Archive
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Agency is just the ticket
Chippenham's tourist information centre has won the National Express Agent of the Year award for the south west region. The prize was given for its overall performance as an agent for National Express. Sales of the bus tickets have increased by 215 percent
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Hairdresser is a cut above all the rest
Hairdresser Helen Simons, 20, of Malmesbury Road, Chippenham, was trainee of the year in a national competition organised by SPANS training system. Ms Simons works at The Courtyard in Market Place. Owner George Withers said: "She was nominated last year
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Charity hands out a little Christmas cheer
PEOPLE in need in Chippenham enjoyed a special treat at Christmas. The Borough Lands Charity, based in the Market Place, handed out Christmas food luxuries to families and pensioners in need. The charity first launched the Christmas hamper scheme three
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Skatepark will stay where it is
CHIPPENHAM'S skatepark is to stay in Monkton Park despite furious demands from nearby residents that it be closed. North Wiltshire district councillors have taken the controversial decision to keep the skatepark open, but install new, quieter equipment
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Fears school will be oversubscribed
CHILDREN living close to Chippenham's Abbeyfield School might not be able to go there. Places for children starting at the London Road school in September 2002 have already been allocated. It will be the first full year group with 180 pupils since the
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Daughter's grief over dad's home
A woman has criticised a housing association for giving her just days to clear her father's home after he died. Sylvia George, 52, was told extra rent would have to be paid and she could faces charges if the Ashe Crescent house in Chippenham was not cleared
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Bargain boost for economy
The sales are upon us and once again Britons are pursuing their favourite pastime shopping. But this year more than any other we should be grateful that people are rushing out to snap up the bargains. For despite the economic downturn, it seems that consumers
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KING SWOOPS
ANDY King is expected to add Sunderland midfielder Thomas Butler to his squad for tomorrow's game with Bury. The Town boss is a great admirer of the 20-year-old Irishman, a player he has likened in style to West Ham and England midfielder Joe Cole. King
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Praise for council
North Wiltshire District Council has received an award from the Government Office South West for the presentation of its Asset Management Plan. Council leader David Packham said: "Our staff and officers should be congratulated. We received the highest
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Farmer, 78, dies
Bromham village is mourning the death of Dick Stiles, 78, the farmer and butcher whose Westbrook abattoir was hit by foot and mouth at the end of February. Mr Stiles died at the Royal United Hospital, Bath, at the weekend. Funeral arrangements had not
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Toilets to church plan is rejected
PLANS to turn former public toilets into a Christian meeting hall have been thrown out. North Wiltshire district planners threw out the Down Trust's scheme to build a new hall on the former picnic site alongside the A350 at Kington Langley. Trust spokesman
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Hunt hit by 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
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Walk-in thieves nab computers
STAFF at North Wiltshire District Council are baffled how thieves managed to walk off with £6,500 worth of computers and other hi-tech gear. The theft was discovered when staff arrived for work on Monday morning at the new headquarters in Monkton Park
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Shop customer loses car
A customer who left his Mondeo car outside the One Stop Shop in Rawlins Road, Pewsey, while he popped inside, returned to find it had been stolen. The car was later found abandoned in Reading, with damage to the front and back.
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Boys believed to be preying on OAPs
Police believe two teenage boys who stole £820 in cash and jewellery worth £1,200 from a Marlborough pensioner on Saturday, December 22, also entered a Pewsey pensioner's home. At about 7.30pm an 82-year-old woman in St John's Close, Marlborough, found
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Snow crash injury
Pewsey villagers Richard and Deborah Caswell were injured in a crash on the A1M in County Durham when their car skidded on ice and snow and collided with an articulated lorry on Saturday afternoon. Mrs Caswell, 39, was driving and the car is thought to
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Mark Sparrow - Speaking up for Bath
COLUMN: Now this year's rush is over, the management feels that it is important to write to all employees of Yuletide plc to explain the impact of the ongoing review of our global operations. Because Christmas no longer enjoys a worldwide monopoly in
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Parking Office
Bath & North East Somerset Parking Office has now moved to new premises at the main cashiers office in the Guildhall, Bath. The telephone number for the Parking Office remains the same on (01225) 477134.
