Archive
-
Date
Let's heed campaign this year
SWINDON policeman Roger Blythin put it in a nutshell when he said that if you drive after drinking and are involved in a fatal accident you will have to spend the rest of your life with somebody's death on your conscience. It's a tragic fact that this
-
Date
It's fast forward for Sol
FIT-again Sol Davis is looking to push forward and force his way back into Roy Evans' plans. Injuries to both groins have badly disrupted the defender's campaign so far and he has had to watch Paul Edwards and David Duke look more than comfortable at
-
Date
Bath has panto all year round
Have you booked your tickets for this year's panto yet? No, I'm not talking about the one at the Guildhall I mean the one at the Theatre Royal. This year's it's Aladdin a tale of greed, ambition, fantasy and deceit. Hmm... just the right ingredients for
-
Date
Win yourself a spot of vinyl heaven
SINCE its launch in July, Mantovani Moments has brought you the very cheesiest in music and literature from around the city's charity shops. And because Christmas is almost here, and just for fun, the Bath Star is giving away 20 of its easiest listening
-
Date
Literary gems and musical masterpieces
BATH and the surrounding areas boast some remarkable charity shops. Mantovani Moments takes a regular look at just what the eagle-eyed bargain hunter can snap up in these modern-day Aladdin's caves. This week, the Scope shop in High Street, Keynsham.
-
Date
Fine place for an Italian job
AHHH Italy. Home of organised crime, bad drivers and pizza. Well, it had to have something going for it, and in Bath you can enjoy some of the magic of the true, authentic pizza experience by dining out at Pizza Express in Barton Street. The real jewel
-
Date
One click from being a cyber shopaholic
IF I have one mission in life, it is to make things as easy as possible. With two small, very determined boys, a husband and a recalcitrant cat, I find this very difficult to achieve at times, but I do try. One of my mainstays is doing all my shopping
-
Date
Redesign for leading firm
KENRO, the Swindon photographic storage products firm, has given its image a makeover. The company has brought its logo design up to date and added a descriptive line: "Making the most of your image", which reflects its role as a leading manufacturer
-
Date
4,000 jobs to go, but from where?
TROUBLED telecoms group BT has moved to reassure staff that it is not planning a fresh wave of redundancies. It was reported yesterday that the debt-laden group was cutting staff numbers in its retail division by 13,000 in an effort to cut costs by £850
-
Date
Liam's double fires Wiltshire
WILTSHIRE Schools have progressed into the next round of the English Under 19 Counties Cup, gaining a comfortable 3-1 win over Cornwall at Truro. The Wiltshire team, made up entirely of players from New College Swindon, started slowly and found the going
-
Date
Court sets teenager free
A TEENAGER who used his account to try and clear a bogus cheque for nearly £9,000 has walked free from court after a judge decided he was being used by more serious criminals. Clinton Young, of Penhill Drive, was ordered to perform 60 hours of community
-
Date
Man arrested for brother's murder
THE BROTHER of the 51-year-old man shot dead in Chippenham on Monday morning has been arrested on suspicion of his murder. Kashmira Singh, 42, was arrested at Bristol Royal Infirmary by officers investigating the death of 51-year-old Sawa Singh. The arrested
-
Date
Light up your Christmas safely
THE Wiltshire Trading Standards team is wishing everybody a happy and safe Christmas. Taking their cue from the festive season, officers have been buying and testing Christmas tree lights. There are many safe Christmas tree lights on the market but also
-
Date
The police send their greetings
THE elderly and vulnerable in Swindon are to receive a special card this Christmas from the police. As part of a crime prevention initiative called Operation Snowflake, Wiltshire Police hope to provide some fundamental tips on how to prevent burglaries
-
Date
Old story, young cast
Youngsters from Croft Playgroup enjoyed their debut stage appearances by singing and dancing in front of parents, grandparents and friends. Proud relatives crammed into the Croft Centre yesterday morning to watch the show. The rapturous applause when
-
Date
Talisman team are on their uppers
SWINDON Talisman came out best in the final round of Upper Thames Division of the Angling Times League. The match was again organised on the Kennet and Avon Canal in and around Great Bedwyn and generally fished hard. One point ahead at the top before
-
Date
Plucked to safety by copter medics
TERRY Sturrock says he owes his life to the emergency services following an accident which resulted in the death of a horse he was riding. The 55-year-old, a work rider for racehorse trainer Barry Hills, was leading a string of about 100 horses from one
-
Date
Figures mask a lot of effort
WHILE the overall average pass rate for primary schools in Swindon is slightly down, today's figures mask some marked improvements. King William Street C of E Primary has continued its year on year rise since failing its Ofsted inspection, going from
-
Date
Schools slip further back
SWINDON Council was upbeat today about its primary school results, despite the town dropping further behind the national average. When pass rates for English, maths and science exams for 11-year-olds are added together, the overall average pass rate for
-
Date
'Development affected by FRAG battle'
