Archive
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Store at the heart of the community
TODAY we welcome Asda Wal-Mart to Swindon. It is one of the largest superstores in Europe and will offer the widest range of food, clothing and home goods ever seen in a supermarket in the town. Big, of course, isn't necessarily beautiful. There are plenty
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Honda Civic voted Britain's most comfortable car
Workers at Honda's South Marston manufacturing plant received a huge boost with the news that the award-winning Civic they build has received another accolade. The Civic 1.4SE five-door has been voted Britain's most comfortable car for the second time
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Nationwide is good to customers
Nationwide has won a National Customer Service Award, run by Energis and a national newspaper. Steve Cowdry, spokesman for the building society, which has headquarters in Swindon, said: "We were one of more than 250 entrants for eight categories. "Independent
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A mountain of earth for store
Mountains of earth have been moved to enable the building of the New Asda Wal-Mart superstore which was being opened in Swindon today. But the many shoppers and more than 900 staff at the UK's biggest purpose-built store in Haydon Wick, are unlikely to
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Eagles are shot down
Swindon Eagles' 100 per cent record was shattered by Marlborough Town Reserves when they held the long-time junior division 1 leaders to a 1-1 draw at South Marston. It was a case of unlucky 13 for the Eagles, who had won all their 12 previous games.
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Bent boosts Bluebirds
Chippenham Town consolidated their position as Western Division leaders with a dogged 3-1 win at lowly Redditch United. Tommy Saunders' league leaders weren't at their most convincing, but once again did enough to ensure the three points return to Wiltshire
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Callard's battlers earn a little break
JON Callard watched Bath lift themselves off the Premiership basement and then rewarded his side with a two-day break. The win over Newcastle lifted Bath to fourth from bottom in the table with a match against struggling Wasps coming up this weekend.
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Bath storm the castle
DAN Lyle brought a taste of the Harlem Globetrotters to the rain-soaked Rec to ensure Bath leapt off the bottom of the Zurich Premiership with a comfortable 24-9 victory over Newcastle Falcons. Skipper Lyle's instinctive and extravagant over-the-head
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Christmas comes to Wroughton
CHRISTMAS trees are to shine throughout a village, thanks to community spirit and ingenuity. More than two dozen trees have been placed in prominent Wroughton locations and decorated. The lights were due to be switched on this evening. Villagers came
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Man devastated by theft of CDs
A CD collection worth £15,000 has been stolen in a burglary. Owner Martin Thomas says it is as if the soundtrack of his life has been taken. Swindon College lecturer Mr Thomas, 45, returned to his Pembroke Street home after work on Wednesday to find it
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Shop stocked for a grand opening
MORE than 300 eager shoppers today braved the cold to be the first customers of the new Asda Wal-Mart super centre. The giant hypermarket, the biggest Swindon has ever seen, was opened at 10am by the Mayor David Cox. The first in the excited queue was
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The Front Garden fight will continue
THE Front Garden Action Group is bloody but unbowed following its High Court defeat at the hands of Swindon Council. FRAG failed in its bid to prevent homes being built on the tract of land to the south of Swindon. But chairman Terry King says it still
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By royal command
TAILOR Michael Quelch will have a special reason to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee. He has landed the contract to stitch medals to mark the event on to the uniforms of servicemen and women. The £500,000 deal with the Ministry of Defence has transformed
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Guilty plea to rape
SWINDON: A 16-year-old boy was remanded in custody after pleading guilty at Swindon crown court to rape and robbery. The youth admitted the two offences on a man on September 5 but denied threats to kill and kidnap of his victim. Those charges were left
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Robber jailed for five years
DRUG addict Jason Holgate has been jailed for five years after raiding an off licence at gunpoint, and making off with more than £700 in cash. The 25-year-old used a cigarette lighter shaped like a pistol to terrify staff at the Threshers shop on Queens
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National Trust's central office will be in Swindon
CONSERVATION charity the National Trust has confirmed that its new central office will be in Swindon. The establishment of a single central office will bring Trust experts together under one roof. Experts who provide professional guidance on everything
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Man jailed for driving during ban
BANNED motorist Christopher O'Donnell has been jailed for three months after twice being caught behind the wheel. The 29-year-old was caught driving just one month after receiving a one year disqualification in March this year having been convicted of
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Taylor admits Seagulls underestimated Town
BRIGHTON boss Peter Taylor said the Seagulls had faced the tough battle they were fully expecting. The former England Under 21 and Leicester City boss was content to take a point back to the south coast. He said: "I am delighted we secured a point for
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Trust staff swap their good ideas
IT'S good to talk just ask staff at Swindon's Princess Margaret Hospital. Managers there believe good advice should be shared. So every year they get their workers together and have a brainstorm about how to make the job easier. Scores of nurses, doctors
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Win was there for the taking
DAVID DUKE said the players had resisted the temptation to think 'here we go again' after falling behind to Bobby Zamora's early goal. The wing back was sightly disappointed that Town had not gone on to win the match after grabbing an equaliser through
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Dare I say, I told you so!