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Life in the cinema
KEITH ROWLAND has seen many changes in his 35 years of working in cinema. From Cinerama to 3D, the soon-to-be retiring manager of the Bath ABC has watched movie empires rise and fall, genres emerge and die and special effects relegate actors to playing
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Hairdresser is a cut above all the rest
Hairdresser Helen Simons, 20, of Malmesbury Road, Chippenham, was trainee of the year in a national competition organised by SPANS training system. Ms Simons works at The Courtyard in Market Place. Owner George Withers said: "She was nominated last year
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Dinner lady cooks up her last lunch
DINNER lady Margaret Vince hung up her apron for the last time last Friday after working 30 years at the same school. Mrs Vince, 62, first began working at Newtown Primary School, Trowbridge as a playground supervisor but, after a year, moved into the
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how to nail it
PARTYGOERS can really sparkle at that New Year's Eve bash thanks to the latest fad in nail fashion. A salon in Old Town has been flooded with requests for acrylic nail extensions. Style conscious people are clamouring for shimmering looks finished with
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Coffee shop opens in council offices
People are now heading to new council offices in Chippenham not just with planning and council tax queries but for a cup of coffee. North Wiltshire District Council's new headquarters in Monkton Park includes a caf that is open to the public. The caf,
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Man retires after 48 years
AFTER dedicating a lifetime of work to Elkins of Westbury, supervisor Maurice Ingram last Friday. Mr Ingram's career with the family-run motor dealers began when he left school in 1953, aged 16. As well as cars, Elkins used to repair radios, tractors
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Trail of goods leads to opportunist thief
POLICE found a burglar who took part in a raid on a Westbury supermarket by following a trail of looted goods to his home. Stephen McQuoid, 20, admitted stealing £116 worth of alcohol and tobacco from Coopers Foodstore in Edward Street, when he appeared
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Thugs lay in to nightclubber
A CLUBBER was punched and kicked by a gang of four men in a Wiltshire nightclub. The man, who has not been identified, was left with lacerations and a swollen nose after the attack at Reflections Nitespot in Westbury. The gang of four men asked the victim
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Plans request
North Wiltshire District Council has requested amended plans from Persimmon Homes for a five-home development overlooking Morse Close, Malmesbury. At a town council planning meeting on November 27, councillors accused the developer of "bribery" over the
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Tennis club wins fight to get new floodlights
MALMESBURY Lawn Tennis Club has been given the go-ahead to add floodlighting to its courts despite concerns from residents . The club will build nine 6.7-metre floodlight columns at its Tetbury Hill courts. Permission for the work was granted at a meeting
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Keep an eye on your drink
A MELKSHAM pub landlord has backed guidelines issued by a Wiltshire drugs advice service warning festive clubbers to watch their drinks, as concerns over drug rapes rise nationwide. Tranquillisers, sedatives, ecstasy and cocaine have been used to spike
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'Mean' cleaner jailed
Cleaner Lorraine Banham has been jailed for 15 months after a court heard how she stole the credit card of her boss's late wife and used it to run up hundreds of pounds of debt. She also stole from a 71-year-old woman she visited, pocketing the woman's
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Celebrating
THE sun is shining, snow has fallen overnight, looking festive but cold. Now the icing on the cake, two tickets from the Wiltshire Times for the new year concert at The Forum. I enjoy entering competitions and the first I ever entered was when I was five
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Safety in icy conditions
The New Year heralds the start of the bleak mid-winter, creating hazardous conditions on the roads. TREVOR PORTER reports. While snow may look deep crisp and even when it falls in our countryside, its one more danger on our roads. With the coming of the
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Boxing Day fun on Holt green
Villagers in Holt have found an ideal way to deal with those Boxing Day blues: a game of boules. More than 130 people turned out on Holt village green for some post-Christmas fun. The event began around eight years ago when the traditional Boxing Day
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Body found in canal sparks safety drive
Christmas joy turned to tragedy after the body of a man was pulled out of the Kennet & Avon Canal at Avoncliff on Christmas Eve. The man, thought to have been aged between 50 and 65, had been drinking in the Cross Guns pub the previous evening. Police
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Children celebrate
Wootton Bassett Primary school children on holiday will be very welcome to join the younger ones at the New Year pram service on January 2, at 2pm in St Bartholomew's Church. Refreshments will be provided afterwards.
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New friends meet up
Eileen Bird's appeal in September for a friend to accompany her for shopping, lunches, theatre trips and so on, has been so successful that 15 women have formed a Wootton Bassett group, called Just Friends. "Some of the ladies are single; some, like me
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Chance to star on TV
Do you fancy proposing on air or perhaps you need to say sorry in a big way. The BBC1 has come up with a novel TV programme to allow viewers to do just that. TV Mail, presented by Nadia Sawalha and Ingrid Tarrant, is being filmed in Wiltshire from early
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New Year, new deputy
Sue Lear, who has been appointed deputy headteacher of St Bartholomew's C of E Primary School, is to take up her appointment in the New Year. St Bartholomew's headteacher, Suzanne Lane, said: "Her skills and experience will be invaluable."
