Archive
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Twine bids to kick start season
STEVE Twine takes his Wootton Bassett team to Trowbridge to hopefully kick-start a rain effected season. Strengthened by the inclusion of all-rounders James Barton and Ian Lancaster. Bassett boast a strong line-up which includes Luke Leech, Shaun Clarke
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Heed the call come forward
THE police are appealing for four youths to come forward in connection with the investigation into the Locarno fire. Officers say they could be vital witnesses. Whether this means the four know those responsible or were even more closely involved in what
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Let police force be with you
THERE is an increasing and depressing perception among many people who ought to know better that the police are somehow our enemy. The force is no longer there to protect us, say the cynics. It is there to take nitpicking action against otherwise law-abiding
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Campaign to entice shoppers
STUDENTS in Corsham are helping to run a campaign to encourage shoppers into the town to boost retail trade. Consider Corsham is the result of a partnership between North Wiltshire District Council, Corsham Area Community Partnership and the town's chamber
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Tunnel debris rains on train
PASSENGERS were shocked when debris rained down on to carriage windows and their train ground to a halt outside Box Tunnel. The 8.45am London Paddington to Bristol train was travelling through the tunnel last Thursday at 10.10am when passengers heard
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Mitch's mission
FORMER Swindon Town striker Dave Mitchell wants to help his old club find the next Australian superstar. Mitchell, one of Town's 1993 Play-off Final heroes, now lives in Australia as a scout for Dutch giants Feyenoord and was the man who unearthed Socceroo
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Woods to replace farmland
FARMERS in Wiltshire can apply for cash to create over 300 acres of woodland. A grant of over £42,000 has been secured from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Forestry Commission to plant native trees throughout the county.
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MoD denies pilots are 'too scared' to fly new plane
CLAIMS that RAF pilots are too scared to fly the new wave of Hercules aircraft have been fiercely denied by the Ministry of Defence. Norman Lamb, a Liberal Democrat backbencher, has alleged the planes, which are based at RAF Lyneham, have been dogged
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HOSPITALS: Health trust thinks twice
PEOPLE power has forced the PCT to reconsider closing maternity units in Devizes and Malmesbury. Following a protest march in Devizes in February, organised by the Gazette, and two petitions signed by more than 10,000 people calling for Devizes and Malmesbury
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HOSPITALS: £1.1m plan to provide more services at home
THE proposals put forward by the Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust are aimed at cutting millions of pounds. The trust was formed in April 2002 but was handicapped from the start as it did not have enough money to pay for the services it was
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HOSPITALS: Aim is easier access to aid
PART of the PCT's strategy aims to improve access to health services for the 200,000 people it serves in Kennet and North Wiltshire. It is planning to provide core services either at expanded GP surgeries, health centres or community hospitals. These
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HOSPITALS: 'Modern' scheme is met with scepticism
The PCT says it will create a new, modern community hospital and health centre on Devizes' Green Lane site. The trust says the new hospital will be a "centre of excellence" but campaigners say the lack of some services such as a 24-hour minor injury unit
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HOSPITALS: Huge changes ahead for local health care
A report outlining the future of community health care across Kennet and north Wiltshire has just been published. JILL CROOKS and CAMERON RAMOS spoke to chief executive Barbara Smith about what the changes will mean for patients and carers. KENNET and
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Plants help grow funds
There will be a coffee morning with bring and buy and plant sale at the home of the Rev David Salt and his wife Margaret at 7 Milton Road on Saturday, from 10am to noon to raise funds for St John's Church and the Mothers' Union.
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Battling gran takes Minister to task
RURAL Affairs Minister Alun Michael was in for an ear bashing on Wednesday from Pewsey great grandmother Maureen Kearney. Mrs Kearney, 73, who has five great grandchildren, is a local champion of pensioners' rights. She travelled to Westminster with Community
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Campaign to entice shoppers
STUDENTS in Corsham are helping to run a campaign to encourage shoppers into the town to boost retail trade. Consider Corsham is the result of a partnership between North Wiltshire District Council, Corsham Area Community Partnership and the town's chamber
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Lifeline needs hosts
HEYWOOD: A children's charity based in Westbury is appealing for support to give children from Belarus the holiday of a lifetime. The Chernobyl Children's Lifeline is looking for host families to accommodate children in August. The charity is also hosting
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Wrong garden scoops the silver award
VACUUM cleaner guru, James Dyson has scooped a prestigious award at the Chelsea Flower Show. The designer, whose business, Dyson, is based in Malmesbury, was awarded a Silver Gilt Flora award by judges on Tuesday, after designing the central feature in
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Search for missing son
A MOTHER has made a heartfelt appeal for her son to make contact after they lost touch more than six years ago. Audrey Coleman, 69, of Truro, Cornwall, went to her son Tony's wedding in Westbury in 1997, and lost touch with him shortly afterwards. She
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Abuser is jailed for 18 months
A 43-year-old Westbury man has been jailed for 18 months after being convicted of a series of sex offences on a young girl. Richard Flower was found guilty of six counts of indecent assault on the girl who he started to abuse when she was 11. The court
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Crime figures rise in towns
POLICE in Trowbridge and Westbury say the towns are still among the safest in the country despite statistics revealing violent crime has increased by more than a third. Top officers in the two towns say changes in the way crimes are recorded have led
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Wrong garden scoops the silver award
VACUUM cleaner guru, James Dyson has scooped a prestigious award at the Chelsea Flower Show. The designer, whose business, Dyson, is based in Malmesbury, was awarded a Silver Gilt Flora award by judges on Tuesday, after designing the central feature in
