Archive
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Royal display
A special exhibition to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee is now open at the Museum of Costume, Bennett Street, Bath. The exhibition features 14 of the Queen's most decorative evening gowns, many created by Sir Norman Hartnell, Sir Hardy Amies and
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Guide to festive TV
CHRISTMAS TV: Now that the highs and lows of this year's Christmas TV have finally been confirmed, the Bath Star is able to present its very own guide to the best in yuletide entertainment. So grab a mince pie, sit back and let the Bath Star handle the
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Charities unite to bring Christmas to homeless
HOMELESS charities in Bath are working together this Christmas to get food and shelter to everyone sleeping rough in the city. Cecil Weir, of local homeless charity Julian House, said: "Homelessness is a 365-day-a-year problem but this time of year it
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Clio still in a small world
DRIVE COLUMN: MOST minis have grown in recent years, and are still growing. With every new update, the makers sneak an extra inch or so on the length. The new Fiesta, due next spring, will be over 2in longer than the current model. And next year's new
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A cut above!
STAFF at Mike McGuire butchers are so proud of the carcass of a champion Charolais Cross bull that they have hung it in the window. While still on the hoof two weeks ago the bull won top prize in its class at the Christmas Cattle Auction in Winslow, Buckinghamshire
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Watch out for scam
Wiltshire Constabulary Fraud Squad have issued details of a telemarketing scam warning all residents to be aware of hoax telephone calls. Callers phone people at home claiming they have struck lucky in a Canadian lottery. Residents are then duped into
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Watch out for scam
Wiltshire Constabulary Fraud Squad have issued details of a telemarketing scam warning all residents to be aware of hoax telephone calls. Callers phone people at home claiming they have struck lucky in a Canadian lottery. Residents are then duped into
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County faces cuts of more than £4m
Cuts totalling more than £4m to social services and highways maintenance are planned by Wiltshire County Council next year. Following a below average funding settlement from central Government, county council departments have been drawing up their budgets
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Peace on a knife-edge
Wiltshire soldiers are in the front line of the volatile political situation in Northern Ireland. Reporter Martin Vincent joined them in Ballykinler, south of Belfast. PEACE has definitely not broken out in Northern Ireland in spite of what many politicians
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Key players will not be rested for cup: Callard
JON Callard has brushed aside suggestions that Bath may rest key players from this weekend's National Cup tie with London Irish to keep them fresh for their Premiership battles ahead. The Rec number one insists this weekend's home meeting with the Exiles
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County faces cuts of more than £4m
Cuts totalling more than £4m to social services and highways maintenance are planned by Wiltshire County Council next year. Following a below average funding settlement from central Government, county council departments have been drawing up their budgets
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A cut above!
STAFF at Mike McGuire butchers are so proud of the carcass of a champion Charolais Cross bull that they have hung it in the window. While still on the hoof two weeks ago the bull won top prize in its class at the Christmas Cattle Auction in Winslow, Buckinghamshire
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A school with many strengths
OLD Town's King William Street Primary School has heaped more success onto last week's exam successes after being praised in a Government Ofsted report. After failing the last Ofsted inspection of March 1998 and going into special measures the school
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Peace on a knife-edge
Wiltshire soldiers are in the front line of the volatile political situation in Northern Ireland. Reporter Martin Vincent joined them in Ballykinler, south of Belfast. PEACE has definitely not broken out in Northern Ireland in spite of what many politicians
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Light of their lives...
THE DOWNING Street Christmas tree lights are twinkling bright thanks to a pair of Swindon toddlers. Two-year-olds Lucy Heard and Lucie Wise switched on the festive display when they joined their mums on a trip to the Prime Minister's house in London for
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Will the axe fall on us?