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Stop children from eating these sweets
IMPORTED mini fruit gel sweets could cause children to choke, Wiltshire trading standards officers are warning. The jellies contain a gum called konjac which does not dissolve easily and could stay stuck in the throat. While no cases have been reported
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Chance to star on TV
Do you fancy proposing on air or perhaps you need to say sorry in a big way. The BBC1 has come up with a novel TV programme to allow viewers to do just that. TV Mail, presented by Nadia Sawalha and Ingrid Tarrant, is being filmed in Wiltshire from early
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Changes on cards for school terms
WILTSHIRE looks set to follow the rest of the country's schools when they change to a six-term year. A recommendation by the Local Government Association is that schools eventually change from the usual five to six term. Wiltshire County Council chairman
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Planning head denies charges
David Head, Wiltshire County Council's head of emergency planning, pleaded not guilty to charges of obtaining property by deception dating from April 15, 1999 through to April 30 at Swindon Crown Court last Friday. The sums involved total more than £300
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Safety in icy conditions
The New Year heralds the start of the bleak mid-winter, creating hazardous conditions on the roads. TREVOR PORTER reports. While snow may look deep crisp and even when it falls in our countryside, its one more danger on our roads. With the coming of the
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Trowbridge League round-up
DURSLEY Arms almost pulled off a real Christmas cracker against Division One leaders Broughton Gifford. Broughton led three times before a late Paul Bendell equaliser rescued a point the for the champions. After last week's 5-2 success Gifford took the
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Bridgwater Town 3, Melksham Town 1
MELKSHAM Town boss Robbie Lardner blasted his players for a lack of professionalism after his side dropped three Premier Division points at improving Bridgwater Town. Lardner, who arrived at Fairfax Park just half an hour before kick-off after his car
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Paulton Rovers 7, Westbury United 2
WESTBURY United remain deep in relegation trouble after going down to their heaviest Premier Division defeat of the season at the hands of Paulton Rovers. The home side handed starts to new signings Andy Catley, who arrived last week from Chippenham Town
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The shortest day that turned into the longest
TRADERS are still feeling the heat a year after a fire ripped through the heart of Warminster. The blaze, which caused £1m of damage, started in newsagents Balfour News, in Market Place, on December 21 last year and spread to fashion chain Dorothy Perkins
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Winter solstice is an all-weather event
Druids celebrating the winter solstice at Stonehenge were treated to snowflakes, a rainbow and a clear sunrise. Pagans, astronomers, white witches, local residents and even a Buddhist gathered to watch the sun rise over the stones on the shortest day
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Benbow steps into the breach
Swindon Supermarine have been hit by the prolonged loss of goalkeeper Paul Haines ahead of tomorrow's trip to Weston. Haines was knocked out during last Saturday's clash with Shepshed and the shot-stopper was taken to hospital with concussion. He will
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Upbeat time for Honda
HONDA'S all-new Jazz, due to go on sale here in February, has soared to the top of the sales charts in Japan. The new model, built on Honda's new 'small car' platform, promises cleaner emissions, advanced safety, spacious interior and more driving pleasure
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Winter is snow joke
The VW Beetle in the snow conjures up a traditional warm-hearted image of winter . . . but it's really telling us that VW is offering a 'get ready for winter' health and safety check for your car. It's a worthwhile reminder for every motorist, whatever
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A grand car: Enough said
THIS car looks good, drives well, it's a comfortable car, and this 1.3 model has a fair selection of equipment. That's fair and honest, and maybe no more needs to be said. When I reviewed a Daihatsu previously, the report pointed out fairly, I thought
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Our car of the year
Adver motoring writer BILL CALTHROP recalls the variety of cars he tested in 2001 and picks out the best of the crop. This year I have tested a wider variety of cars than in any other year and there wasn't one bad one among them. The difficult part has
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Luck is key to happy marriage
A LETTER of congratulations from the Queen helped a couple from Bradford on Avon celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on December 20. Fred and Pat Page, originally from London, received the letter as well as other letters and presents from family
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Well up to scratch
REVIEW: The Scratch Band, Rising Sun, Bradford on Avon. If you closed your eyes, you might be forgiven for thinking you were in a smokey, blues filled bar in the States rather than in Bradford on Avon on Saturday night. Taking you to the land of rhythm
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Body found in canal sparks safety drive
Christmas joy turned to tragedy after the body of a man was pulled out of the Kennet & Avon Canal at Avoncliff on Christmas Eve. The man, thought to have been aged between 50 and 65, had been drinking in the Cross Guns pub the previous evening. Police
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Pupils'work gets blessing
The new vicar of Woodborough, the Rev Vanda Rowe, dropped in at the village school to bless mosaics made by the 120 children. The mosaics have been put up at the school entrance. Mrs Rowe has moved from Marlborough, where she was curate, to join the Pewsey
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Will cutbacks mean lower council tax?
I WAS amazed to read that there are likely to be more cuts in various services, particularly street lighting, winter gritting and the parish lengthsmen (which very few people have heard of anyway). We are sick of all the cut backs particularly where safety
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Tindall to play boot boy?
MIKE Tindall could be pressed into action as an emergency kicker if Matt Perry's neck injury fails to heal in time for Bath's Premiership derby against Bristol tomorrow (2pm). That's just one of the options being considered by Jon Callard and his coaching
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Real spirit of Christmas
I WONDERED if I might use your columns to thank those who contributed to the children's Christmas party at the Melksham Homelessness Hostel? Once again, the contribution of food, crackers and balloons from Tesco store in Trowbridge was stunning. In particular
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Perry in race to be fit
FULL-BACK Matt Perry admits he is desperate to overcome a niggling neck injury in time for Bath's sell-out west country derby against Bristol Shoguns at the Rec tomorrow (2pm). British Lion Perry hasn't joined his teammates in any of this week's training
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Paying double
JOHN Clegg (Wiltshire Times November 16) advised Mr Palmley (November 9) to ascertain the facts of the subject upon which he writes. Perhaps Cllr Clegg should take his own advice! His comments regarding traders and business rates give the impression that
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Clean up your act
I AM unable to believe that there is a continuing debate about horse droppings when we have yet to conquer dog owners still allowing their animals to foul on the pavements. Wiltshire Drive area is supposed to be a poop-scoop area and there are plenty
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Good connections
I WAS very interested to read Ken Rogers' letter. It is to say the least disappointing that to date all protests over the proposed resiting of the County Record Office have fallen on deaf ears. Times may have changed since I worked at County Hall, but
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Plea for more young people to join the action