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HOSPITALS: Health trust in hospital U-turn
CAMPAIGNERS believe they have won the battle to keep Malmesbury Hospital open. It was feared the hospital would close and become little more than a glorified old people's home and doctors' surgery but plans just released show it will become a flagship
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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It's hats off to Miles as he wins first cap
MILES Copland of Corsham Wolves under 13s has become the first player to be capped by the new Corsham Youth Academy after an inspirational performance in the Bath and District Youth League against Frome. Copland, captain of the Wolves, batted superbly
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Shoppers flock to French market
SHOPPERS in Melksham snapped up some gourmet food at the weekend when a French market came to town. Twenty stalls set up in the market place between Friday and Sunday selling items such as sausages, bread, garlic and wine, clothes and bags. The market
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Bright idea to stop speeding
A SAFETY conscious pensioner has come up with a bright idea to stop motorists speeding through a Wiltshire village. Before Joe Burbidge, of Hillcrest School Road, Seend, strolls out for his morning paper he pulls on a luminous yellow jacket which has
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Campaign grows to save home
THE former manager of a Melksham care home has criticised the decision to close it, saying its 22 learning disabled residents deserve better treatment from the county council which cares for them Julie Colegate, who worked at Waverley House for 13 years
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Child's-eye view of self is Ch4 winner
A SELF-PORTRAIT by an eight-year-old autistic schoolboy has gone on show at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Melksham schoolboy Oliver Fulluck was the youngest winner in Channel 4's Self Portrait UK competition. He attended a star-studded launch
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Town revamp plan is under discussion
KEY groups in Melksham are calling for thorough public consultation on plans to revamp the town centre because they do not want to lose out on Government cash. On Tuesday, highway engineers Ringway Parkman met with the town council, chamber of commerce
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Critics made to eat their words
Stuart Bernau, Nationwide's commercial and treasury director.THE chief executive of Nationwide Building Society, Philip Williamson has, not too surprisingly, called the last year "exceptional" after the company's annual results, released yesterday, showed
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Drivers pay the price for flouting drink law
SHAME A DRINK DRIVER: PUBLICANS in west Wiltshire are backing the Wiltshire Times Shame A Drink Driver campaign. Many pubs in the region are displaying Shame A Drink Driver stickers to help raise the crusade's profile. Trowbridge's Chicago Rock Caf has
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Museums break all records
VISITORS are flocking to Wiltshire's museums in record numbers in their quest to find out about the county's history. Last year saw more than 290,000 people visiting museums, a rise of 18 per cent on the previous year. Figures for 2002/3 reveal that the
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Link-up to sign more helpers
WILTSHIRE emergency services are joining forces to help encourage more volunteers to sign up. To mark National Volunteer Week local emergency services are putting on a live display at the Five Rivers Leisure Centre in Salisbury on June 1 from 2-5pm. Volunteers
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Praise for Primary
CHILDREN at a west Wiltshire school have been given praised by the Government after they earned their second national achievement award. Pupils at Monkton Farleigh and South Wraxhall Primary School were given the award for their high level of academic
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Another delay for record office plan
PLANS to move the Wiltshire and Swindon county record office from Trowbridge to Chippenham have hit further delays this week. A funding bid to get the project off the ground has to be redone and campaigners now say Chippenham simply doesn't have enough
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New cabinet announced
THE new leader of West Wiltshire District Council has named his cabinet. Cllr Tony Phillips, who was elected as leader on May 14, has tried to form a multi-party cabinet. The council was left in no overall control following the local government elections
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SCHOOLS IN CRISIS: The John of Gaunt School
A TIGHT budget is in operation at The John of Gaunt School in Trowbridge, but the school has managed to avoid redundancies. It is not running with a financial deficit, which deputy headteacher Roger Gilbert puts down to good financial management. He said
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SCHOOLS IN CRISIS: George Ward School
GOVERNORS at George Ward School in Melksham hope that natural wastage and voluntary redundancies will mean they can avoid axing jobs. The school is operating with a deficit and this year's budget share means the school cannot afford to keep its entire
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SCHOOLS IN CRISIS: St Laurence School
THE headteacher at St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon dramatically quit in April after the school's financial problems came to light. Nick Sorensen resigned from the post he held for six years after parents expressed their lack of confidence in him
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SCHOOLS IN CRISIS: Parents' concern over lack of funds
PARENTS in west Wiltshire are worried that children's education will suffer because of a lack of funds. Many schools have to tighten their belts to offset deficit budgets and some are being forced to cut teaching staff and increase class sizes to try
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Pubs pass checks by the police
FOUR pubs were given license checks on Friday as part of an on-going programme in west Wiltshire. The checks were run jointly by West Wiltshire District Council licensing department, police and the fire brigade to ensure the venues meet health and safety
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Town youngsters fall at final hurdle
YOUTH FOOTBALL: CALNE Youth won the under 10s final at the Wiltshire Times and Chippenham News Mid-Wilts Youth and Minor League finals weekend at Melksham Town. The match, for the under 10s Daniel Higgs Memorial Trophy, produced an excellent game of football
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Manager Crabtree is axed
WARMINSTER Town are looking for a new manager after axing club stalwart Andy Crabtree, pictured above. Crabtree, 43, took over from Gerry Pearson at the beginning of the 2001-2002 season, but was unable to prevent the club being relegated from the Screwfix
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More carnage on a36
