Archive
-
Date
Heroin addict is given four years for dealing
DRUG addict Stewart Donachie, who stepped into the shoes of heroin dealers when they were jailed after a massive undercover police operation, has been sent to prison. Donachie 31, built up a customer base of about 25 after about three months of selling
-
Date
Maximum sentence for knife attack
A man who sliced a friend's face with a kitchen knife during an argumentafter drinking vodka and taking cocaine has been jailed for the maximum five years after admitting causing grievous bodily harm. Judge Tom Longbotham implemented a little-used power
-
Date
King hurt but refuses to quit
ANDY KING is clearly hurt by the frosty reception he has received from supporters but the Town boss is adamant that he will not be driven out before he has 'even started'. Far from being greeted as a returning hero at the Boxing Day clash with Bournemouth
-
Date
Quality begins at home
REVIEW: Emerald Ensemble, Corsham Town Hall. The intimate elegance of a packed Corsham Town Hall gave an atmosphere of authenticity to a charming evening of baroque music by this home-grown ensemble, many of whom are frequent performers under a variety
-
Date
Mini village plans on hold
PLANS to create a retirement village on a former Corsham naval base are on hold. Beazer Homes' scheme to build the mini village at the former HMS Royal Arthur naval base was deferred when it went before North Wiltshire district councillors last week.
-
Date
£5m revamp for shops' precinct
THE shopping precinct in the centre of Corsham could be modernised as part of a £5 million plan. The proposal, which incorporates suspended glass canopies, stainless steel and Bath stone finishes, were revealed last week by developer Castlefield Land.
-
Date
Landlord is bound over
A PUB landlord has agreed to be bound over to keep the peace for the next six months after admitting to a confrontation with his former partner. Stephen Gurling, 39, licensee of the Dog and Gun at Netheravon, near Pewsey, had originally pleaded not guilty
-
Date
Dyson's in favour
WILTSHIRE entrepreneur James Dyson said Britain should join the euro as soon as possible. Speaking from the company's vacuum cleaner factory in Tetbury Hill, Malmesbury, Mr Dyson said: "Immediate entry to the euro is vital. "France and Germany are going
-
Date
Land deal to boost school
SHERSTON Parish Council has backed county council plans to sell land adjacent to the village school and give up to half the money back to the school for improvements. At a parish council meeting last week, councillors approved the plans, for land at Manor
-
Date
New Year treat for NTL callers
INTERNATIONAL telephone callers are being handed a New Year bonus by NTL. From a minute after midnight on New Year's Eve until a minute before midnight on January 2, all NTL telephone users will pay reduced call charges. Usually, these are available only
-
Date
Record festive sales for stores
STORES in Swindon have reported cracking Christmas profits despite talk of a recession. Shoppers have been spending more than ever and will be rewarded with some of the best sales the town has ever seen. Debenhams manager George Copplestone reported record
-
Date
News in brief
Wootton Bassett town council is to apply for accreditation as a quality town council, under a new Government scheme. Wootton Bassett town council has agreed to assume full responsibility for the town's CCTV system. It is currently controlled by the town's
-
Date
Six trainees join probation service
Wiltshire Probation Service has appointed six new trainee probation officers, as part of a national recruitment drive. This year's total increases the normal normal figure threefold. The increase is part of the Government strategy to reduce the amount
-
Date
From Russia with love
Children in Belarus have plenty to worry about. They have been left with the legacy of the Chernobyl disaster that contaminated the land around them. IAN FANNON met children from the former Soviet country spending time in Wiltshire over Christmas and
-
Date
Victim's mother calls for Sarah's law
A WOMAN whose nine-year-old son was attacked by a paedophile has joined calls for the introduction of what is being called a 'Sarah's law'. The calls follow the kidnap and murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne, a crime for which 42-year-old convicted sex
-
Date
Employee turned off alarm to steal
A LORRY driver who turned off the alarm and security at offices where he worked so he could steal from inside has walked free from court. Bruce Hudson turned up early at Expeditors/Inter-national Ltd on the Techno Trading Estate in Eldene, and used his
-
Date
From Russia with love