Swindon Council's cabinet meets tonight (Wednesday) to consider its options before setting a new budget. It will look at two scenarios: one based on increasing council tax by four per cent; the other based on a 10 per cent rise. Either way, there are
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Late chub haul is a winner for Nick
THE cold weather over the weekend affected most of the weights and the fish that were caught were in pockets, causing patchy results. One fish however, that can be relied on to show on our rivers is the chub, where one can normally get a wrap-round using
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Pensioners: Keep warm and ring for help
The elderly are more likely to live in older housing, have low incomes and are likely to suffer health problems that can be the result of living in cold homes. That is the verdict of Warm Hearted Homes, the Energy Efficiency Advice Centre for Swindon
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Take care when disposing of their old fridge
SWINDON Services is urging all householders and traders who plan to dispose of old fridges or freezers to ensure it is done safely. From January 1, 2002 all ozone-depleting substances (ODS) must be removed from fridges and freezers before they are scrapped
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Chess players face challenge
WILTSHIRE'S under nine and under 11 chess teams had their first taste of competition for the season when they played a friendly match against Berk-shire in Swindon. The under 11s won by a convincing margin despite resting their leading players. Under-
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A date with a business
TWELVE budding illustrators have reached the final stage of a calendar design competition. The finalists, all in their second year of an HND in illustration at Swindon College, were presented with a digitally produced copy of the calendar page they had
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It's just the ticket for Santa Claus
THERE'S a very modern Santa on parade at a West Swindon supermarket from now until Christmas. Mr Claus demonstrated his 21st century credentials by arriving at Asda's West Swindon store in a Thamesdown Transport bus yesterday, instead of his traditional
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Nursing home to goahead
A DECISION to grant planning permission for a new nursing home will lead to hospital beds being freed up. That is the verdict of two senior figures in Swindon and Marl-borough NHS Trust. Philip Page, owner of the Kingsdown Lodge nursing home for elderly
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Man denies knowledge of stealing
JOBLESS Paul Rowlands went on a shopping spree which lasted years and included a prestige car and motorbike, specialist camera gear and top class holidays, a court heard. But the 45-year-old denies that the wads of cash he used for many of the buys was
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Rodney lends an antler
FORGET Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer make way for Rodney. The newest Christmas recruit has been at Royal Mail House in Dorcan lending an antler at the busiest time of year. This year, Royal Mail expects to be sorting and delivering around 37 million
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Watch out for scam
Wiltshire Constabulary Fraud Squad have issued details of a telemarketing scam warning all residents to be aware of hoax telephone calls. Callers phone people at home claiming they have struck lucky in a Canadian lottery. Residents are then duped into
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Shallow values
THE recent scenes on television of frail elderly people being evicted from nursing homes is a disgrace and we should all feel ashamed that it is happening in our country that we claim to be one of the most civilised in the world. I am well aware of the
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Very inflated
MY BOSS led me to believe that inflation was running at 2.8 per cent when my union discussed the annual pay award. So how can Swindon Council possibly demand a 9.5 per cent increase in council tax? More to the point, how can they expect anyone to afford
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The waiting game
TOWN fans should brace themselves for an unpleasant surprise when the new board reveals the depth of the financial hole the club finds itself in. Although the next bank statement is likely to come attached with a health warning, the directors are adamant
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Inconsiderate towards cyclists
AS A cyclist for 50 years and a motorist for 35 years, I'm confused to know what some drivers and pedestrians want as regards to people cycling. When I have tried to use these terrible cycle and pedestrian paths, often pedestrians walk on the cycle section
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In defence of the vulnerable cyclists
LETTER writer Alex Dawson does genuinely care about cyclists. If Peter Timms read the Advertiser daily, he may have seen the points to the cycling debate. Mr Dawson can choose to live as far away from his workplace as he likes. If I had the money I would
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'Is it safe nowhere around here?'
I FEEL the need to respond to the article about four wheel drive vehicles being allowed on the Ridgeway path. I am a horse owner who used to feel that the Ridgeway was a safe haven away from cars and motorbikes, but no longer feel this way. I have been
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Alert stops trains
Railtrack stopped all trains after a severely depressed man told his mother he was going to climb up to the bridge over Bath Road in Chippenham, it has been revealed. Police received a 999 call from the 37-year-old's mother just after 2am on Friday morning
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At last . . . a success story
There have been few success stories this year for Swindon's ailing education service. But King William Street Primary School is one of them. It has become a shining light after turning itself round from a devastating inspection that plunged it into special
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Sparing a thought for our soldiers
We should spare a thought for our British servicemen and women working overseas this Christmas. They are doing their jobs in often very difficult circumstances, whether it be in the dust and heat of war-torn Afghanistan or the streets of Belfast where