I was amazed by George Bright's comments about my letter (December 14) in last week's Wiltshire Times. I was only stating that Trowbridge has not seriously gained anything to shout from the rooftops about in the past 10 years. In truth, 10 years ago Ushers
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Not just treading water
Housewife Margaret Hall (Tilda Swinton) lives on Lake Tahoe with her three children and her cantankerous father (Peter Donat). Her husband is a naval officer who spends months at sea, so she is left to take care of the children on her own. Subtle cracks
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Vinnie has a captive audience
FOOTBALL, they say, is a funny old game. Unfortunately, it's not funny enough in Mean Machine a remake of an American-football based film starring Burt Reynolds although this movie, which features Vinnie Jones's first starring role, does have its moments
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Twist of fate leads to tale of romance
IN Serendipity (PG), Jonathan Trager (John Cusack) and English rose Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale) meet by chance in the throng of Christmas shoppers in New York City. There is an immediate spark of attraction, but both of them are currently involved in
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Sausage warning
Swindon shoppers are being warned to take back hot dog sausages to branches of Adsa and Lidl after stocks were found to be contaminated with bacteria. Customers complained that the sausages, made in the Netherlands by the Struik food group, smelt foul
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Rubbish collected
Refuse collections will not be disrupted by the New Year bank holiday. Those who were due to have their rubbish collected on Christmas Day or Boxing Day should put their bins out on New Year's Day or Wednesday, January 2, when a double collection will
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Decking the halls with prizes galore
IMAGINE the Christmas of your dreams fine food and wine, decorations galore and stacks of presents under the tree. That is exactly what Cricklade pensioner Brian Boulton and his wife Mo, 59, woke up to on December 25. Brian, 64, who used to run the Red
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Playgroup toyshed razed by arsonists
ARSONISTS destroyed more than £3,000 worth of children's toys belonging to a Swindon playgroup. The mangled mess of charred plastic pictured here is all that remains of St Mary's Playgroup storage shed. Bikes, climbing frames, balls, scooters and safety
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Theatrical feast
A new dramatisation of Aesop's Fables is to be shown at The Arc Centre Trowbidge on February 15. Full of imagination and humour, this production uses music, song, puppetry and comedy to tell a story. Tickets are £4.50 and the performance starts at 11.30am
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Dinner lady cooks up her last lunch
DINNER lady Margaret Vince hung up her apron for the last time last Friday after working 30 years at the same school. Mrs Vince, 62, first began working at Newtown Primary School, Trowbridge as a playground supervisor but, after a year, moved into the
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Shop is a great gift idea
WHEN Melanie Thorpe reached 40 she had no idea that her parents had planned a very special gift for her. Pam and Don Starkey decided to give their daughter what she had long wanted a shop of her own. Mrs Starkey said: "When she was coming up to her birthday
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Pastures new for teachers
FRIDAY was a bittersweet day for teachers at the John of Gaunt School, Trowbridge. The school said goodbye to four members of staff, including headteacher Stephen Gee and deputy head Peter Sanderson. Mr Gee, 52, has been at the school for the past 18
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Sparks fly in crash chaos
AN ELDERLY couple were moments from tragedy after a car crashed into a telegraph pole outside their home sending live wires hurtling to the ground. Doreen and Fred Pomroy, of Lower Westwood near Trowbridge, were both outside their home moments before
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Christmas brings baby joy
GLOWING mother Lisa Lee, 29, had the perfect present on Christmas day when she gave birth to her son Nathanial. Mrs Lee of Alderton Way, Trowbridge, was taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath just before midnight on Christmas Eve. She had 18 hours
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Assizes plans laid
The long-running saga of Devizes's derelict Assize Courts could be nearing its end after the owner, Gatewell Limited, applied for planning permission to convert it into 20 flats. The courts have lain empty since the county council sold them off to developers
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Canal boat man found drowned
THE body of missing canal boat resident Robert Wood was found in the Kennet and Avon Canal on Friday, yards from where his narrowboat was moored at the top of Caen Hill lock flight in Devizes. Police were alerted to Mr Wood's absence last Thursday night
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Dad's death fear in airline drama
JOHN Callis, the sound engineer for one of the world's biggest boy bands, Westlife, thought his life was over when he took a flight from Ireland to London. This week he told of his terror when two men claimed there was a bomb on the aircraft. Mr Callis
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Wife blazes a trail but husband's got altitude
JEWELLER'S wife Nicola Dudley from Marlborough has levelled with her husband David by sending him up Mount Everest in return for his nominating her for a hoops of fire stunt on TV. However he says his three week charity trek to the Everest base camp at
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If we know, we can protect
THE thought of their child falling victim to a paedophile is every parent's nightmare. The current demands for more information on where paedophiles are, and the News of the World's name and shame campaign are understandable in the wake of the Sarah Payne
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Lakes to be opened up for pike fishermen
THERE is good news for all pike anglers, with the announcement from Bristol Water that the lakes will be open for a 10-day period in February for pike fishing and also once again from October 15 to November 30. Fishing will be from boat and bank from
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how to nail it
PARTYGOERS can really sparkle at that New Year's Eve bash thanks to the latest fad in nail fashion. A salon in Old Town has been flooded with requests for acrylic nail extensions. Style conscious people are clamouring for shimmering looks finished with
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Couple got the call 60 years ago
FORMER mining engineer Ron Portsmouth and his wife Millie are celebrating 60 years of marriage. And yesterday the couple, who are both 79, travelled from their Swindon home to South Wales to join their family to celebrate their diamond anniversary. Ron
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No appeal for Hoover
THE House of Lords has refused Hoover leave to appeal against the ruling that it infringed a key Dyson patent. A decision on damages, which Hoover will have to pay to Dyson, will not be made until next October. On October 4, the Court of Appeal in London
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Devotees of dormice get set for the Great Nut Hunt
THE Devizes-based Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is urging people to get out into the woods to join in the Great Nut Hunt. The event is a nationwide effort to find out more about one of Europe's rarest animals the dormouse. Dormouse detectives are needed because
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Quacking good fun at annual duck race
IT may be mid-December but that did not stop villagers in Ashton Keynes flocking to the river banks for the annual duck race. The event, which was organised by the youth football club, saw 500 numbered plastic ducks wending their way down a half-mile
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Courses for mind, body and the soul
STIMULATE your mind and relax your soul that is the message coming loud and clear from Swindon College's new directory of adult courses. As well as traditional computing and language courses the college is also offering prospective pupils in Swindon the
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She's the Dorling of the horseworld!