THE High Court battle over the Front Garden has put an un-wanted brake on the pace of development throughout Swindon. The campaign, led by Old Town resident Terry King and the Front Garden Action Group (FRAG), failed last month to halt the building of
-
Date
New campaign makes noise about science
A NEW campaign to tempt teenagers into careers as scientists and engineers is being spearheaded in Swindon. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is funding NOISE New Outlooks in Science and Engineering. It is aimed at people aged between
-
Date
Murder trial told of bid to save Sacha
A CHILDREN'S health specialist has told a jury that a Cricklade baby brought to him at PMH had injuries consistent with "non-accidental shaking". Bristol Crown Court heard how 12-week-old Sacha Iles was rushed to the hospital in September last year after
-
Date
Getting set for the panto
Rehearsals for this year's panto, Cinderella, get underway at Swindon's Wyvern Theatre this week. Bernie Clifton heads the cast as Buttons, with Emma Willis from TV's Grange Hills as Cinderella, Rod, Jane and Freddy from the children's TV series Rainbow
-
Date
The life savers
A GREAT deal has changed over 25 years since the launch of the first drink-drive campaign but Swin-don police are keen to point out that the message is still the same. Yesterday, Swindon Council's road safety officer Margaret Tester joined traffic officers
-
Date
Letter from Titanic captain is up for sale
ONE of the last letters written by the doomed captain of the Titanic is to be auctioned in Swindon. Captain EJ Smith went down with his ship in the freezing waters of the Atlantic in 1912. The tragedy was immortalised in the films Titanic and A Night
-
Date
Romans uncovered
SWINDON: Latest findings from the Groundwell Ridge Roman Complex at Abbey Meads will be the subject of a public meeting at the Haydon Centre, Thames Avenue, tonight. Archaeologist Roy Canham will describe the latest analysis of the site. And there will
-
Date
Privatisation messing up
THE Advertiser news item of the man threatened with eviction because of benefits not processed is yet another failure of privatisation messing up. In London, Hackney too had hundreds of cases like this and eventually took back the contract. You also reported
-
Date
Let's hope the tide is turning
I am writing in response to Des Morgan's letter (November 29) in which he states that domestic violence has been a well-known problem for many years and suggests that Wiltshire Constabulary should, perhaps, have done something sooner. In fact, domestic
-
Date
Enjoying yourself is not criminal
It would seem to me that enjoying yourself is a criminal offence! To pursue any way of life beyond the norm is to be an outlawed minority. My way of life is motorcycling. We are still tarred with the same worn-out brush from the 1960s. Hooligans. Rebels
-
Date
In defence of the off-roaders
I AM writing in response to an article entitled "Drive Them Off", which appeared in your paper on November 28. My wife and I are the area reps for the Range Rover Register (RRR) an international club for the marque and wish to have a right of reply. Yet
-
Date
Just give them the money . . .
PARENTS whose children go to crumbling Hreod Parkways School will find it hard to be tolerant of the council's failure to release any of the £1 million that was allocated in May for repairs. Today's news that almost £300,000 of this sum could be handed
-
Date
Bath's feast of drama
THE THEATRE ROYAL is promising flying skeletons, Shakespeare and ABBA as part of its Spring Season. As soon as this year's pantomime, Aladdin, winds down on January 20, the theatre will be resuming work with a series of productions every bit as eclectic
-
Date
Snow news is not good news
WEATHER experts say Bath is unlikely to see a break with tradition and experience its first white Christmas in eight years. Despite 3-1 odds from one bookmaker, Ladbrokes, for snow to fall in London this Christmas Day, forecasters at the Met Office in
-
Date
Jesus is out in the cold this Christmas
CHURCH officials in Bath say they feel saddened that local people no longer see Christmas first and foremost as a holy celebration. Religious representatives across the city claim the Christian message attached to Christmas is more often than not lost
-
Date
The pup stops here
ANIMAL welfare campaigns have long proclaimed that 'A dog is for life, not just for Christmas', but Bath Cats and Dogs Home says it is expecting a deluge of abandoned animals before, rather than after, December 25. The home, based at Claverton Down, says
-
Date
Panic-buying men
AS THE countdown to Christmas approaches, lingerie assistants across Bath are bracing themselves for their busiest time of year, and especially the huge and sudden interest shown by men in all things lacy and elasticated. According to Pat Weymouth, lingerie
-
Date
Skoda puts the boot in
REVIEW: IT IS only a stubby little button, less than half an inch across, standing unobtrusively on the door panel, near the door handle. Its purpose: to adjust the angle of the door mirror. By hand. There's another on the passenger's door, where the
-
Date
Be prepared for an enjoyable winter ride
A RIDE on a winter's day can be exhilarating, but you will need to make some preparations for seasonal cycling. The main ones are: Comfortable and waterproof clothes; Regular bike maintenance checks; Reliable and effective lights. A good coat can make
-
Date
It's Magical Mandy's mistletoe mischief
MAGICAL Mandy has been practising magic in Bath for more than 10 years. She is a member of the Magic Circle and President of the Bath Circle of Magicians. Her motto is 'Keep the magic alive' and every week in the run-up to Christmas she'll be showing