A FORMER town councillor is recovering in hospital after being cut from the wreckage of his car following a smash on the A36. Bob Adam, 72, of Thornhill Road, Warminster, broke his arm, hip and heel when his blue Ford Escort collided with a silver Ford
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New E-Class coming soon
FINAL details for the innovative new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate have been announced with prices for the entry-level E 200 Kompressor Classic starting at £27,355 OTR. The E-Class Estate includes the advanced Sensotronic Brake Control (SBCTM) system,
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High power for Octavia range
The Skoda Octavia range gets a boost with the addition of the 1.9 TDI PD 130 engine. This is the first time the Pumpe Dse (PD) direct injection diesel engine has been available in the Octavia. This new engine variant is on sale at Skoda retailers throughout
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Ford Focus still top of UK sales charts
The Ford Focus remains the best-selling new car for the fourth month in a row and still stands resolute in the No 1 position, according to a recent survey. Car supermarket, Autolink, published the latest People's Choice chart at the end of last month,
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New clubhouse venue for youth awards day
BATH rugby star Chris Malone joined over 100 children for Bradford on Avon Rugby Club's youth awards day at their new clubhouse on Sunday. The Bath fly-half presented prizes to players of the year as part of the annual event, which saw all under 12 players
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Hot air appeal
Fundraisers are on the lookout for more helium to blow up balloons for balloon launch in Bradford on Avon on June 23 Sharon Laws and Jennie Eyers organised the event to raise money for the charity DEBRA, which helps sufferers of a skin disease called
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Stalwarts step down
TWO members of South Wraxall Parish Council have retired after a combined career of nearly 50 years. Patrick Flinn, 76, had been on the council since 1978 and had been chairman since 1979. He said: "It was high time I passed the council on for someone
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Praise for Primary
CHILDREN at a west Wiltshire school have been given praised by the Government after they earned their second national achievement award. Pupils at Monkton Farleigh and South Wraxhall Primary School were given the award for their high level of academic
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End in sight for slippery slope
RESIDENTS in a Bradford on Avon cul-de-sac are celebrating after Wiltshire County Council promised to try and resolve a slippery problem. A flight of steps in Elms Cross Drive have flooded for several years and residents have to go up and down them avoiding
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Ceremony marks canal restoration
THE new mayor of Bradford on Avon staked her place in history on Wednesday, when she handed over a petition to thank the Queen for the refurbished Kennet and Avon Canal. Vicky Landell-Mills joined boats at Bradford Wharf and travelled up the canal bearing
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Revellers stopped at all-night rave
REVELLERS were stopped in their tracks at the weekend, after police intercepted them gathering for an all-night rave in Monkton Farleigh. In the early hours of Sunday morning, police found more than 100 people at disused mines in Bathford Road, Monkton
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Chief is challenged on illegal forest rave
WILTSHIRE'S chief constable Elizabeth Neville is being asked to explain why her officers failed to stop an illegal rave in Savernake Forest Three weeks ago that kept families awake. Sir Nigel Thompson, the vice-chairman of Mildenhall Parish Council said
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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HOSPITALS: A vision of the future
PEOPLE in the Marlborough area who use the present Savernake Hospital will probably not believe the reality of a new hospital until the foundations are finally laid. Over the years the services at Savernake have gradually been eroded by a succession of
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HOSPITALS: Pledge to give town flagship hospital
MALMESBURY has been promised a flagship new hospital in plans revealed by Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust. The proposals will see a new hospital built on a location yet to be decided, with the addition of a nursing home, a GP surgery and
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HOSPITALS: Aim is easier access to aid
PART of the PCT's strategy aims to improve access to health services for the 200,000 people it serves in Kennet and North Wiltshire. It is planning to provide core services either at expanded GP surgeries, health centres or community hospitals. These
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HOSPITALS: Huge changes ahead for local health care
A report outlining the future of community health care across Kennet and north Wiltshire has just been published. JILL CROOKS and CAMERON RAMOS spoke to chief executive Barbara Smith about what the changes will mean for patients and carers. KENNET and
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Date
NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Project is a haven for the vulnerable
IN a simply furnished office in Wroughton's High Street, retired RAF Group Captain Ian Spalding is tying up the loose ends of a £1.6m project that will look after some of Wiltshire's most vulnerable people. When it opens a few weeks from now the building
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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MP backs pharmacists
A 2,000-name petition protesting against threats to local pharmacies in Swindon has been presented in the House of Commons. South Swindon MP Julia Drown handed over the petition which was drawn up by chemists across the south of the town in the Commons
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Paedophile plans to return to town
A PAEDOPHILE named in a vigilante leaflet put through 250 Swindon letterboxes was due out of jail and expected to be back in town today. He was sentenced to six years in 1998 for sexual offences against two boys, but granted early release last year. However
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Mopping up operation went on as asbestos dropped on nearby homes
homes were showered with asbestos when the Locarno burned. Residents, oblivious to the possible dangers, have reported clearing up the dangerous building material with brooms and dustpans. Swindon Council sent letters to homes in Beatty Court and Saxon
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Silver surfers online
'SILVER Surfers' from the Calne area converged on the town library on Friday for an Internet taster session aimed at people aged over 50. The six members of the group were aged between 55 and 80 and one man in his late 70s had never touched a computer
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Bikes snatched