Children in Belarus have plenty to worry about. They have been left with the legacy of the Chernobyl disaster that contaminated the land around them. IAN FANNON met children from the former Soviet country spending time in Wiltshire over Christmas and
-
Date
Record festive sales for stores
STORES in Swindon have reported cracking Christmas profits despite talk of a recession. Shoppers have been spending more than ever and will be rewarded with some of the best sales the town has ever seen. Debenhams manager George Copplestone reported record
-
Date
Ambulance attack
An ambulance was put out of action and two women medics were threatened when a man turned violent on a call-out in Swindon. The fracas happened when the emergency crew attended Pinehurst People's Centre, near Olive Grove, at 6pm on Sunday. Police have
-
Date
Centre brings Christmas joy
FOR scores of Swindon people, the real spirit of Christmas 2001 wasn't to be found in a pile of presents or the bottom of a festive glass. Instead, it was just off a dual carriageway in the middle of town, where one of the town's longest-running homeless
-
Date
Our bundles of joy
FIVE families received the best possible present this Christmas courtesy of Princess Margaret Hospital's maternity unit. Christmas Day 2001 was a bumper one for Swindon babies, with the first arriving just a minute after midnight on December 25, and four
-
Date
'We will keep fighting them'
RESIDENTS of Boscombe Down are uniting to fight extra house-building on their doorstep. Fierce opposition has greeted a social housing plan for 15 new properties on Lyndhurst Road by Beacon Housing Association, an organisation which is part of the Nucleus
-
Date
Girl, 15, has bag snatched
A handbag containing £74 worth of items was snatched from a 15-year-old girl in Calne. The bag was discovered minutes later in the car park of The Pippin and £72 worth of its contents were still there. The incident happened at 3.40pm on December 18 when
-
Date
Court to consider row over skate park
THE row over the skateboard park in Hillworth Park, Devizes, will resume at Bath County Court on February 14. Hillworth Road resident Bill Richardson, 62, is suing Devizes Town Council, which runs the skateboard park, claiming it is a nuisance. Mr Richardson's
-
Date
Council considers bid for 68 new homes in Wroughton
A BID for permission to build 68 new houses in Wroughton is being considered by planning officials. The applicant is listed in Swindon Council records as a Charles Church-Weston, acting through a Hampshire-based agent, Oldfield King. Nobody at Oldfield
-
Date
Panel wants the power to handle budgets
WOOTTON Bassett Town Council wants autonomy to deal with budgets and grants from North Wiltshire District and Wiltshire County Councils, ahead of a number of major issues facing the town over the next two years. It has agreed to put forward the idea of
-
Date
Design firm is on top of the world
DESIGNERS in Wiltshire have left their mark on the world. Staff at Halcrow Group were behind the elegant Second Severn Crossing, which provided another link between England and South Wales. Now they have just seen another design, the world's longest swing
-
Date
Witnesses wanted
A three-car collision in High Street, Wroughton, at the junction with Wharf Road, left an elderly woman with a fractured rib and another woman with minor injuries. The accident at 3.30pm on Sunday, outside the Co-op supermarket, involved a Renault Laguna
-
Date
Thanks for help
A collection is now closed for donations which were gratefully received for a child whose mother died in a fire at their home in Holbein Close, Swindon, on December 16. Appeal organiser Rachel George received gifts from Toys R Us, Woolworth's distribution
-
Date
Knife assault
Swindon Police are appealing for help after a woman suffered cuts to her right hand and face after being attacked with a knife in the stairwell of Level One of Spring Gardens car park, around 7pm on Friday. A man dressed in a dark suit, pink tie and briefcase
-
Date
Six trainees join probation service
Wiltshire Probation Service has appointed six new trainee probation officers, as part of a national recruitment drive. This year's total increases the normal normal figure threefold. The increase is part of the Government strategy to reduce the amount
-
Date
Court to consider row over skate park
THE row over the skateboard park in Hillworth Park, Devizes, will resume at Bath County Court on February 14. Hillworth Road resident Bill Richardson, 62, is suing Devizes Town Council, which runs the skateboard park, claiming it is a nuisance. Mr Richardson's
-
Date
New council building opens