in March, you kindly published a letter from me on the subject of the old Railway Museum building in Fleet Street. I said it would be sad if the museum joined the list of buildings in the town falling into disrepair. I concluded my letter by expressing
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Give them something to remember
I WAS one of the Commonweal School students who recently visited the Gambia (EA, November 17). One of the activities we introduced to the younger children at the pre-school were parachute games. We chose this activity because it enables a large group
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Where are all the caring workers?
In reply to the letter from Dr Lister (EA, November 21), I would like to add another scenario to the lack of nursing home beds in Swindon. The company I work for, Life Style Care plc, builds new nursing homes in the south and is a rapidly growing company
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Labrador saves life of disabled owner could it be Magic?
AN AMAZING golden Labrador who saved the life of his disabled owner was given an award in Swindon. Endal and his owner Allen Parton visited the Mobility and General Information Centre (Magic) to accept a £2,500 donation to the charity Canine Partners
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All-girl band Tymes 4 go back to school
SCHOOLCHILDREN were enthralled when the latest all-girl band to hit the Brit pop scene, Tymes 4, spent the day at their school. Taymah, Melissa, Natalie and Holly met 300 pupils from Drove School, had lunch with them, performed a concert and enjoyed a
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Jobs could be shed in college reshuffle
JOBS and educational out-reach posts could be shed in a Swindon College restructuring programme. No details have been decided, but deputy principal David Gates confirmed that changes are to take place. Already, some staff have been interviewed for other
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Honda Civic voted Britain's most comfortable car
Workers at Honda's South Marston manufacturing plant received a huge boost with the news that the award-winning Civic they build has received another accolade. The Civic 1.4SE five-door has been voted Britain's most comfortable car for the second time
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Mother given probation for using stolen credit card
A mother-OF-THREE who spent £1,000 in two days with stolen credit cards has walked free from court. Sarah Elbrow was put on a year's probation after spending hundreds of pounds on jewellery and clothes, as well as getting cashback from supermarkets and
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OAP unhappy over state of bus shelter
PENSIONER Brenda Tapster says she is sick of getting wet while waiting for a bus in Fleming Way. She claims the shelter, at the stop for Thamesdown Transport services 10, 10a and 11, has been a ruin since last May. "It has been bound up with orange tape
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Haven for homeless
THE Christmas shelter will be back in action again this year in Swindon providing food, fun and friendship to vulnerable members of the community. And the Evening Advertiser Christmas Toy Appeal is set to add to the festive fun. Many of the people who
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Revamping scheme postponed
A DECISION to postpone town centre refurbishment schemes in Fairford and Lechlade has been condemned by civic leaders. Both projects have been put on the backburner following a shake-up in Cotswold District Council's market town initiative programme.
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Urgent investigation into Social Services
SOCIAL Services and housing in Swindon have been found wanting in more than a quarter of tasks in an official report. And council officials have been called on to urgently investigate parts of its provision for children, the elderly and disabled people
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New shopper bus for people with impaired mobility
A NEW shopper bus service has been introduced for Highworth and the surrounding villages of Swindon. Effective from next Wednesday, the bus will be running with Thamesdown Dial A Ride every Wednesday from Highworth, Blunsdon, Hannington, Sevenhampton,
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Are tools yours?
CRICKLADE: Police are trying to find the owners of some electrical power tools found in Purton. If you can help, call WPC Karen Ferris or PC Steve Harvey at Cricklade Police on Swindon 750207.