-
Date
Light up your Christmas safely
THE Wiltshire Trading Standards team is wishing everybody a happy and safe Christmas. Taking their cue from the festive season, officers have been buying and testing Christmas tree lights. There are many safe Christmas tree lights on the market but also
-
Date
Mid-Wilts Youth and Minor Football League
Under 9 Division 1: Corsham Boys 0, Trowbridge Wdrs 9; Devizes Tn Yth 2, Castle Combe Colts 7; Shaw 4, Bradford on Avon FC 1; Trowbridge Tn Yth Red 5, FC Chippenham Yth 0. Under 9 Division 2: Bradford on Avon FC 0, Trowbridge FC 4; Melksham Pk 6, Chippenham
-
Date
RIAT returns to Fairford
FAIRFORD: Aviation fans are looking forward to the return of the Royal International Air Tattoo to RAF Fairford next year. Major improvements at the base, home to the event since 1985, led to Europe's biggest military air show being staged at RAF Cottesmore
-
Date
Student's print at Steam shop
A PRINT by 18-year-old Craig Tiley of Freshbrook has gone on sale in the shop at Swindon's Steam Museum. The print is £9.95 and depicts Swindon Station as it looked around 1958 and shows a Castle class steam locomotive racing through the station at nearly
-
Date
We hope to be back on track
TRAIN operator First Great Western was today hoping to operate a normal schedule, following the weekend landslide which caused severe delays. The landslide between Swindon and Didcot Parkway left the company running only two of its usual four services
-
Date
Not as bad as you think
PRIMARY schools in Swindon have recorded some of their worst ever exam results falling further behind the national average this year league tables published today show. But as they were published, Education Secretary Estelle Morris revealed spending will
-
Date
They're still so in love 60 years on
HE SPOTTED her at the fish and chip shop and thus began 60 years of marriage. George and Mabel Watts, will celebrate their diamond wedding tomorrow after meeting in Jennings Street in Rodbourne. George, 81, who was 17 when he met Mabel, now 78, recalled
-
Date
MP welcomes big stamp duty savings
A FAMILY buying a house for £60,000 in Penhill will save £600 thanks to a rule-change, an MP claims. Michael Wills says the saving is possible because Chancellor Gordon Brown abolished stamp duty on properties costing less than £150,000 in his pre-budget
-
Date
Shortages may hit Government targets
Teacher shortages could scupper the chances of a key Government education target being met next year, it is claimed. Schools watchdog Ofsted warned that the search for staff was distracting headteachers' attention from ensuring that the literacy strategy
-
Date
Andrew shows separation can be tough
A DIVORCED man from Swindon is one of the stars of a new BBC documentary. Life after Love tells the story of six people as they struggle to move on after separation or divorce. Among them is Andrew, 40 he refuses to reveal his surname who is trying to
-
Date
Grand Prior certificates awarded to three cadets
THREE girls from the Rodbourne cadets have received the highest honour the St John's Ambulance can give. Kirsty Sarahs, 15, from Rodbourne Road and Nicola Saunders, 16, from Harcourt Road who are cousins, and a third girl Emma Hall, 18, from Cheney Manor
-
Date
Call goes out to cat owners
CAT owners in Swindon are being urged to neuter their animals or face a feline population explosion. The Swindon branch of the Cat's Protection League says it is worried about a lack of response to it so-called Neuterthon campaign last month. In addition
-
Date
CD-Rom is an award-winner
AN award-winning interactive CD-Rom for physics students has been developed by a lecturer at Swindon's New College. And thanks to a funding boost, the AS-Level disc will be issued to every school and college in the country. Designed by physics lecturer
-
Date
Queen is set for visit
CHIPPENHAM: The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are to visit Chippenham, Calne and Malmesbury on Friday. Royal watchers will able to catch site of the pair at Chippenham Station, at around 11am. Her Majesty will then have a walkabout along The Strand, in
-
Date
Thanks for help
MAY we, through your newspaper thank Bhs customers and staff for the assistance they gave us when we had an accident on the escalator on November 26. Special thanks to the off duty nurse and paramedics who tended us. We are very bruised but recovering
-
Date
Concert praise
May I thank everyone connected with the Salvation Army carol concert held at the Wyvern Theatre on Sunday night, December 2. What a joy it was! We hear so much sadness in our world nowadays, it made me realise there is hope for the future. The presence
-
Date
It's fast forward for Sol
FIT-again Sol Davis is looking to push forward and force his way back into Roy Evans' plans. Injuries to both groins have badly disrupted the defender's campaign so far and he has had to watch Paul Edwards and David Duke look more than comfortable at
-
Date
Animal appeal
Holly, the partially sighted roe deer fawn, was found causing traffic chaos on a busy road, and taken to Willows Animal Sanctuary in Aberdeenshire, where she is now safe in a purpose built paddock. She joined over 300 other rescued animals at this unique
-
Date
Devizes stay out in front
DEVIZES edged out Frome 18-15 to stay out in front in the Bath & District Combination's 2nd XV Merit Table. The Wiltshire outfit have now won five out of five Merit Table 1 games and are now two points clear of Bath side Oldfield Old Boys, who have