TWO mountain bikes were stolen from a garage in Crawley Crescent, Trowbridge, on Saturday between 1.30 and 2.30pm. The bikes were a 15-inch grey Nerve Freak and a 14-inch bronze and white Kona Lamy. Both have front suspension. Information should be given
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Advice from the taxman
PEOPLE in Trowbridge can get free advice on tax and national insurance matters at The Shires shopping centre today. Advisers from the Bath inland revenue team will be in the town to answer queries on a range of matters including help with self assessment
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Officer's key role in Rachel death probe
A DETECTIVE from Trowbridge will play a key role in helping the family of student Rachel Whitear keep up-to-date with the latest probe into her death. Det Con Chris Conway, who is based at Trowbridge CID, has been chosen for the pivotal role of family
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Reward for work on The Woolpack
The restoration of an historic building in Trowbridge has won businessman John Giles the town's enhancement award. The Woolpack in Market Street was built as Court Hall in 1845 for holding county courts and was later used as a cloth merchant warehouse
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Better loos for Shires
THE SHIRES shopping centre in Trowbridge is to get new toilets as part of its refurbishment. Work starts on modernising the toilets near the Iceland store on June 9 and is expected to be completed by August 4. The alterations involve ripping out the existing
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Man denies all charges
A 35-year-old man is to face trial by jury after denying driving dangerously and assault causing actual bodily harm. Kevin Munday is accused of driving his LandRover Freelander dangerously on The Common, Holt, on January 18. He is also accused of assaulting
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County town's crier is third in the world
TROWBRIDGE town crier Trevor Heeks has been voted third in the world in a competition contested by 130 criers from as far away as Canada, America and Australia. He went to the championships after two wins, a second and a third this year. Sporting a new
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Holidays back on the menu
TROWBRIDGE travel agents are witnessing a rise in customers despite fears of terror attacks worldwide, the war in Iraq and the Sars outbreak . Sales had slumped during the last month but the signs point to business heading back to normal. Jo Hussey, a
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Vision for Trowbridge gets new name
VISION for Trowbridge has yet another new name with the partners behind the project working towards what they are calling an Urban Design Framework for the county town. Consultants employed by the partnership have begun reviewing work already carried
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Residents' victory in Paxcroft battle
RESIDENTS fighting plans to have more homes at the Paxcroft Mead estate in Trowbridge have won their battle against developers. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott this week ruled in favour of residents and West Wiltshire District Council, which refused
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Business park now on track
A PLAN for a new roundabout in Salisbury Road to service the long-awaited Marlborough business park has been welcomed by town councillors. There have been demands in Marlborough for an industrial estate or business park for the past 40 years. Only in
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Chief is challenged on illegal forest rave
WILTSHIRE'S chief constable Elizabeth Neville is being asked to explain why her officers failed to stop an illegal rave in Savernake Forest Three weeks ago that kept families awake. Sir Nigel Thompson, the vice-chairman of Mildenhall Parish Council said
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Praise as shop thieves snared
THE Storenet radio security system operated by a number of stores in Devizes has been praised by police after two shoplifters were arrested and charged with a string of offences. The two men from Calne, who are known to staff of stores in Devizes, were
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HOSPITALS: Rethink on unit hours
HEALTH chief have done a U-turn on plans to extend the opening hours of the minor injuries unit at Savernake Hospital to 24-hour coverage. The proposal to extend the unit to a round the clock service was contained in a blueprint for change issued by the
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HOSPITALS: A vision of the future
PEOPLE in the Marlborough area who use the present Savernake Hospital will probably not believe the reality of a new hospital until the foundations are finally laid. Over the years the services at Savernake have gradually been eroded by a succession of
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Hospital leads the way in cutting waiting times
CATARACT sufferers in Swindon will have to wait no more than three weeks for their operations. The government has launched a drive to cut waiting times for patients with eye problems, allocating £56 million to the initiative. And Swindon is leading the
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Building a future for town's affordable housing
EMPTY offices have been converted into affordable homes in the town centre. The building, which was vacant for three years, was renovated under Swindon Council's Empty Homes Scheme. The council launched Swindon Empty Homes Partnership in 1997 and since
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Get set for a fab festival
PREPARATIONS are surging forward for Swindon's Old Town Festival, which begins at the end of next month. The event is the largest festival in Swindon and is a week-long celebration of the culture and history of the Old Town area. Old Town will take on
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Listen to jazz, drink ale and be merry
PREPARATIONS are underway to hold Swindon's first Jazz and Real Ale Festival this year. The three-day event will take place this August, and is being hosted by the Milton Club, at 25 Milton Road. It aims to bring both jazz lovers and real ale drinkers
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Members enjoy talk by glass expert
Wootton Bassett Petticoat Club welcomed Adrian Dolan, of Bath Aqua Glass, to its last meeting. He described his enthusiasm for an ancient craft which involves creating jugs, bowls, decanters and goblets. These, and other samples from Bath Aqua Glass,
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Our OAPs are living in fear
PENSIONERS living at Rosewood Court sheltered accommodation in Liden have become prisoners in their own homes, according to the residents' association chairman. Harry Ellis says many elderly residents are too scared to venture from their flats for fear
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Red tape blamed for beer price rise
ARKELL'S Brewery has blamed government red tape for its decision to raise the price of its beers by 10p. The family brewery, based in Stratton St Margaret, says the increase is needed to cover spiralling overheads. Bosses have said that besides the 1p
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Messing about in boats . . .
