Archive
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Office in park set to go ahead
PLANS for a controversial new three-storey office block on the outskirts of Chippenham were set to get the go-ahead, despite fears it could spoil the appearance of historic Corsham Park. Members of North Wiltshire District Council's area development control
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Gladiators on course
Gloucestershire Gladiators stayed on course for a place in the Norwich Union First Division after a seven-run win over Derbyshire Scorpions but they left it late in a low-scoring affair against their promotion rivals. Chasing 162 for victory, the Scorpions
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Wilts hit for six by Devon duo
WILTSHIRE suffered a nine-wicket defeat away at Devon in the 38 County Cup. Devon won the toss, putting Wiltshire into bat, but Peter Robuck's 3-32 helped the home side see off the visitors for 187. Chris Budd was Wiltshire's top scorer with 69 closely
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Victim salutes life savers
EQUESTRIAN Louise Neale who nearly lost her life when she was kicked in the head by a horse, is organising a collection for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. Miss Neale, 24, suffered horrific injuries two years ago when a horse she was leading bolted down
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School play off to a flying start
RAF LYNEHAM has said it will try to curtail flights directly over Corsham School to avoid disrupting the pupils' current open air production of George Orwell's Animal Farm. The school lies directly underneath the furthest point of an imaginary eight-mile
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Office in park set to go ahead
PLANS for a controversial new three-storey office block on the outskirts of Chippenham were set to get the go-ahead, despite fears it could spoil the appearance of historic Corsham Park. Members of North Wiltshire District Council's area development control
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School play off to a flying start
RAF LYNEHAM has said it will try to curtail flights directly over Corsham School to avoid disrupting the pupils' current open air production of George Orwell's Animal Farm. The school lies directly underneath the furthest point of an imaginary eight-mile
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Portman says no to reprieve
PORTMAN Building Society chiefs have told MP Michael Ancram they will not reconsider the decision to close their Pewsey branch. The society announced in May that it intended to close the branch on August 3, provoking a storm of protest in the village.
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Wigglybus celebrates100,000th passenger
PEWSEY Vale's award-winning Wigglybus welcomed its 100,000th passenger last week as it recovers from serious problems which plagued it at the end of last year and the early months of this year. The Wigglybus management group has announced that by the
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Fans snub the pubs for World Cup final
BOOKMAKER James Creed is getting used to normal life again after nine days following the World Cup in Japan. Mr Creed, who owns Creed Racing in New Road, Chippenham, went to the finals to watch England's quarter-final defeat with Brazil in Shizuoka two
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Hi-tech cards offer passport to leisure
A NEW state-of-the-art system will allow anyone who wants to keep fit to ZIP in and out of facilities owned by North Wiltshire Leisure Limited. Members are to be given hi-tech ZIP cards to replace the company's existing passport scheme, membership cards
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We need another £375m
THE TUC is calling for an extra £375m for Regional Development Agencies in its latest review published today. The report wants an extra 25 per cent increase in funding as part of a package of measures to tackle the UK's productivity gap and create a world
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The Beagle 2 has landed
THE 180 staff at Science Systems of Chippenham have a double reason to celebrate. A full-scale replica of the Beagle 2 Mars Lander has touched down at their offices and the firm a specialist supplier of bespoke IT services has won one of the initial study
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Festival signs are lost at tip
ORGANISERS of Lea Music Festival were outraged when Wiltshire County Council ripped up roadside signs and threw them away. The festival's seven wooden signs, designed by a local artist, with the slogan Musicalea, were put up two weeks ago at either end
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Tracking down treasure
Metal detecting for buried treasure is a growing pastime as more and more ancient hoards of coins are unearthed on the Downs, but now as JOANNE KELLY reports Government cash will mean Wiltshire's historic finds will be preserved for ever. EVERY weekend
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Woman escapes death
A MOTORIST escaped death by inches after her car was impaled on a fence post after falling 50 metres down an embankment on the M4. The woman was driving near Swindon between junctions 16 and 17 of the M4 when her car left the road. It smashed through
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New man to help improve town's education
SWINDON Education Partnership Board has a new chairman. Martin Davies is the recently-retired head of KPMG's national education consulting operation and a former director of education for Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The council-run Education Partnership Board
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Sun shines for parade