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The waiting game
TOWN fans should brace themselves for an unpleasant surprise when the new board reveals the depth of the financial hole the club finds itself in. Although the next bank statement is likely to come attached with a health warning, the directors are adamant
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Knick knacks & gee gaws
COLUMN: Oliver Chisholm was a racing commentator at the Racing Post for more than 25 years until he took a gamble on playing with toys. Since then, he has gone on to become one of the south west's leading experts on all things Dinky, Matchbox and Corgi
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Canal website
Anybody who fancies a cruise down the Kennet & Avon canal can now log on to a new website that gives detailed information about services available. Self-drive boat hire, hotel boats and surveyors are just some of the topics on www.aceweb.co.uk, set
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Stalls' success
Traders at Bath's Guildhall Market are reporting a record number of shoppers to their stalls. Mr Gerald Biss, owner of the Bath Cooked Meats counter, who has traded in the market for more than 20 years, said: "I can't remember the last time I've seen
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Well short of bog standard
THE gents lavatory on Monmouth Street has something of a reputation amongst Bathonians and, despite its central location, is generally regarded as one to avoid. Yet despite this, we walked in with an open mind, willing to dismiss such rumours as over-exaggeration
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Let the cellar beware
BATH residents who own a cellar which passes underneath a road or footpath are being urged to contact the council. Bath & North East Somerset Council is currently writing to homeowners to build up a picture of just what lies beneath nearly 15km of
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Still time to see a free film
BATH pensioners have only a few days left to get their free ticket to a special showing of the Christmas classic Scrooge at the ABC cinema in Bath. The film will be shown on at 10.45 am on Monday (December 17) and the Bath Star will be there to hand out
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You don't count if you're awake
COLUMN: WHEN is a homeless person not really a homeless person? Simple when he's awake. You see, these days, in order to be counted as a homeless person or a rough sleeper you have to be lying face down in a shop doorway and snoring your head off because
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Dyson to axe 118 workers
JUST days after the Queen's visit to his Malmesbury factory, James Dyson has shed 118 of his 282 tem-porary workforce, blaming the strength of the pound. The jobs are going on the pro-duction line and in the moulding factory at the plant. The cutbacks
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A question of access
One in 10 Britons wants to be able to access their bank at a time that suits rather than during normal working hours, a survey has revealed. People are also far more likely to want faster service from their bank than they are an extensive range of products
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A Thrifty move to Swindon
The Swindon franchise for Thrifty Car Rental has been acquired by businessman Chris Renton-Rose, licensee of Thrifty Car Rental in Twickenham. He is building on his success in the car rental industry by also acquiring the Thrifty franchise for the Newbury
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Andy is a first for the town
A Swindon staff member has been named Nationwide's 2001 Employee of the Year. Andy Harper, a facilities adviser based at the building society's Swindon head office, took the honours in competition with nine other employees. The awards have been running
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Anti-crime card
Wiltshire police have launched Operation Snowflake, a campaign to advise elderly and vulnerable people how to avoid becoming victims of crime. Elderly folk are sent a Christmas card which has advice and top tips to beat crime and key contact numbers.
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County faces cuts of more than £4m
Cuts totalling more than £4m to social services and highways maintenance are planned by Wiltshire County Council next year. Following a below average funding settlement from central Government, county council departments have been drawing up their budgets
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Peace on a knife-edge
Wiltshire soldiers are in the front line of the volatile political situation in Northern Ireland. Reporter Martin Vincent joined them in Ballykinler, south of Belfast. PEACE has definitely not broken out in Northern Ireland in spite of what many politicians
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Anti-crime card
Wiltshire police have launched Operation Snowflake, a campaign to advise elderly and vulnerable people how to avoid becoming victims of crime. Elderly folk are sent a Christmas card which has advice and top tips to beat crime and key contact numbers.
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Bassett ace Geoff swats aside Marine
Swindon Supermarine crashed out of the Wiltshire Shield last night at the hands of a spirited Wootton Bassett side. A goal in each half from Geoff Swatton proved enough to give Bassett a deserved 2-0 win against an understrength Marine. The only threat
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Foley tribute to coach Jon
NEW arrival Michael Foley has paid tribute to his boss Jon Callard, claiming the former England full-back's "heart and soul is Bath." Rec number two Foley, who joined the club earlier this month, hailed Callard as a man of great integrity and believes
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Robin takes a bow
Robin Hood comes to Swindon when the Link Centre opens its Christmas Ice Show extravaganza. The swashbuckling show is to run from Friday, December 14 to Monday, December 17. Tickets are now available from the Link Centre. For further information call
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'Acclaimed projects in jeopardy'
A THEATRE group which works with young people in Swindon today warned that it will pull out of the town if it loses its council grant. The Sixth Sense Theatre Company has been working in the town since 1986, often touring schools as part of its outreach
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Captured on camera