THE story of Swindon's canals is the subject of the summer exhibition at the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery. It is run in collaboration with the Wilts and Berks Canal trust, which has been working to restore the old waterways. The exhibition includes
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Objections made to haulage business
A PUBLIC inquiry heard how Swindon Council is objecting to a haulage boss basing his business on a site in Stratton. John Keeping, managing director of Keeping Transport Ltd, is applying for an operator's licence to run the firm from the Bamptons industrial
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The Cove is opened to public for first time in 300 years
TWO giant standing stones, known as the Cove, are now accessible to the public for the first time in 300 years. The megaliths are part of Avebury stone circle and have been roped off from the public because they developed a lean, which was believed to
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So what is a slow worm?
THE slow worm (Anguis fragilis) is a lizard. It looks like a snake in some respects but its eyelids, a flat forked tongue and its ability to drop its tail to escape from a predator gives its true identity away. It is probably the most commonly encountered
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Recruiting drive pays dividends
WOOTTON Bassett fire station is looking forward to welcoming more retained firefighters after a successful recruitment exercise. The station has been seriously understaffed since the closure of the St Ivel factory, where several of the retained crew worked
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Job club launched to help disabled
A CHARITY which helps disabled people in Swindon find work is running a job club to give more help. John Green, manager of the trust, Working for Opport-unities, hopes that the club will give disabled people the chance to support each other in their quest
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This is top job for me says Babs
BABS Wild, manager of the White Horse Care Trust home at Wootton Bassett, reckons she has the best job in the world. "I started in the care business when my children were small by serving tea on Sundays at a home for the elderly," she said. "I realised
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Answers please, Mr Mayor
HOW refreshing to see the comments by our new Mayor, Coun Benfield, saying what he will be doing in his year in office. Social inclusion for all, and good governance in the chamber. I shall be the first to congratulate you if you even come near to the
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Martin deserves to be released
mr hobson, a solicitor, has explained to us why Tony Martin was found guilty when he shot a burglar who broke into his house. I would like him to explain events in 1982, when an undercover police officer was carrying out surveillance in the grounds of
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Humphreys: No pressure now
JONATHAN Humphreys claims Bath are relishing the chance to sign off a troubled season in style with victory in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup final against Wasps on Sunday. The 1998 European champions endured a traumatic campaign this term, narrowly avoiding
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Lucky to be alive
A MOTHER and her baby son are lucky to be alive after a tractor and trailer landed on top of their car in a horrific crash near Chippenham. The 33-year-old, of Christian Malford, was driving along the A420 in her blue Ford Focus estate on Monday afternoon
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Rodbourne leading the way
THE Stroud and Swindon sponsored Swindon and District 4-Rink Bowls League is beginning to get in full swing with most clubs having played their first three matches. Last season's Division One champions Rodbourne Cheney are once again the head of affairs
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Keep it going
SWINDON will be keen to build on last week's success against Goatacre, as they make the trip into Gloucestershire to take on Bredon. Darren Beasant continues as skipper in the absence of Will Nichols, and makes one enforced change with young seamer Dan
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Time has run out for clock winders
THE ANCIENT role of Highworth clock winder has finally been made obsolete. For more than a century a small team of volunteers have taken turns to climb the tower of St Michael's Church and wind up the town's main timepiece. But now technology has finally
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Silver surfers online
'SILVER Surfers' from the Calne area converged on the town library on Friday for an Internet taster session aimed at people aged over 50. The six members of the group were aged between 55 and 80 and one man in his late 70s had never touched a computer
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Farmers are dumping dead animals
Farmers in North Wiltshire are dumping carcasses in ditches and leaving them to rot to avoid paying a disposal charge. Trading Standards have been called out to deal with eight illegally dumped animals in the area in the last week alone. Steve Clover,
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Theory on pedigree cat thefts
MOTHER-of-two Samantha John has spoken of her family's heartache after the mysterious disappearance of her second pedigree cat, in what she suspects is a spate of cat thefts. Her beloved Rag Doll cat Duke vanished from her back garden in Lower Compton
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HOSPITALS: A vision of the future
PEOPLE in the Marlborough area who use the present Savernake Hospital will probably not believe the reality of a new hospital until the foundations are finally laid. Over the years the services at Savernake have gradually been eroded by a succession of
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HOSPITALS: Community hospital could be transformed
THE PCT's new strategic direction looks like being good news for Chippenham, where the community hospital could be transformed into a mini general hospital. Planned new departments, including a hi-tech new emergency treatment centre, might mean new buildings
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HOSPITALS: Pledge to give town flagship hospital
MALMESBURY has been promised a flagship new hospital in plans revealed by Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust. The proposals will see a new hospital built on a location yet to be decided, with the addition of a nursing home, a GP surgery and
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Drama at the ball
The Carnival Feaste Ball on Saturday September 13 organised by PVADS will this year take the form of a formal ball with a dance band although members will stage a short floor show during the interval.
