the Christmas rush. A Swindon postie decked out in sparkling costume appeared at the Swindon Mail Centre to spread the
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Four years in jail for man who sold drug
HEROIN dealer John Gibbons has been jailed for four years after a court heard how he sold the drug to friends to fund his own habit. The 32-year-old was found with £1,500 worth of heroin when twice caught in possession with intent to supply. He was first
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Elderly residents' presents stolen
A CARE worker who was Christmas shopping for the elderly had all their gifts and food stolen from the boot of her car in Swindon town centre. Rachel George, 32, from Grange Park, who works at the Laurels residential home, had collected £10 each from the
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The site is right, park and ride inquiry told
THERE are no planning or traffic grounds to refuse plans for a park and ride in the rural buffer zone between Swindon and Wootton Bassett. This was the evidence heard by the public inquiry into whether or not the proposed park and ride scheme should go
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Good intentions but detail is too vague
THE Government's newly-published rural White Paper has been broadly welcomed, but there are fears it will not deliver what is promised. The Countryside Alliance said the White Paper shows the Government has recognised the scale and depth of the rural
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Services join forces for road safety day
A NUMBER of fatal road accidents have led the fire and ambulance services and police to join forces at a special safety event, to be held on Saturday, December 9. The event was sparked after serious accidents on the A350 and one at Westbury. Trowbridge
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Revitalised Alexander ideal for lone role
GARY Alexander's unhappy spell at West Ham United may prove a blessing for Town as they look to make FA Cup progress. He will be hoping for a place in the starting eleven against Gateshead after a performance at Northampton which allowed Town to "defend
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Families bond in their shared grief
A POOL team will perform round the clock in memory of their friend, Adam Lumley who was killed in the triple fatal accident on the A350 in the summer. Mr Lumley, 21, from Melksham, and his friend Craig Dicker, 23, were killed instantly when their Toyota
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Give us live music and an alternative to the nightclubs
Mission, Brunel, Vadims and Destiny & Desire, how many times do you see police cars parked out the front of them? Quite often. How often do you see police cars outside the Vic? Never. This is because brawls happen at the trendy clubs where there are
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Mail centre staff agree to strikes
CHRISTMAS mail could be disrupted in parts of west Wiltshire if two proposed 24-hour strikes go ahead. Workers at the West of England mail centre in Filton, Bristol have voted to strike on December 12 and 18 if a disagreement over Christmas working times
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Time to be fair to pub
I AM writing in response to the article in the Evening Advertiser dated December 1, 2000, regarding the objections raised to Kevin and Nicky Fitzgerald's application for an extension to their licence at The Victoria. I seem to remember reading articles
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Going for the kill
ANDY King wants Gateshead polished off at the first attempt as the thought of a chilly replay in the North East is just too much to bear. When the draw for the second round was made, the Town boss joked he was delighted to have a home tie as he had still
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Don't let Blair sign our freedom away
NOW we have the Nice summit and it is vital that everyone who is concerned about our sovereignty should write to Tony Blair to tell him not to sign any treaty and give away more of our freedom and sovereignty. He needs to be reminded he was elected by
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Council jobs in balance
AN ANNOUNCEMENT was due to be made Friday, December 9, on the future of 50 jobs at Wiltshire County Council. A decision on 50 administrative jobs in the county council's Direct Services division was due to be decided behind closed doors Thursday afternoon
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Fundraiser's friend backs beans stunt
I write as treasurer of Highworth Town Football Club to object most vehemently to the comments made by Shirley Mathias in her column last Friday. They regarded recent fund raising events which took place at our club on behalf of a 12-year-old boy named
