Archive
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There must be a solution
AT first the thought of badgers causing havoc on a Swindon estate seems cause for amusement. But residents of Lawn aren't laughing, as the creatures are tunnelling under their homes and putting their foundations at risk. An electrical substation is also
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Too early to tell if local jobs will be affected by cuts
JOB cuts have not yet been implemented at Intel in Swindon, despite last week's announcement that the company's global workforce is to be reduced by 4,000. A spokeswoman at Intel's European headquarters in Pipers Way, which employs about 750 people, said
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Stark warning to businesses
BUSINESS leaders in Swindon have been told to improve their awareness about software piracy. Sarah Simkins of the Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) was the guest speaker at the Swindon Chamber of Commerce's president's quarterly lunch, held at
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Long-serving police officer hangs up his truncheon
BOBBY PC Ian Horne, who won the highest award in policing for his work with young people, has retired after 23 years on the force. PC Horne, 52, was given the Queen's Police Medal in 2001 New Years Honours list. The honour is usually reserved for officers
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Houses to be built on old school site
A NEW housing development will be built on the site of the old Wootton Bassett School in Lime Kiln. The development, called Compton Heights, is made up of a mixture of house types ranging from two bedroom 'coach houses' to three and four bedroom detached
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It's D-day for Charlie
CANCER sufferer Charlie Jarvis will learn today if a cutting edge American Clinic can give her life-prolonging treatment. The brave four-year-old flew out with her parents Paul and Samantha from Greenmeadow to Houston, Texas on Sunday, in a last-ditch
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'She lives in our hearts'
A TEACHING assistant who lost her battle against cancer has been immortalised at the school where she was loved. Val Welsh was 55 when she died in late March. A teaching assistant at Goddard Park Primary School for 11 years, she was also married to its
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Rubbish is still on the streets
BIN bags full of uncollected rubbish were today still lining the streets of Swindon as a result of last week's strike by council workers. The problem is particularly bad in Union Street in Old Town where black bags have been piled up on street corners
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It's Samba time
BRAZILIAN Soccer School, Swindon, are running five-day coaching/fun week courses through August from Mondays to Fridays. Boys and girls from the ages of eight to 14 are welcome at the courses, which will run from 10am to 3pm each day. For more information
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Coleview eye warm-ups
SWINDON Sunday League side Coleview Sports FC are looking for friendly matches on Sunday mornings during August. Any sides that are looking for a game next month are asked to contact Mike Waldron on 01793 822324 to arrange.
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Young mums' joy at community plan
SCORES of young mothers are looking forward to a new community centre in Park South. Yoga, quiz groups and DIY classes were just some of the services requested at an open consultation day in the Reuben George Centre yesterday. The meeting asked residents
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Highlighting happy pill misery
A PANIC attack sufferer from Swindon features in a television documentary which looks at claims that anti-depressants can have extreme side effects. In tonight's HTV programme, West Eye View, cleaner Jenny Stanaway, 53, is one of a number of people who
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Worker is accused of pocketing firm's scrap metal cash
A FORMER printing company worker has been accused of stealing more than £1,500 from his employer. Barry Francis, 38, from Mulberry Grove in Pinehurst, was working at Thamesdown Colour Ltd in Gorse Hill when the alleged offences took place. Appearing on
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Our Fred dressed to impress judges
TOWN crier Fred Ferris is a big noise when it comes to looking good. The 70-year-old former bus driver has just been awarded the title of the country's best dressed town crier. The loveable loudmouth, of Penhill Drive, has been bellowing the Swindon news
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West End for half price
MUSIC group SALOS Swindon Amateur Light Operatic Society is offering people the chance to sample the glitz of a West End musical for half price. The group has 25 tickets priced at £20 each for the brand new George Gershwin based show, My One and Only,
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Sprinklers for two bungalows
THE fire brigade has ensured residents of two special needs bungalows in Swindon will be safer from fire by paying for sprinkler systems to be installed. Wiltshire's chief fire officer Neil Wright presented a cheque for almost £2,000 for sprinklers in
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It's go for green!