THERE aren't many places where you can see the Mayor lining up alongside Queen Victoria and a six-foot high pint of Guinness but you could in Swindon on Saturday. The Old Town Festival reached its peak with a day of entertainment in Wood Street, the Lawns
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Pupils' places on school bus cut
A SCHOOLGIRL about to start the run-up to her GCSEs has been left stranded through cuts to school transport. Katie Walters, 15, from Silchester Way, Westlea, West Swindon, begins the final year of her GCSEs at Bradon Forest School in Purton in September
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Through the roof
NOW is not a good time to look for your first house. Homes that were once within reach of someone earning an average wage are now little more than a pipe dream. Take the cheapest house currently advertised in Swindon a repossessed three-bed mid terrace
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Tracking down treasure
Metal detecting for buried treasure is a growing pastime as more and more ancient hoards of coins are unearthed on the Downs, but now as JOANNE KELLY reports Government cash will mean Wiltshire's historic finds will be preserved for ever. EVERY weekend
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Criminal hearings to move
CRIMINAL cases normally heard at Kennet Magistrates Court in Devizes will be transferred to Andover in Hampshire from this Thursday, despite concerns from the Crown Prosecution and Probation Services. Cases that might result in the offender being sent
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Drug gives fresh hope to tumour victim
THE family of Charlotte Wakeham are desperately hoping that an anti-depressant drug that has been proved to fight brain tumours can prolong the life of the seven-year-old schoolgirl. The seven-year-old was due to take her first course of the drug, Chlorimipramine
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Jail for paedophile
PAEDOPHILE Nigel King has been jailed for nine months after sexually abusing a girl aged just seven. King, 44, used the chance of baby-sitting for the child in the mid-1990s to systematically carry out the attacks on her, Swindon Crown Court heard. King
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Tuning elsewhere
I agree with G Reeves' letter (July 1). I too find Peter Heaton Jones rude and pompous. I have written to the editor of Wiltshire Sound about Peter's derogatory remarks about Ireland and Irish people, but never had a reply back to my letters. So, after
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No age limits
MICHAEL WILLS, MP for North Swindon says that research shows many charities and voluntary organisations create barriers to the recruitment of older volunteers by imposing upper age limits, having a bias towards younger people. He goes on to say, "volunteers
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Children should have right to choose
WE are writing to express our concern and utter disbelief concerning the article about compulsory eating of apples at break times at Pinehurst Junior School. I agree this is an infringement of the Children's Human Rights Act, and freedom of choice, and
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Art pupils create a city out of paper
PUPILS from schools in the area have been putting their artistic talents to good use. St Peter's School in Chippenham celebrated art week last week by building a city out of paper. Under the guidance of art adviser Penny Hay, they used pieces of scrap
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Barnett draws comfort for Glos
A century opening stand between Kim Barnett and Craig Spearman was enough to earn Gloucestershire a draw from their Frizzell County Championship Division Two encounter with Derbyshire. Gloucestershire reached 225-7 off 54 overs after being skittled for
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Dream lives on
Goatacre's dream of appearing at cricketing mecca Lord's is still very much alive after another convincing victory yesterday. The Wiltshire team easily swept aside the challenge of Avon and Somerset district champions Butleigh to book their place in the
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All the fun of the festival
IT was fitting that the Old Town Festival was blessed with decent weather over the weekend. It meant that crowds were encouraged to come out to share and celebrate in the strength of community in the town. Well done to organisers for a colourful and fun-packed
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The danger of spiralling house prices
NEXT time you get a spare five minutes, log onto the internet and take a look at the price of houses across the country. Just look at what you can get for your money in Swindon compared to regions like the north east, parts of Scotland or Northern Ireland
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King eyes up Bridge loan
A GRUELLING five days by the seaside will determine whether striker Sam Parkin is prepared to abandon Chelsea's trendy King's Road and embrace the 'King's Way' at the County Ground. The 22-year-old Stamford Bridge forward has agreed to join Town on their
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Police given new patches
CORSHAM has a new bobby on the beat and a new policing strategy for the town centre. A radical overhaul of the way the town centre is policed has coincided with the appointment of Nigel Williams. Under the new system, the town centre has been divided
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Packages will take to the air
PUPILS at St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School, in Corsham, have been collecting essential items for orphans half way around the world. The children have have collected dozens of boxes of games, soft toys and clothes for orphans in Sierra Leone.