NORTH Wiltshire District Council threw open the doors of its controversial new office premises in Monkton Park, Chippenham. Staff and equipment were transferred to the new environmentally-friendly building over a weekend, bringing all the district council
-
Date
Vandals hit bird lovers' hideout hut
A BIRD-WATCHERS' hut in Lechlade has had to be demolished after more than 25 years because of vandalism. Youths have been gathering in the timber hut on the Edward Richardson Nature Reserve near Perrinsfield, for the past year. Nature-lovers who use the
-
Date
What times the buses are running
IT'S Saturday and Sunday every day for bus passengers in Swindon until January 2. Thamesdown and Stagecoach, the main firms serving the town, are reminding people of their schedules over the holiday period. Following a Christmas Day and Boxing Day suspension
-
Date
New radio station finds home on the internet
SWINDON'S new radio station has gone on air but you can only listen to it if you have a computer. The station, called Swindon FM, started internet transmissions at the weekend. Based in studios at the Brunel Centre, it hopes to keep a high profile so
-
Date
Hospital praised for patient care
THE Ridgeway Hospital in Wroughton was presented with a certificate for its care of patients. The Health Quality Service Certificate of Accreditation, presented by Swindon mayor David Cox, is a quality improvement tool in which standards are written that
-
Date
New school's first head is a literary ace
LITERACY specialist Jan Bennett has been appointed headteacher of the primary school under construction at Bishopdown Farm, Salisbury. Mrs Bennett (41) takes up her post at the beginning of the summer term next year, when the building project should be
-
Date
Parish priest is to leave St Mark's
NEW Town parish church St Mark's in the Railway Village is losing the man who has been its priest for the past six years. The Rev John Lees, who is married with a young daughter Elizabeth, is leaving because of ill health. He was appointed rector to replace
-
Date
Robber's Robin in 80mph escape bid
A FUGITIVE at the wheel of a green Reliant Robin held six police cars and two helicopters at bay in a high-speed chase all the way from Salisbury to Blandford. James MacGregor (28) crashed red lights, overtook on blind bends and took roundabouts on two
-
Date
Knit a teddy to make a Romanian child happy
PENSIONER Doreen Room is again calling the people of Swindon to get out their knitting needles, pick up the easy pattern, gather some left-over wool scraps and make a teddy bear for children in Romania. An idea that she had from seeing a cute little bear
-
Date
Jan back on board as Janspeed saved
JANSPEED, the Salis-bury engineering firm, which closed in October with the loss of 40 jobs, has found a buyer. A consortium led by businessman Jonathan Marland, of Odstock, has put together a finance package, which will lead to the revival of the world-famous
-
Date
GWR appeal's big giveaway
A RADIO charity appeal has raised more than £88,000. More than 700 different lots were auctioned off during the mammoth 17-hour auction on GWR FM. Now the station, based in studios in Wootton Bassett, is looking to give away the money. The proceeds from
-
Date
'It will not be a theme park'
SWINDON Council will press ahead with its plans to redevelop Barbury Castle in the New Year. But it insists it will deal with the site sensitively. It plans to raise the profile of the 150-acre site by improving public facilities and focusing on its historic
-
Date
Revellers break in to Stonehenge
THREE hundred revellers broke a padlock in order to greet the dawning of the shortest day at Stonehenge this year - in defiance of an order from English Heritage to stay away until the following day, December 22. The authorities have been in close contact
-
Date
Fire guts popular town pub
THE Greyhound pub in Wilton was devastated on Friday night by a fire which ripped through the first floor of the building. Unsuspecting staff and customers were chatting and drinking in the bar during the evening as the flames took hold upstairs. By the
-
Date
King hurt but refuses to quit
ANDY KING is clearly hurt by the frosty reception he has received from supporters but the Town boss is adamant that he will not be driven out before he has 'even started'. Far from being greeted as a returning hero at the Boxing Day clash with Bournemouth
-
Date
Euro by stealth
With the Euro coming in less than two weeks from now, I notice that many shops are preparing to accept it alongside the pound. This is obviously a part the Government's plan to impose it on us by stealth, so that we will think it is inevitable we will
-
Date
Where are the benefits of voting Labour?