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Pottermania strikes again
HARRY POTTER mania has gripped Ottakar's bookshops, with the climax of a competition where three lucky winners can win a trip to Hogwarts. Children aged eight to 14 can enter to play for a place in the final at Alnwick Castle. The closing date for entries
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Holidays back on the menu
TROWBRIDGE travel agents are witnessing a rise in customers despite fears of terror attacks worldwide, the war in Iraq and the Sars outbreak . Sales had slumped during the last month but the signs point to business heading back to normal. Jo Hussey, a
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Business park now on track
A PLAN for a new roundabout in Salisbury Road to service the long-awaited Marlborough business park has been welcomed by town councillors. There have been demands in Marlborough for an industrial estate or business park for the past 40 years. Only in
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Pupils' move to fame in UK's chess final
SHERSTON School chess team has qualified for the final of the UK Chess Challenge at Keele University in Stoke on Trent, in July . All six members of the team made it through to the under 11 and under 12 finals out of 35 places in a qualifying tournament
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HOSPITALS: Pledge to give town flagship hospital
MALMESBURY has been promised a flagship new hospital in plans revealed by Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust. The proposals will see a new hospital built on a location yet to be decided, with the addition of a nursing home, a GP surgery and
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Rodbourne leading the way
THE Stroud and Swindon sponsored Swindon and District 4-Rink Bowls League is beginning to get in full swing with most clubs having played their first three matches. Last season's Division One champions Rodbourne Cheney are once again the head of affairs
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Wilts are edged out of Plate
WILTSHIRE Vice Presidents' Bowls Association were edged out 125-121 in the David Exton Memorial Perpetual Challenge Plate at Cippenham BC. VPs BA 121, Buckingham VPs 125 Rink 1: Tom Mitchell 30, E Brown 15; Rink 2: Colin Ashton 15, D Nott 35; Rink 3:
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Trowbridge v Winget
TROWBRIDGE gained a comfortable home victory in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Division One. Trowbridge were put in to a dry track but a damp onfield. The wintry weather made it difficult to get going and the innings was broken up by three interruptions
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Claim your cash
SHOPPERS in Melksham and Box are to be rewarded with a share of a £60,000 payout from retailer Co-op. Customers with dividend cards have earned cash back on purchases over the past six months and many are expected to receive up to £50 each. Over £2,000
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Knife attack man needs 30 stitches
THE victim of a brutal stabbing needed 30 stitches after being attacked on a Melksham housing estate. Nick Lyons, 20, was stabbed on the left side of his chest outside Woodlands Caterers in Queensway on Monday morning. He also suffered a slash-type injury
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Equiinet wins major schools contract
SWINDON-based internet appliance provider Equiinet has been awarded a £2.5 million contract to supply 2,500 of its CachePilot e-learning devices to London's schools after being selected as the preferred e-learning delivery solution for the London Grid
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Firm supplies safe crossing for children
A company in west Wiltshire is so worried about children risking their lives on a busy road they have decided to patrol a safety crossing themselves. While preparing for work outside Holt Primary School in March, lollipop patrol warden Patricia Hefnawy
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Search for missing son
A MOTHER has made a heartfelt appeal for her son to make contact after they lost touch more than six years ago. Audrey Coleman, 69, of Truro, Cornwall, went to her son Tony's wedding in Westbury in 1997, and lost touch with him shortly afterwards. She
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Pubs pass checks by the police
FOUR pubs were given license checks on Friday as part of an on-going programme in west Wiltshire. The checks were run jointly by West Wiltshire District Council licensing department, police and the fire brigade to ensure the venues meet health and safety
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SCHOOLS IN CRISIS: St Augustine's Catholic College
THE books at St Augustine's Catholic College in Trowbridge are, unlike many others, showing a healthy balance. Headteacher Brendan Wall believes the school has managed to steer clear of financial problems due to a combination of a rising funding and good
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SCHOOLS IN CRISIS: The Clarendon School
THE Clarendon School in Trowbridge has been operating with a deficit budget for a year and is following a recovery plan to pull itself out of the red. In March last year the school had a budget deficit of £264,000. The figure now stands at £190,000 and
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SCHOOLS IN CRISIS: Matravers School
CLASS sizes are to rise at Matravers School in Westbury because it cannot afford extra teachers. It needs four more teachers for the new school year but can only afford to hire one. The curriculum will also undergo, as yet unspecified, changes, but the
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SCHOOLS IN CRISIS: Kingdown School
BUDGET problems hit Kingdown School in Warminster earlier than most and the school is now getting back on its feet after a four-year struggle. Headteacher Shelagh Brown, who admitted she was close to quitting over financial problems two years ago, said
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SCHOOLS IN CRISIS: Education meltdown
JOBS could be axed at west Wiltshire secondary schools as cash shortages force cutbacks. Schools around the county are finding themselves having to perform a balancing act to meet budgets and redundancies amongst staff are already up over 50 per cent
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Vandals strike at vehicles