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Teenager turns his life around
EVERY parent knows that they're in for a rocky ride as soon as a son or daughter hits those dreaded teenage years. But while some parents get worked-up over loud music and strange clothing, others have to deal with far more serious problems. Sue Martin's
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Police crackdown on unruly youths
HIGHWORTH police are stepping up their fight against persistent teenage tearaways. Officers were joining forces with Swindon Council to apply for the serving of anti-social behaviour orders against four youngsters. The applications were being heard at
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Portman says no to reprieve
PORTMAN Building Society chiefs have told MP Michael Ancram they will not reconsider the decision to close their Pewsey branch. The society announced in May that it intended to close the branch on August 3, provoking a storm of protest in the village.
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Historic building is converted for arts
A PIECE of Chippenham's architectural history will enjoy a new lease of life as a much-needed arts venue after years buried in coal dust. The Grade II-listed Weighbridge, near Chippenham Railway Station, has been taken over by North Wiltshire Artspace
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Help to get Euro grants
SMALL businesses wanting to tap into Europe get a helping hand with the publication of a new guidance pack. Access to EU Funding gives guidance to small firms wanting to know what kind of loans and grants are available in Europe. It helps them decide
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Big cheers following pub group's great year
BREWER and pub owner Greene King has reported big earning growth for the year ending May 4. Pre-tax profit was up 10 per cent to £69.2m on the back of a 15 per cent rise in turnover of £494.5m. Chairman David McCall said: "These excellent results demonstrate
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Team dart to pub in style
WACKY landlord Andy Davies laid on an £80 limousine to take his darts team 450 yards from The White Hart in Lyneham to The Mallard for a match. The White Hart's eight-man team, who had already won five games in this season's Wootton Bassett darts league
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Happy 100th birthday, Hilda!
THE latest addition to Swindon's roster of centenarians celebrated her big day among her loving family and friends. Hilda Godfrey is originally from Liverpool and lived there with her husband until being widowed many years ago. She spent much of her career
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Marching into history books
THE ROYAL Wiltshire Yeomanry held a three-mile parade around Swindon to mark being awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Swindon. The Yeomanry's two Territorial Army squadrons, based in Swindon and Salisbury, met at Faringdon Road Park, where the troops
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Sinking their teeth into a project in Ukraine
THREE Swindon dentists will leave for the Ukraine on Thursday towing a caravan and more than £20,000 worth of surgical equipment. Brendan Ball and Richard and Linda Swift, based at the Freshbrook Village Centre and Milton Road, will travel through Germany
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Woman escapes death as post smashes into car
A MOTORIST escaped death by inches after her car was impaled on a fence post after falling 50 metres down an embankment on the M4. The woman was driving near Swindon between junctions 16 and 17 of the M4 when her car left the road. It smashed through
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Children blamed for blaze at school
ARSONISTS started a fire at the former Gilberts Hill School in Old Town. Smoke was seen pouring from the boarded up first floor windows at the derelict Dixon Street building. Police today warned there could be further incidents at the school, which is
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Taking the plunge
STUDENT Sarah Richards is planning a daring parachute jump to raise money for charity. Miss Richards, 17, of Heron Close, Calne, is joining forces with her aunt, Janet Forster, 35, for the parachute challenge. They are hoping their efforts will raise
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Ex-banker involved in Enron scandal
A CALNE businessman has been charged by the US Department of Justice with involvement in a fraudulent investment scheme involving failed energy giant Enron. Giles Darby, 40, now managing director of Bohan Engineering Design on the Porte Marsh Industrial
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Parents win fight with developer over school safety fears