HELEN Dorling, of South Cerney Riding School, has walked away with a top award for coaching disabled performers across Gloucestershire. Helen was recognised at the Gloucestershire Coach of the Year Awards, for her efforts and contribution to disability
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Striking blow for secretaries
HELEN FRYER is from Covingham but is spending a year in the French city of Lille, working at the Pasteur Institute. Helen, 21, is a student at Keele University, where she is studying French and Biology. Around this time last Friday I was on the Eurostar
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Cyclist injured
Police are appealing for witnesses after a 72-year-old cyclist from Penhill was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital following a collision with a Thamesdown bus. The accident happened on CrIckllade Road at 11.45am on Christmas Eve. Police are appealing
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Two points the difference four months on from win
ANYONE who saw Town's demoli tion of Bury back in August would have laughed off the prospect of the teams being separated by just two points at Christmas. The Shakers were truly awful as Town strolled to a 3-0 win, courtesy of goals from Jo Kuffour, Keith
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Reeves ready to skipper Town to a much-needed three points
ALAN REEVES is well aware that supporters are frustrated by Roy Evans' departure from the County Ground but the skipper hopes three points against Bury will go some way to appeasing them. The Town skipper was one of those who urged Evans to stay but he
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Swap ridicule for discussion
KEITH Ratcliffe's letter of December 18 (How the wheels fell off leftie bandwagon) tells us that he dislikes the Socialist Alliance, although he clearly knows nothing about the Alliance or the issues it is currently addressing. Democracies only work if
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KING SWOOPS
ANDY King is expected to add Sunderland midfielder Thomas Butler to his squad for tomorrow's game with Bury. The Town boss is a great admirer of the 20-year-old Irishman, a player he has likened in style to West Ham and England midfielder Joe Cole. King
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Some things are just impossible!
RECENTLY I was walking across the Lawns when I kicked something metallic. It turned out to be a magic lamp. I began to clean it and a genie emerged. He was so grateful and granted me a wish, just one because it was only a second class genie. So I wished
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Even Scrooge was kinder than this ...
I AM sure that your readers, like me, had more than enough of shopping by the time the shops shut on Christmas Eve and were looking forward to a day at home with friends and family on December 25. That is the kind of Christmas day that we want for Britain's
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Coffee shop opens in council offices
People are now heading to new council offices in Chippenham not just with planning and council tax queries but for a cup of coffee. North Wiltshire District Council's new headquarters in Monkton Park includes a caf that is open to the public. The caf,
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What price the spirit of Christmas?
THE Christmas spirit is obviously completely lost on the mindless idiot who decided to destroy a playgroup's storage shed. Bikes, climbing frames, balls, scooters and safety mats were all destroyed in the blaze, which also burned the corner of a mobile
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Councillors' support for Lyneham
THE campaign to save RAF Lyneham from threatened closure is being backed by North Wiltshire district councillors. Worried councillors have vowed to ensure they are fully consulted by the Ministry of Defence over the north Wiltshire base's future. They
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Pupils'work gets blessing
The new vicar of Woodborough, the Rev Vanda Rowe, dropped in at the village school to bless mosaics made by the 120 children. The mosaics have been put up at the school entrance. Mrs Rowe has moved from Marlborough, where she was curate, to join the Pewsey
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Traffic hold up
PROPOSALS to ease traffic congestion in the city, including a Park and Ride bus service for the eastern side of Bath, have been put on hold by the Government. The £14m plans, put forward by Bath & North East Somerset Council, but have been frozen
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Good warnings
FIRST Great Western say a new service to send travel updates to rail passengers via e-mail has been a brilliant success. The email performance bulletin was launched by the train operator in late August and this month welcomed its 1,000th customer.
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Double award for bravery
TWO men who jumped into the River Avon to save a man from drowning have been commended by the Royal Humane Society. Craig Hiscott, 25, and Edward Pickering, 23, spotted the man floating face down in Pulteney Weir at 11.45pm on March 31 this year. They
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Changing rooms
TEARING out a room and refitting it is a job often left to professionals but when it came to giving a Keynsham counselling service a new look, the job fell to a team of five students with hardly any DIY experience between them. The University of Bath
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Everything must go!
BATH retailers are managing what promises to be the busiest sales week of the year. Despite gloomy predictions of a recession, shop owners are confident that sales figures over the next few weeks will go through the roof. Stores such as Marks & Spencer
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No appeal for Hoover
THE House of Lords has refused Hoover leave to appeal against the ruling that it infringed a key Dyson patent. A decision on damages, which Hoover will have to pay to Dyson, will not be made until next October. On October 4, the Court of Appeal in London
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Shop is a great gift idea
WHEN Melanie Thorpe reached 40 she had no idea that her parents had planned a very special gift for her. Pam and Don Starkey decided to give their daughter what she had long wanted a shop of her own. Mrs Starkey said: "When she was coming up to her birthday
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Euro concerns?