VANDALS caused thousands of pounds worth of damage when they broke windows in 13 cars and stole items from them in Warminster. The cars were all parked in roads and driveways near the town centre when the vandals attacked them in the early hours of Sunday
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Bradford boys go into Europe
YOUTH FOOTBALL: A PARTY of 34 boys from Bradford on Avon FC flew to Malta yesterday for a week long tour. The boys, from the club's under 11s, 12s and 13s sections, will be taking part in a two-day festival against teams from Malta and Italy. They will
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Lucky to be alive
A MOTHER and her baby son are lucky to be alive after a tractor and trailer landed on top of their car in a horrific crash near Chippenham. The 33-year-old, of Christian Malford, was driving along the A420 in her blue Ford Focus estate on Monday afternoon
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Lightning, pure and simple
When launching the Solstice concept in the US, GM vice president Bob Lutz said: "Keep it simple, pure, and beautiful". This was the basic requirement for Vauxhall's stunning new concept car, the VX Lightning. Being launched as a centrepiece to the company's
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New options on Kalos range
GM Daewoo's new Kalos five-door family hatchback range is given a significant boost with the addition of two new engines to the line up. A sprightly and efficient new 1.2 litre four-cylinder joins the range at entry level in the Kalos 1.2S and SE and
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Study gets go-ahead
THE Bradford on Avon & District Community Development Trust has been awarded a grant for completion of a feasibility study for hydro electric power generation. The study will identify the technical and business options available, including the most
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Publican supports troops
THE Armed Forces and their efforts during the war in Iraq were the focus of a charity tribute gig in Bradford on Avon on Saturday. Staff organised the tribute to the armed services and raised £1,011 to donate to army charities. Riverside Inn owner Peter
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Fizz and food stolen
THIEVES targeted garages in the Old Batch area of Bradford on Avon in the early hours of Sunday morning and made off with alcohol and frozen food. Three garages were raided at around 3am on Sunday, when a woman caught two men breaking into her home and
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Homes service to stay after successful trial
KENNET District Council has taken over the running of the successful Homes@Kennet service, which invites people on the housing list to bid for the particular property they want. The pilot scheme which started in October 2000, officially came to an end
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Bypass 'not on agenda'
DAILY traffic jams in Bradford on Avon show no sign of letting up with hopes for a bypass for the town off the agenda for at least 10 years. Following a review of route and traffic levels in the town, Wiltshire County Council has decided not to include
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HOSPITALS: Community hospital could be transformed
THE PCT's new strategic direction looks like being good news for Chippenham, where the community hospital could be transformed into a mini general hospital. Planned new departments, including a hi-tech new emergency treatment centre, might mean new buildings
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HOSPITALS: Health trust thinks twice
PEOPLE power has forced the PCT to reconsider closing maternity units in Devizes and Malmesbury. Following a protest march in Devizes in February, organised by the Gazette, and two petitions signed by more than 10,000 people calling for Devizes and Malmesbury
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HOSPITALS: £1.1m plan to provide more services at home
THE proposals put forward by the Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust are aimed at cutting millions of pounds. The trust was formed in April 2002 but was handicapped from the start as it did not have enough money to pay for the services it was
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New clubhouse venue for youth awards day
BATH rugby star Chris Malone joined over 100 children for Bradford on Avon Rugby Club's youth awards day at their new clubhouse on Sunday. The Bath fly-half presented prizes to players of the year as part of the annual event, which saw all under 12 players
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Gran attacked on way to WI meeting
A GRANDMOTHER has spoken about how she was attacked on her way to a WI meeting. As reported in the Advertiser earlier this week, the retired 74-year-old childminder from Liden was walking to the meeting at St Timothy's Church, Liden, at 7.15pm on Monday
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'We're open to suggestion'
The historic Mechanics' Institute is to be given a new lease of life, and YOU are being given the chance to have a say on its future use AFTER nearly 20 years of uncertainty, the Mechanics Institute has today been given a new lease of life. Now the new
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Nurse may have to quit hospital
A NURSE at the Great Western Hospital could be forced to give up her job after Swindon Council tried to send her daughter to a school on the other side of town. Melanie Hardy, 32, moved to St Andrew's Ridge with her two children Rebecca, five and Charlotte
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Asylum seekers numbers rise
SWINDON has become home to five more asylum seekers in the last three months. New Home Office figures show the number of refugees coming to Britain fell by 32 per cent in the first quarter of 2003, to 16,000. But, over the same period, the number in Swindon
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Find them
Police want to talk to these two boys, caught on camera near Old Town's Locarno, as they watched flames engulf the building. They are somebody's sons. Help detectives track them down. POLICE want to speak to four youths following Sunday's suspected arson
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Brave mum thanks readers for backing our campaign
BRAVE mother Paula Hamilton paid tribute to Wiltshire Times readers this week for backing a quest to bring about justice for her murdered daughter Zoe. In an e-mail sent to the Wiltshire Times this week 35-year-old Paula Hamilton spoke of her everlasting