CANDID childhood photographs of the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal were due to be auctioned in Swindon today. One shows the prince with a bucket on his head and holding a spade as if it were a rifle. In another Charles and Anne dressed in sailor
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Pretty but dangerous
TEA light candles are potential Christmas killers, say trading standards chiefs. The lights are pretty and especially popular during the festive season but in tests their aluminium bases have become hot enough to melt plastic. Swindon Trading Standards
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Charity night for Danny is big success
MORE than 150 friends and family turned out to a charity evening in tribute to Swindon man Danny Bohane who died of cancer in June. The event raised £1,000 for the Prospect Hospice which cared for Mr Bohane. Family friend Liz Bracken-bury, who organised
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£36m is needed to fix council homes
REPAIRS costing more than £36 million will be needed by council homes in Swindon over the next five years. That is the verdict of a new report into the state and future of the borough's 11,500 council homes. Roofing, electrics, bathroom fittings and heating
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First for school, but not for Santa
SANTA made an early call to Ferndale Junior School when he was guest of honour at a fun day. The event was opened by pupils Josh Lawson, 8, and Amy Davidson, 7, and included a fancy dress parade. The school's PTA raised £731 to buy two new CD decks complete
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Dyson to axe 118 workers
JUST days after the Queen's visit to his Malmesbury factory, James Dyson has shed 118 of his 282 tem-porary workforce, blaming the strength of the pound. The jobs are going on the pro-duction line and in the moulding factory at the plant. The cutbacks
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The secret of a happy marriage is spending time together says couple
Fred and Rita Peart, who have celebrated their golden wedding, began courting when their eyes met across a crowded street. They were watching the old Victoria Carnival go by on Regent Street. In the words of Fred: "We just saw each other and we started
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'Domestic violence is not a private matter'
WILTSHIRE'S chief crown prosecutor has called for a tougher line to be taken on the perpetrators of domestic violence. Nick Hawkins describes domestic violence as the scourge of society. He believes the days of people viewing the crime as a private matter
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Councillor wants seat in front of art gallery
A SEAT for the public will be placed at the front of the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery if a councillor has her way. Coun Anne Baxter (LibDem, Eastcott) wants the £810 seat to be installed in Bath Road, Old Town. But officials fear that it might attract
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Close but no cigar for Steam
SWINDON'S Steam Museum did not win the final of the National Railway Heritage Awards but it was praised by judges. It was one of five organisations to reach the finals of the Modern Railways category of the awards, presented at Merchant Tailor's Hall
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While shepherds watched their flocks by night . . .
CHILDREN at St Sampson's School in Cricklade treated family members to a musical nativity play. The school, in Bath Road, has 123 pupils aged between four and seven, all of whom took to the stage for the Christmas production, The Innkeeper's Story. Head
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Anti-crime card
Wiltshire police have launched Operation Snowflake, a campaign to advise elderly and vulnerable people how to avoid becoming victims of crime. Elderly folk are sent a Christmas card which has advice and top tips to beat crime and key contact numbers.
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Christmas bonus
The Children's Information Centre charity has received a £500 Christmas bonus from Swindon's Tesco Extra store. The donation will be used to help the service, based in Market Street, to grow, boosting plans to produce new leaflets on the effects of bullying
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War worries
Anti-war campaigners had a lively meeting with Swindon MPs Julia Drown and Michael Wills at Haydon Wick Community Centre. The delegation included around 10 members of the Moslem community, as well as environmentalists, socialists and trade unionists.
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Man fined for stealing drink
A Cricklade man who stole cider and lager from a store after complaining about the service was fined £83 and £50 costs. Alonzo Fallon, 19, of High Street, appeared before Chippenham magistrates on Monday when he pleaded guilty to charges of stealing a
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Keep on jogging
THE Stroke Association is concerned that people reading reports claiming Sharon Stone's stroke was caused by her intense fitness routine might be put off or even stop exercising. Sharon Stone's stroke was caused by a burst blood vessel. The likelihood
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Memorial idea
WHILE reading about the redevelopment of the Princess Margaret Hospital site in your newspaper, it occurred to me that thousands of people have passed away at PMH since it was built. My mother-in-law being one of them. It would be nice to think that some
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Why Alan is raring to go
UNHAPPY Alan Reeves is desperate to put a nightmare two months behind him and start smiling again. The Town skipper has missed the last nine games with a knee injury and with an almost 'perfect' injury-free career record he is slowly cracking up with
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Cycling Problems
ALEX Dawson is quite right in pointing out the problems of the cyclist. We are now seeing more and more traffic jams, some cities are almost gridlocked at certain times of the day and the situation is worsening. When roads are being constructed council
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Differing views on use of Ridgeway
I SEE from the article Drive Them Off! (November 28) that the recent electorally useful cause worth championing, of driving all motorised vehicles off the county's byways, smacks of what amounts to a hue and cry from Swindon MP Julia Drown. Does she think