Companies who have concerns about the Euro currency, which comes into effect on January 1 in 12 European countries, can contact Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire on 0845 600 4141.
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Man retires after 48 years
AFTER dedicating a lifetime of work to Elkins of Westbury, supervisor Maurice Ingram last Friday. Mr Ingram's career with the family-run motor dealers began when he left school in 1953, aged 16. As well as cars, Elkins used to repair radios, tractors
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Town gets a Continental resident
REVIEW: THERE's a lot of posh nosh to be had in Malmesbury, but precious little of it can be enjoyed in a restaurant environment, unless, of course, you want to push the boat out and go for sophisticated dining at The Old Bell hotel. But for the four
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No appeal for Hoover
THE House of Lords has refused Hoover leave to appeal against the ruling that it infringed a key Dyson patent. A decision on damages, which Hoover will have to pay to Dyson, will not be made until next October. On October 4, the Court of Appeal in London
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Boxing Day fun on Holt green
Villagers in Holt have found an ideal way to deal with those Boxing Day blues: a game of boules. More than 130 people turned out on Holt village green for some post-Christmas fun. The event began around eight years ago when the traditional Boxing Day
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Graffiti ruins subway
SEX graffiti, racial slurs and phone numbers of alleged paedophiles have been scrawled on a subway mural. The subway, off Bath Road, Melksham, has been covered with obscene graffiti, destroying the artwork designed by George Ward School pupils six years
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Casualty closes
THE casualty unit at Melksham Hospital has been forced to close at night because of staff shortages. Hilary Fairfield, director of services at the West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust, said it was a temporary closure caused by one third of the unit's staff
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Scooter service is on the right road
AN unusual taxi service for people who have over-indulged on a night out has proved a roaring success in Swindon this Christmas. Launched in August by 31-year-old Old Town entrepreneurs, Matt Jackson and Najeeb Sughayer, ScootUhome offers to pick up the
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Word created the wrong image
I WAS very saddened to see the word lunatic used by a Bradford resident when referring to people with mental health problems (upset over plans for mental home). I had assumed such a term had not been used for many years and presents a completely wrong
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Changes on cards for school terms
WILTSHIRE looks set to follow the rest of the country's schools when they change to a six-term year. A recommendation by the Local Government Association is that schools eventually change from the usual five to six term. Wiltshire County Council chairman
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Keep an eye on your drink
A MELKSHAM pub landlord has backed guidelines issued by a Wiltshire drugs advice service warning festive clubbers to watch their drinks, as concerns over drug rapes rise nationwide. Tranquillisers, sedatives, ecstasy and cocaine have been used to spike
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Sick Prince Charming shall still go to the ball
PRINCE Charming, 10-year-old Tim Ashley, was forced to miss the school pantomime, but teachers ensured he was still able to step into the limelight. The whole Ashley family went down with a stomach bug the night before Tim's big day. He was due to play
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Charity seeks a treasurer
A TREASURER is being sought to manage the financial affairs of Wiltshire St John Ambulance. The charity wants someone to work alongside its county finance officer to help prepare budgets, forecasts and management reports. The treasurer would be responsible
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Outbuilding rejectedWorkshop success
Ron Coomber, musical director of the youth Four Winds Concert Band, led an orchestral workshop for young musicians from six Wootton Bassett primary schools. The event, hosted by St Bartholomew's School, was so successful Noremarsh may host another next
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Church to re-run Alpha
Wootton Bassett Methodist Church will run another Alpha course in 2002 for those interested in finding out more about the Christian faith. The first in a series of weekly meetings is scheduled for January 31. For details, contact the Rev Ann Baldock on
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Forced to survive on £36.54 a week
ACTION groups in Swindon and the South West have united to help the plight of asylum seekers in the UK. More then 10 have been involved in pressing MPs and Home Secretary David Blunkett to change Government policy. And even though the asylum seeker voucher
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Stop children from eating these sweets
IMPORTED mini fruit gel sweets could cause children to choke, Wiltshire trading standards officers are warning. The jellies contain a gum called konjac which does not dissolve easily and could stay stuck in the throat. While no cases have been reported
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Chief pleads not guilty
Wiltshire County Council's suspended head of emergency planning has appeared before Swindon Crown Court to plead not guilty to fiddling his expenses. David Head faces 11 charges of obtaining property by deception dating from April 15, 1999 through to
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Winter solstice is an all-weather event
Druids celebrating the winter solstice at Stonehenge were treated to snowflakes, a rainbow and a clear sunrise. Pagans, astronomers, white witches, local residents and even a Buddhist gathered to watch the sun rise over the stones on the shortest day
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Report attacks waste services
THE waste management service provided by West Wiltshire District Council has been criticised in an independent report. The Audit Commission released its report this week after two inspection visits to the council one this summer and one late last year
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Keep an eye on your drink
A MELKSHAM pub landlord has backed guidelines issued by a Wiltshire drugs advice service warning festive clubbers to watch their drinks, as concerns over drug rapes rise nationwide. Tranquillisers, sedatives, ecstasy and cocaine have been used to spike
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Iron men take on challenge for charity