I REFER to the report December 15 on pages six and seven of the Evening Advertiser "Why living in the Parks is bad for your health". It was stated that, "poverty, poor diet, smoking and lack of education have made people in Park North and Park South the
-
Date
This would just be cultural vandalism
I WAS horrified to read that the council is considering the closure of Swindon Dance. One of the criticisms regularly levelled at Swindon is that it has little culture. I would consider the closure of Swindon Dance, which is one of the town's few artistic
-
Date
Work together for a brighter future
I am fed up with those who continually blame one political party or another for the financial and other problems, that we as a local community face. Those who continually label themselves as belonging to a political party at a local level are asking for
-
Date
Town bucks euro trend
A SURVEY has shown that a fifth of independent retailers across the west will be accepting euros from next week. But in Chippenham, trade across the tills will stick to the pound as usual. The new currency is to be introduced in 12 of 15 European countries
-
Date
Turning lives around
FEATURE: AS Chippenham-based Kandu Arts celebrates its first anniversary by winning national acclaim for its work with homeless people Jen Bishop spoke to Spice Girl Mel C and others backing the project A homelessness project, run by a Chippenham arts
-
Date
Festive cheer for the needy
WHILE tucking into a delicious turkey Christmas dinner, it is surprisingly easy to forget those less fortunate than ourselves. But thanks to a group of hardworking volunteers, about 40 homeless and lonely people found some Christmas cheer at Swindon's
-
Date
Bringing joy to troubled young lives
SWINDON people are now well used to extending hands across the water in an effort to help those less fortunate than themselves. The town helped its twin in Nicaragua, Ocotal, get back on its feet after it was hit by severe flooding. And local people have
-
Date
Shark sparks musical project
WHEN Yatton Keynell man Will Lawton and South African Peter van Pletzen had a close encounter with a shark, little did they know the meeting would lead to a whole new musical endeavour. The two men were surfing on Boxing Day 1997 in South Africa when
-
Date
Lacock targeted by hunt activists
ANIMAL rights activists turned out in force to protest against foxhunting in Lacock on Boxing Day. The meet was the League Against Cruel Sports' main target in the south-west. More than 100 protesters carried placards and shouted abuse at the hunters
-
Date
Bluebirds left with holiday hangover
FORMER Chippenham Town hero Lea James came back to haunt his old team-mates in the big non-league derby on Boxing Day. New Swindon Supermarine defender James a member of the Bluebirds' 2000 Wembley side headed a second-half equaliser that secured former
-
Date
Design firm is on top of the world
DESIGNERS in Wiltshire have left their mark on the world. Staff at Halcrow Group were behind the elegant Second Severn Crossing, which provided another link between England and South Wales. Now they have just seen another design, the world's longest swing
-
Date
Navy officers down some festive cheer
NAVAL officers from HMS Invincible had a taste of Christmas when they visited Arkell's Brewery and tasted some Noel Ale. The officers kicked off their seasonal celebrations in Swindon with a pint of the festive ale, named after the brewery chairman Peter
-
Date
Dyson's in favour
WILTSHIRE entrepreneur James Dyson said Britain should join the euro as soon as possible. Speaking from the company's vacuum cleaner factory in Tetbury Hill, Malmesbury, Mr Dyson said: "Immediate entry to the euro is vital. "France and Germany are going
-
Date
Panel wants the power to handle budgets
WOOTTON Bassett Town Council wants autonomy to deal with budgets and grants from North Wiltshire District and Wiltshire County Councils, ahead of a number of major issues facing the town over the next two years. It has agreed to put forward the idea of
-
Date
More staff are taken on
WILTSHIRE Probation Service has appointed six new trainee probation officers this month, as part of a national recruitment drive. Over the last three years only two have been taken on each year and the increase is part of the Government strategy to reduce
-
Date
Derby delight for Melksham
Melksham Town made the most of home advantage in the Screwfix Premier Division derby, running out 3-0 winners against Devizes. It was a surprisingly comfortable victory for Robbie Lardner's side, particularly considering Devizes had beaten title favourites
-
Date
Lea clips the 'birds wings
FORMER Chippenham Town hero Lea James came back to haunt his old team-mates in the big non-league derby yesterday. New Supermarine defender James a member of the Bluebirds' 2000 Wembley side headed a second-half equaliser that secured John Murphy's men
-
Date
No festive cheer for the king