SWINDON-based company Nationwide has again agreed to sponsor the Great Western Community Forest summer event, Forest Festival. Forest Festival 2002, Swindon's biggest green family event, will take place on Saturday, August 31, at the Lawns, Old Town from
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Man to go on charity bike ride
Designer Outlet centre manager Franco Muccini is taking part in a 65-mile charity bike ride in Ireland to raise £5,000 for the Special Olympics in 2003. Watched by eagle-eyed colleagues at the McArthur Glen shopping facility in Rodbourne, Mr Muccini has
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Repairs coincide with quiet period
A MAJOR Swindon car park is to close for six weeks next Monday for essential maintenance. The council says the work on the spiral exit ramp and floors at Carlton Street has been timed to coincide with a quiet period in the summer holidays. The project
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Pupils have all the answers at their fingertips
A NAIL art and beauty workshop presented by a TV beauty expert proved an end of term treat for girls at Rodbourne Cheney Primary School. Girls from Year Six were shown how to create designs by Georgina Akers, a beauty expert who has appeared on the ITV
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Give the deaf a better deal
HUNDREDS of deaf people in Swindon are getting a raw deal from the Swindon Council. This is the claim being made by two deaf businessmen who have spoken out for a section of the community whose voice is seldom heard. They say that social services provision
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The quiz king of Old Town
ERNIE Austin is the proud winner of the legendary Old Town Quiz and Treasure Hunt thanks to his sparkling sloganeering skills. And his shining efforts were rewarded yesterday when he was presented with his prize a golden sovereign. Ernie, 68, said: "I
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Life without club is unthinkable
I am incensed having read Peter Heaton-Jones' comments about STFC especially when he said that Swindon would be better off without Swindon Town Football Club. While I agree that the rent owed should not be written off, I am horrified by his remarks about
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The lucky ones
WHATEVER wage increase council employees eventually get, I feel that they should consider themselves lucky, because apart from the rubbish collectors who I consider do an unsavoury job and are totally efficient, I cannot say that other staff, particularly
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Voters have been failed
THERE have been a lot of comments and speculation in the media lately, by politicians and reporters alike, about the recent strikes and industrial disputes that have been taking part in the past few weeks. It seems as though these reporters and politicians
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Errors prove costly for the council
There seems to be no let up for Swindon Council. If it is not being reprimanded by the Government for failures in education and social services, then the Local Government Ombudsman is upholding complaints against it. The latest case involves an eyesore
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Town eye up new men
AUSTRALIAN defender Gareth Edds will be given a chance to impress when Town make the trip to Hereford this evening. The Sydney-born 21-year-old is looking for a new club after being released by Nottingham Forest in the summer. He made just one appearance
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2,200 jobs created at Matalan
CLOTHES retailer Matalan says it is to create more than 2,200 new jobs as part of its store expansion programme during 2002. Of these 2,000 new jobs will be within the 20 new stores Matalan is opening this year, creating an additional 705,000 sq ft of
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Long-serving police officer hangs up his truncheon
BOBBY PC Ian Horne, who won the highest award in policing for his work with young people, has retired after 23 years on the force. PC Horne, 52, was given the Queen's Police Medal in 2001 New Years Honours list. The honour is usually reserved for officers
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Talk to us
WOOTTON Bassett town council has declared a vote of no confidence in Swindon Council and Wiltshire County Council over the way they handle planning matters for the town. Councillors also want a moratorium a temporary halt on all major planning schemes
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We just wanted to teach
THESE dedicated teachers have all chosen to leave the profession early. The reasons they give are all the same: excess workload, lack of discipline in classrooms and a massive amount of red tape. All they want to do is teach. And all will continue to
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Being badgered by a maze of tunnels
MARAUDING badgers are devastating a quiet Swindon cul-de-sac, threatening to cause subsidence to houses and an electrical substation. The shy creatures were tempted to explore away from Lawn woods by a good-intentioned resident who fed them dog food and
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Pay up!
SWINDON Council could be forced to pay thousands of pounds in compensation after allowing an eyesore mobile phone mast to be placed in the middle of a residential street. The council's planning department failed to object to the One2One transmitter being
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Cup invitation
Zurich are staging a World Cup football tournament on Saturday at King Edward's Place, Wanborough. The company still have places to fill and any teams interested in taking part should contact Neil Lee on 07876 688306.
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Ferndale club get a fair old boost!
Ferndale Rodbourne have scooped the Skurrays Wiltshire League's DC Mills Sportsmanship Trophy, plus a cash boost of £500. Pete Ackrill, general secretary of the league, said: "The club are worthy winners of the award and the generous donation of £500
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Eldene Colts end barren run
Eldene Colts have finally brought their trophy drought to an end after six years of trying. The under 15 outfit had endured a fruitless half-dozen years, until the perennial bridesmaids cleaned up at the Blunsdon Colts Sixes to collect some long overdue
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Paul in Hunt for new goal
Former Swindon Town forward Paul Hunt will get another chance to join Chippenham Town's ever- growing band of County Ground old boys when the Bluebirds visit Corsham tonight. The 31-year-old striker was given a 45-minute run out during the Bluebirds'
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Our roads could be quieter
SWINDON'S roads could soon be quieter, thanks to a new highway repair process that is being adopted by the council. Rhinopatch and Rhinophalt processes cut down the use of raw materials, the cost of transporting new and used materials and the noise from
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Unconventional path to learning
A GROUND-breaking experiment with a new style of teaching at a Swindon secondary school has been hailed a success. John Wells, headteacher of Headlands School in Pinehurst, scrapped the traditional system of placing pupils into groups by ability alone
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Youngsters set to star in show
SWINDON'S Wyvern Theatre was buzzing today as 250 youngsters began this year's Summer Youth Project in earnest. The hopeful actors, singers and dancers will be pulling a professional show together within 10 days. Taking the leading roles are Paul Tonkin
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Biting the hand that feeds you
I WAS interested and pleased to note that you dissociated your newspaper from the outpourings of one Peter Heaton-Jones. Yes, there have been lots of faults on both sides regarding Swindon Town and Swindon Borough Council, not least the arm-twisting by
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We'd recycle if it was made easier
We are constantly being reminded that the landfill sites will run out of space in the next few years and that we should recycle more. If recycling was made easier then I believe that many people would recycle their waste rather than fill dustbin bag after