IRON men from Battlesbury Barracks, Warminster, put their strength to the ultimate test to raise £585 for the Cancer Research Campaign. Warrant officer Steve Hall and Captain Tony O'Connor braved Europe's first ever half iron man triathlon. They competed
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Winter solstice is an all-weather event
Druids celebrating the winter solstice at Stonehenge were treated to snowflakes, a rainbow and a clear sunrise. Pagans, astronomers, white witches, local residents and even a Buddhist gathered to watch the sun rise over the stones on the shortest day
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Town hoping for Fair weather
Highworth Town's club officials are hoping that the weather is kind to them this weekend when they can expect a bumper gate for their Hellenic Premier clash with local rivals Fairford Town. The visitors, who are having an excellent season, have been in
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By public demand
SINCE Toyota introduced it in 1966, nearly 30 million vehicles with the Corolla badge have been sold. The model accounts for almost a fifth of all Toyota sales worldwide. That makes it the world's best-selling model name, although in its 35-year history
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Citroen's happiest New Year
CITROEN'S Saxo is helping to give the French maker its happiest New Year celebrations ever. The last year has seen Citroen race ahead of all its rivals to become Britain's No 3 top seller. Only Ford and Vauxhall traditionally the top duo have sold more
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Thanks
ON behalf of the Lions Club of Bradford on Avon may I extend our thanks to the people of Bradford on Avon and surrounding villages for their support for our Christmas float appeal. Over the past three weeks their generosity has enabled us to exceed our
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Time to bury Memorial hurt
THERE is definitely an element of revenge in our game against Bristol at the Rec tomorrow. Our match against them at the Memorial Stadium a month ago was painful for all concerned and similar to the London Irish game two weeks ago in that we completely
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Keeping up speed limit campaign
I SUPPORT Danny Hallett's plea for something to be done about the speed of traffic in College Road in Trowbridge 100 per cent. I am not sure what he means by there being no speed restrictions because surely we are within the 30mph speed limit area. What
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Give us the answers
IN MY letter of two weeks ago on the proposal to move the County Record Office from Trowbridge to Devizes, I identified four disadvantages, which I will summarise again: 1. Poorer public transport 2. Administrative inconvenience 3. Cost of site 4. Disruption
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The wonder years
If ever Princess Margaret Hospital needed an advertisement for its return to nursing campaign, Sue Jones-Parry is it. GEOFF BENNETT spoke to the woman who says: "It's great to be back." WHEN Swindon's newest nurse recruiter calls returning to nursing
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Rare owl sighted
A rare owl was spotted in town yesterday by a member of the public. The large bird, thought to be an Eagle Owl, was perched on top of the multi-storey car park in Islington Street, Swindon. The Eagle Owl is the largest European owl and is a rarity in
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Police seek witnesses to serious sexual attack
Police have renewed their appeal for witnesses to a serious sexual assault in Swindon town centre on Saturday, December 22. A 51-year-old woman was a walking home along Euclid Street after a night out at Angelo's night club in Fleet Street when she was
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Service set up to beat rogue traders
A NEW service to protect Swindon people from unscrupulous traders opens its doors in the New Year. The council has set up a consumer support network with a £5,000 Department of Trade and Industry grant. Council trading standards officers will join education
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Boom town
SHOPPERS have been cramming into Swindon for what could prove a record-breaking spending spree. Despite fears that a recession is on the way, bargain hunters have been out in force as town centre shops slash their prices by up to 50 per cent for the sales
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Healthy kids make a break from tradition
FEATURE: PUPILS at Derry Hill Church of England School, near Calne, are doing their bit to improve the diets of their classmates. At the beginning of term, the school council took over responsibility for the morning tuck shop. The 14-pupil school council
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Students team up
John Bentley School students Nicola Bate, Paul Dixon, Rebecca Middleton, Ysanne Lathbury-Haigh, Liam Smees, Sarah Webb and Lisa Jones took part in the West Wiltshire More Able Challenge at Clarendon School in Trowbridge last week. They worked with students
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Santa's hairy helper
FRIENDS and family rallied around for Julie Underwood on Christmas Day, which was the six-month anniversary of her husband Dean's death. The 29 year-old, of Eastleigh Road, Devizes, and her sons Scott-Lee, nine, and Thomas, five, were cheered by the kind
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Pensioner fined
AN 86 YEAR-OLD Trowbridge woman appeared before magistrates to answer three driving-related charges. Pensioner Frances Bushell, of Polebarn Road, Trowbridge admitted careless driving, causing an accident and failing to stop after an accident, when she
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Making a difference
FOR most people the New Year is a time to look forward, to make resolutions and start afresh but for those without a roof over their heads it can be a time of desolation. Trowbridge-based charity, Action on Homelessness (West Wilts) helps these people
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Toilets to church plan is rejected
A HUSBAND who has been married for six months jabbed a cigarette in his wife's eye and gave her a split lip, magistrates heard on Thursday. Ronald Stanley Hurfurt, 50, of Lambrook Road, Trowbridge appeared before magistrates in Trowbridge to plead guilty
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Woman injured in town assault
A 38-year-old woman needed surgery at the Royal United Hospital in Bath after an assault in Trowbridge on Saturday, December 22. Police know of four others who were injured in the fight, which happened between the White Swan pub and The Pig club in Church
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Mother launches sex fiend petition
A TROWBRIDGE mother's campaign to keep children safe from paedophiles was kick-started today. Nicola Gregson, whose nine-year-old daughter Sophie was the victim of an attempted abduction, started her high-profile petition today in a bid to find out how