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Swindon edged out at the finish
SWINDON Stormers fielded three first teamers but lost out 22-17 to Oxford side Wheatley. Swindon opened their account in the first five minutes with Cocker sweeping past the home backs, after a well-worked move. Excellent running from Milo and Sear saw
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Big reward for a small firm
MICHAEL Quelch's tailoring company could hardly be further removed from the enormous international organisa-tion that is Asda Wal-Mart. But he has created a reputation for excellence in his field. Operating from a small unit on the Okus Industrial Estate
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Magnifique!
FRENCHMAN Eric Sabin is looking for a swift 'encore' after finally breaking his Town goalscoring duck. The striker could not hide his delight after netting Town's equaliser in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Brighton and swiftly dedicated the goal to Roy Evans
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Cooke fires Stoke to win
Division Two: Stoke moved into second spot with a 1-0 win at Wrexham, Andy Cooke scoring after 67 minutes. But Reading, in fourth place, left it late at Peterborough after trailing to Andy Clarke's goal for the Posh, the fastest of the day at 5mins 39secs
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Competition on agenda
More than 50 business and business support agency representatives attended a reception at Wilton House, Salisbury, to share ideas for improving business competitiveness and strength in Wiltshire and Swindon. The reception was hosted by the Wiltshire and
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Hotel project to go ahead
PLANS for a prestigious 120-room hotel and conference centre on the historic Bowood Estate have been given the go-ahead, despite vigorous protests from English Heritage and the Garden History Society. The Marquis of Lansdowne, whose family has owned Bowood
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Things are getting much better for Highworth
Highworth Town picked up another three valuable Premier Division points when they defeated fellow strugglers Almondsbury Town 3-0 on their own ground. Brimming with confidence after their success over Didcot last week, Highworth looked much the better
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Mayo magic
Cirencester Town moved within striking distance of the Western Division safety zone courtesy of a thrilling 3-2 win against visiting Shepshed Dynamo. It was a fine win for Ciren, but Ray Baverstock's men certainly made hard work of it, missing a string
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Keeper heads a last-gasp equaliser
Devizes Town goalkeeper Paul Thompson snatched an amazing last-gasp equaliser in the Premier Division game at Bishop Sutton. Brian Newlands' side were trailing deep into injury time, when shot-stopper Thompson pushed up field and headed home a set-piece
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Marine are sunk by leaky defence
Swindon Supermarine boss John Murphy waved goodbye to his honeymoon period on Saturday, as his side crashed to their first league defeat under his stewardship. Marine twice led, but defended poorly and eventually fell to a 4-2 defeat at mid-table Bedworth
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Merci Monsieur Sabin
ERIC SABIN swooped to silence the Seagulls as Town fought back to earn a well-deserved point against the league leaders. The Frenchman's long wait for his first goal finally ended in the 58th minute and it should have provided the platform for Town to
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Hotel project to go ahead
PLANS for a prestigious 120-room hotel and conference centre on the historic Bowood Estate have been given the go-ahead, despite vigorous protests from English Heritage and the Garden History Society. The Marquis of Lansdowne, whose family has owned Bowood
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Dancers aid stroke victims
SHOPPERS at Swindon's Designer Outlet Village were treated to a display of line dancing. Members and supporters of the Stroke Association took to the mall in a bid to raise awareness of the association's work. The charity campaigns for specialist stroke
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TV chef cooks up a treat
CELEBRITY chef Paul Rankin brought his unique style to a Tesco store in Swindon at the weekend. The famous chef was cooking a variety of dishes with a seasonal twist on a mobile cookery unit outside Tesco Extra on Ocotal Way on Saturday. He was assisted
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Police hunt four people after car hit two pedestrians
A CAR struck two pedestrians after colliding with another car and driving the wrong way down a dual carriageway. The four occupants of the Honda then dumped it and ran off into crowds heading for a Saturday afternoon football fixture in Swindon. Detectives
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Sex offences denial
SWINDON: A 51-year-old man has pleaded not guilty at Swindon crown court to a string of sex offences against two girls. Vikram Jethwa, of Ferndale Road, denied six counts of indecent assault against girls aged 12 and 13 between April 1999 and February
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Light fantastic
HIGHWORTH: Shirley Ludford of BBC Wiltshire Sound and Highworth's Mayor Lynn Vardy will be in the Market Square to switch on the Christmas lights on Friday, November 30, at 7pm. There will be carol singing and mince pies.