FESTIVE cheer was in short supply at the County Ground as Andy King received a reception usually reserved for a pantomime villain. The strength of hostility directed towards the Town boss during a scrappy 0-0 draw with Bournemouth clearly surprised King
-
Date
21/12/01
THE long trip up to Newcastle awaits us this Sunday and Kingston Park is probably the coldest ground I've ever played on. And that's including some fairly nasty Welsh hillsides! I can remember a game a couple of years ago up there when the lads came in
-
Date
Love grows strong for TV couple
WHEN Kelli Salone agreed to appear on TV's Would Like To Meet she was hoping to find love. But she hadn't reckoned on a cameraman being the object of her affection. It's now almost seven months after the couple met and Kelli, 31, and boyfriend Oscar Challis
-
Date
New Year treat for NTL callers
INTERNATIONAL telephone callers are being handed a New Year bonus by NTL. From a minute after midnight on New Year's Eve until a minute before midnight on January 2, all NTL telephone users will pay reduced call charges. Usually, these are available only
-
Date
Robber's Robin in 80mph escape bid
A FUGITIVE at the wheel of a green Reliant Robin held six police cars and two helicopters at bay in a high-speed chase all the way from Salisbury to Blandford. James MacGregor (28) crashed red lights, overtook on blind bends and took roundabouts on two
-
Date
Jan back on board as Janspeed saved
JANSPEED, the Salis-bury engineering firm, which closed in October with the loss of 40 jobs, has found a buyer. A consortium led by businessman Jonathan Marland, of Odstock, has put together a finance package, which will lead to the revival of the world-famous
-
Date
Fire guts popular town pub
THE Greyhound pub in Wilton was devastated on Friday night by a fire which ripped through the first floor of the building. Unsuspecting staff and customers were chatting and drinking in the bar during the evening as the flames took hold upstairs. By the
-
Date
School celebrates a golden future
A CHRISTMAS gift of £2.7m has heralded the start of a golden new era for Salisbury's Bishop Wordsworth's School. The money has been awarded by the Government to enable the boys' grammar school to build a long-awaited sports hall, which will double as
-
Date
Revellers break in to Stonehenge
THREE hundred revellers broke a padlock in order to greet the dawning of the shortest day at Stonehenge this year - in defiance of an order from English Heritage to stay away until the following day, December 22. The authorities have been in close contact
-
Date
Heartbreaking
A Walcot woman who is six months pregnant had many items from her home stolen including a tumble drier, microwave, TV, a large quantity of CDs and a roll of carpet. The woman had bought lots of baby clothes in preparation for the birth. All were stolen
-
Date
Navy officers down some festive cheer
NAVAL officers from HMS Invincible had a taste of Christmas when they visited Arkell's Brewery and tasted some Noel Ale. The officers kicked off their seasonal celebrations in Swindon with a pint of the festive ale, named after the brewery chairman Peter
-
Date
A plumb position
COLIN Stainer is the perfect plumber, according to a happy customer whose nomination to make him Britain's Favourite Plumber has already made him a Wiltshire winner. Mr Stainer, who runs his business from his home in Somerset Road, Salisbury, does not
-
Date
Mini Safeway to open at petrol station
SAFEWAY is to open a new store in Salisbury. The national supermarket chain has teamed up with BP to convert the London Road filling station into a new mini supermarket-cum-petrol station. The BP garage will close on January 20 and reopen three months
-
Date
Marathon plea
Do you have a guaranteed place for the Flora London Marathon in April 2002? The Stroke Association is looking for people with marathon places to run in aid of the charity and help raise vital funds for research. Last year, participants in the London Marathon
-
Date
School celebrates a golden future
A CHRISTMAS gift of £2.7m has heralded the start of a golden new era for Salisbury's Bishop Wordsworth's School. The money has been awarded by the Government to enable the boys' grammar school to build a long-awaited sports hall, which will double as
-
Date
Only a point but Andy delighted with 100 per cent improvement
ANDY KING felt Town deserved more for their first-half display than a blank score sheet. An inability to finish off chances meant both sides went in level, with the home side well on top. But those missed chances meant King had to settle for just a point
-
Date
Clear as water
IT was as clear as spring water that when Danny Donegan went from the board of Swindon Town Football Club, Mr Roy Evans would not stay on at the club. Why use the excuse that he is leaving because there is no money to spend on new players? Nothing has
-
Date
Lack of history
FRANK Avenell shows a lack of historical knowledge in his recent letter. The majority of those so-called enemy aliens on the Isle of Man were mostly refugees from the Nazis. They were swept up indiscriminately and interned. Much later Churchilll and others