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Santa's hairy helper
FRIENDS and family rallied around for Julie Underwood on Christmas Day, which was the six-month anniversary of her husband Dean's death. The 29 year-old, of Eastleigh Road, Devizes, and her sons Scott-Lee, nine, and Thomas, five, were cheered by the kind
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Driver lost control
VAN driver Andrew Beatty admitted to police that he was reading a map before ploughing into a line of stationary cars on the A345 near Marlborough, magistrates heard on Thursday. Beatty, 38, of Coleford Road, Southmead, Bristol, did not turn up at Kennet
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Father and son bailed
Police tailed a car after a number of forged £20 notes were passed at businesses in Marlborough last week. The car was stopped by officers from Pewsey at Oare and two men were arrested. A father and son from London were were charged with issuing counterfeit
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Boys believed to be preying on OAPs
Police believe two teenage boys who stole £820 in cash and jewellery worth £1,200 from a Marlborough pensioner on Saturday, December 22, also entered a Pewsey pensioner's home. At about 7.30pm an 82-year-old woman in St John's Close, Marlborough, found
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Safety first on canal
THERE have been two needless deaths in the Kennet & Avon canal at Avoncliff in just two months. Both men were found drowned in the same spot where there is nothing between the pathway and the water. Appearances suggest that both were dreadful accidents
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Stop children from eating these sweets
IMPORTED mini fruit gel sweets could cause children to choke, Wiltshire trading standards officers are warning. The jellies contain a gum called konjac which does not dissolve easily and could stay stuck in the throat. While no cases have been reported
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Chance to star on TV
Do you fancy proposing on air or perhaps you need to say sorry in a big way. The BBC1 has come up with a novel TV programme to allow viewers to do just that. TV Mail, presented by Nadia Sawalha and Ingrid Tarrant, is being filmed in Wiltshire from early
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RAF unit is presented with sword
LYNEHAM has been awarded the prestigious Wilkinson Sword of Peace as the RAF unit which has made the most valuable contribution to establishing good relations with communities both locally and overseas. Air Marshall Sir Christopher Coville pres-ented
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Forced to survive on £36.54 a week
ACTION groups in Swindon and the South West have united to help the plight of asylum seekers in the UK. More then 10 have been involved in pressing MPs and Home Secretary David Blunkett to change Government policy. And even though the asylum seeker voucher
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Case now closed on murder of a mother
WILTSHIRE police have said they will not be reopening the case into the death of Karen Chandler, whose remains were found in a burnt-out car on Salisbury Plain near Urchfont in June last year. A statement from Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Long said
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Vicious attack
PARK SOUTH: A gang of males attacked a Swindon man as he walked home following a night out. He was set upon as he walked along Queens Drive at 2.30am on Sunday. The man sustained head injuries and was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital. Police have described
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Vintage times ahead
Fans of vintage transportation will have more chances to check out the collection at the Science Museum in Wroughton from next year. A new programme of guided tours around the collection will take place on the first and third Wednesday of every month.
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Rowers nearly across Atlantic
ATLANTIC rowers Norman Butler and Phil Scantlebury are nearing the end of their arduous 3,000-mile voyage. Norman, a 37-year-old commercial analyst from Swindon, set off with his rowing partner on October 9, from the Canary Islands. And after 80 days
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Addict caught in the act of burgling home
Drug addict Darryl Harper was jailed after a court heard how he was caught red-handed after breaking into a house. Neighbours spotted the 22-year-old acting suspiciously outside a house in Blandford Court, Park North, at lunchtime on Tuesday, October
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Christmas boost for community project
A Swindon charity received a Christmas boost with a grant from a major national bank. The Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales gave £3,000 to the West Swindon Family and Community Project. The charity is just one of seven in Wiltshire that has
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Scooter service is on the right road
AN unusual taxi service for people who have over-indulged on a night out has proved a roaring success in Swindon this Christmas. Launched in August by 31-year-old Old Town entrepreneurs, Matt Jackson and Najeeb Sughayer, ScootUhome offers to pick up the
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Invincible has faith
DANNY INVINCIBLE wants to put the 'faith' back into the County Ground faithful against the Shakers tomorrow. The Aussie striker was another player who sensed the unhappiness of the crowd on Boxing Day. He said: "It was obvious that things weren't quite
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A big thank-you to Adver readers
I would like to thank all the people and businesses from in and around Swindon who have supported CALM's work by donations and fundraising during 2001. Eighteen years after CALM's arrival, local families with a child diagnosed with cancer or leukaemia
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Dear Frank, just keeping councillors on their toes
Your Saturday edition published a double page of Swindon heroes written by Shirley Mathias. I would like to take issue on one point she made. As one of Frank Avenell's ward councillors, I do not consider him a thorn in my side. He speaks with knowledge
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A resolution for a better Swindon
May I suggest a New Year resolution for Swindon? A clean and tidy town. I fail to imagine what impression visitors are given: they arrive at a filthy bus station with litter everywhere. If one speaks to children for being litter louts, at best one gets
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Hat-trick Mark
Swindon ran out convincing winners in their last league game of 2001, scoring eight tries in a 51-12 thrashing of Oxford. The home side survived the loss of injured scrum-half Jimmer Courteney to turn around 15-7 in front, Chris Lawrence and Mat Seynaeve