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Pat on the back
Swindon Council parking officer Tony Wren, gets a big thank you from mayor David Cox, after raising more than £500 for the Children in Need campaign. Tony dressed in a Pudsey Bear outfit last week and stood in the Brunel North car park collecting donations
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Turbine turbulence
PLANS to build five wind turbines on land between Coleshill and Watchfield have divided communities in the area. While some residents say the turbines would spoil their view, others are in favour because the turbines would generate so-called green electricity
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FM station back on air
SWINDON'S newest radio station is returning but you will need a computer to listen in. Swindon FM, which ran for a one-month trial in September, is planning to be broadcasting on the Internet before Christmas. It is also launching a public consultation
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Museum and pub are flushed with success in awards for top toilets
THE Steam museum is celebrating its latest accolade Loo of the Year. Sponsored by washroom products supplier Cannon Hygiene, the awards are run in conjunction with organisations, including the British Toilet Association. Steam is the current holder of
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Evans content with comeback
ROY EVANS felt Town had more than held their own against the Seagulls and were full value for the draw. The director of football had demanded a 100 per cent improvement on the showing at Loftus Road and felt his players had bounced back in a positive
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Swindon on parade!
A CAST of more than 200 brought the commercial heart of Swindon to a standstill for the fifth annual Christmas Carnival. Thousands of shoppers lined Regent Circus and Regent Street as the parade made its way to Market Square for a day of entertainment
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Man of the Match: Wayne Carlisle
SINCE arriving from Crystal Palace,Wayne Carlisle has provided Town's midfield with the attacking menace which has really been missing. Steve Robinson and Matt Hewlett are hard working, battling players but neither has really offered too much in the final
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Town form foxes Danny
DANNY INVINCIBLE said it was 'frightening' how quickly Town's fortunes could change. The 22-year-old played his part in securing a creditable 1-1 draw with Brighton, even though he failed to get on the scoresheet. He said: "The lads are left wondering
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Magnifique!
FRENCHMAN Eric Sabin is looking for a swift 'encore' after finally breaking his Town goalscoring duck. The striker could not hide his delight after netting Town's equaliser in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Brighton and swiftly dedicated the goal to Roy Evans
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Vivisection will not help the seriously ill cont..
THOMAS Bromley of Seriously Ill for Medical Research (Evening Advertiser, November 20) appears to share the same view as the stag and fox hunters who seem to believe that animals are put on this planet for them to be abused and killed. I very much doubt
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Vivisection will not help the seriously ill
IT IS understandable that the seriously ill want any means possible to get well (Evening Advertiser, November 20). However, the organisation Seriously Ill Against Animal Experiments has looked further into the issue, listening to both sides of the argument
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'This lady saved me from killing myself'
DRINK driver Nick Kilsbie said a woman who snatched the keys from his ignition at a roundabout probably saved his life. The 32-year-old was more than two-and-a-half times over the limit when he bumped his new Honda Civic off the central reservation and
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Prospect gears up to light up lives
PROSPECT Hospice is gearing up for this year's Light-a-Life campaign. The annual event, being held for the third time, invites members of the public to remember their loved ones by sponsoring a light on the Prospect Christmas tree. The grand switch-on
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Stinger operation
SWINDON: A 30-year-old man who was chased down the M4 by police has been arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm. The man, who claimed to be armed, was brought to a halt by a stinger device, following an hour-long police chase. Wiltshire Police called
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Relive the sixties
WOOTTON BASSETT: A charity dance with sixties and seventies music is being held at the Memorial Hall on Saturday, December 15, at 8.30pm. There will be live music from dance band US and also a buffet and bar. Tickets are £6 available from the Courier's
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Time for tennis
CHISELDON: Don't wait until Wimbledon starts again before picking up a tennis racket. Chiseldon Tennis Club is open to all people who live in the parish and new members are welcomed young or old. Summer coaching courses can also be arranged for adults