HOUSING developer Persimmon has buckled under pressure from road safety campaigners and agreed to fund a lollipop warden for a school. The firm has also brought forward work on safety signs and cycle paths to Calne's new Fynamore Primary School, after
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Vandals' motive unclear
AVIARY owner Dave Pooke, of Northway, Calne, is at a loss to explain why vandals are targeting his property. In the two most recent attacks, attempts were made to set fire to the roof of the aviary, which is home to nine birds four Maroon Bellied Conures
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Have your say on transport
CALNE Community Area Transport group (CAT) on Thursday moved into the next phase of its plan to improve public transport in the town and surrounding villages. A new leaflet has been produced describing the CAT's aims and objectives and containing contact
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Debate rages on MoD site
DEVELOPERS have argued at the Kennet Local Plan public inquiry that greenfield land on the edge of Devizes should be included as a development site. The land is next to the former police skid pan in Horton Road on the north of Devizes. It was formerly
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Art in progress
NEARLY 40 artists people will be opening their studios and workshops to the public as part of the Marlborough Open Studios weekends starting last Saturday and Sunday and continuing over the next two weekends. Visitors will be able to see a variety of
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Dream team gets Caitlin one step closer to a cure
SIX-YEAR-OLD Caitlin Peck may be one step nearer to unlocking her lifetime of silence thanks to a group of kind-hearted men who took off their clothes in a Full Monty-style strip show to raise cash to send her to America. On her sixth birthday on Sunday
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At last! Crackdown on traveller camps
A GOVERNMENT crackdown on unlawful traveller encampments has been welcomed by a crusading local councillor. For many years, Pete Brown (Lab, Dorcan) has successfully lobbied Swindon Council for measures to prevent the unlawful camps. Measures brought
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Impressive efforts on the boards
TWO teams of young Swindon chess players travelled in opposite directions to achieve impressive results. Wiltshire under-14 girls team made up of girls from three Swindon schools produced their best result when they were runners-up in the national finals
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Marvelling at lines of mini masterpieces
MINIATURE masterpieces from the downsized world of Bonzai growing went on display at Coleview Community Centre at the weekend. Swindon and District Bonzai Society's annual show featured some 100 of the tiny trees. Some examples were more than 50 years
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Up close and personal with Tim Henman
BUDDING Wimbledon champions were given the chance to come face to face with a tennis legend. Asda in the Link Centre held a tennis competition with one lucky winner getting the chance to meet Tim Henman at the Queens Tennis Club in London. Shoppers had
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Trains set to accommodate tattoo visitors
RAIL company First Great Western is bracing itself for visitors to this year's Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford. The firm is offering a special deal to customers who buy their rail ticket at stations or over the phone, giving them the chance
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Run it for service
P K BAKER asks when we will have a railway service to be proud of, reliable and reasonably priced. The answer is simple. When it is completely re-nationalised with integrated management of trains and track. No sub-contracting to the cheapest service.
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A rave review
CONGRATULATIONS to Swindon Choral Society for the magnificent concert at the Wyvern. I went as an ordinary member of the public (ie, not a friend or relation of any of the participants), although I can claim considerable musical expertise. It was a thrilling
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Don't wrap them up in cotton wool
I READ with utter amazement in the Evening Advertiser, July 1, that pets are now banned from many schools because of the fear of various ailments. I really think we are getting paranoid in this country. I taught for many years and had various pets in
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Sweets have no place in school
WITH reference to Sam Hazle and Pinehurst School banning crisps and sweets at breaktimes do these parents really think the school does not have their children's overall welfare at the centre of all decisions? Sweets and crisps are bad for you, and sweets