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Back in time
MAY 27: SCHOOLchildren can discover how half term was spent in days gone by thanks to an event at Trowbridge Museum. The event entitled Grandma's Games gives children the chance to test their skills at games such as bagatelle, hoopla, skittles and shove
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Treasure hunt for charity
MAY 25: A CAR treasure hunt is to be held around Trowbridge on Sunday to raise funds for a children's charity. The event has been organised by the Southwick Sports and Social Club on behalf of the Jennifer Trust, a charity supporting children with spinal
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Couple reach new milestone
CARAVAN enthusiasts Alex and Eileen Payne have covered thousands of miles in a long and happy marriage spanning 60 years. The Trowbridge couple, who celebrate their diamond anniversary this week, began their travels by caravan in 1962 and have travelled
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Fund fears for theatre
THE cash crisis at Wiltshire College means the only theatre in Trowbridge has to find an extra £25,000 to make up a funding shortfall. The college, left £1.8m in the red after an audit uncovered discrepancies in student records, has in the past provided
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Paraffin spill as thieves hit centre
THOUSANDS of pounds worth of damage has been caused in an attempted break-in at a Trowbridge-based charity for the homeless. Thieves broke an oil pipe trying to get in to the Duke Street base of Action on Homelessness on Saturday, causing up to 200 litres
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Public backs scheme for old brewery site
THE delayed plans to redevelop the former Ushers site in Trowbridge have received an overwhelming vote of support from the public. Ninety two per cent of people who visited an exhibition of the £25m scheme held on Friday and Saturday gave the proposal
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Crime figures rise in towns
POLICE in Trowbridge and Westbury say the towns are still among the safest in the country despite statistics revealing violent crime has increased by more than a third. Top officers in the two towns say changes in the way crimes are recorded have led
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Latest jazz sensation honours festival vow
ONE of the stars of the 2003 Marlborough International Jazz Festival will be Wiltshire's £1 million piano prodigy Jamie Cullum, who is honouring an old promise to appear. The festival was officially launched on Monday when director Nick Fogg revealed
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Thieves target lorry fuel cards
DEVIZES police have warned HGV drivers not to leave fuel cards in their cabs after a series of raids. Lorries have been broken into in the Devizes area in the past few weeks and fuel cards, which can be used with PIN numbers to obtain diesel from certain
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Plane memorial for the town's lost trees
THE London Plane trees felled in Devizes Market Place during the renovation work in the area will have a permanent place in the hearts of local people. But now they will be memorialised in town council proceedings after Coun Charles Winchcombe used wood
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Hunt is on for masked robbers
POLICE are hunting the masked robbers who put golf club caretakers John and Jackie Wiltshire through a terrifying ordeal for just £200 and a handful of cigarettes. The couple were tied up and threatened with violence but, in a bizarre twist, the robbers
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HOSPITALS: 'Modern' scheme is met with scepticism
The PCT says it will create a new, modern community hospital and health centre on Devizes' Green Lane site. The trust says the new hospital will be a "centre of excellence" but campaigners say the lack of some services such as a 24-hour minor injury unit
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HOSPITALS: 24-hour casualty cover to be axed
HOSPITAL campaigners were dealt a double blow this week with the news that the minor injuries unit at Devizes Hospital will no longer be open for 24 hours a day and 20 hospital beds will be axed in October. Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust
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Good sport despite the weather
In an unsettled week bringing heavy showers and bright and breezy spells, catches were still very good on the Bristol Water trout fisheries. At Chew, fish remain close to the shore in most areas of the Lake and bank anglers have been taking full advantage
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NEW - Recipes from Around the World
Expand your culinary skills with this supplement of recipes from around the world. It is packed full of mouth-watering ideas to suit everyone's taste buds from spicy Tandoori chicken to Japanese Yakitori. Click HERE for the supplement.
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Man died as he was held down
A MAN with learning difficulties died suddenly while being restrained during a violent episode, an inquest heard. Richard Pearce, known as Dickie, was a resident of Selbrook Villa, Washpool near Shaw a home for people with learning disabilities run by
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Hacked off by this blockbuster movie
Swindon-based computer experts are concerned about the realism of scenes in the new movie The Matrix Reloaded. The British Computer Society is concerned that hackers may pick up on what is shown in the film, which has just opened in Swindon cinemas. The
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Puzzled residents get to the bottom of speed bump mystery
RESIDENTS of Covingham were puzzled to see that a number of speed bumps along Kingfisher Drive, St Paul's Drive and Covingham Drive were painted with the word 'out' in foot high yellow letters. About a dozen of the bumps, which were installed in March
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Taking the plunge for a worthy cause
A MOTHER and daughter have successfully completed a sponsored swim to raise money for Childline. Ruth and Judy Britton of Ashton Keynes took part in the Sharron Davies Mile Swim Challenge which this year benefits the 24-hour helpline for children in trouble
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True family celebration
The wedding of the year is less than three months away, and the excitement is mounting. Evening Advertiser Bride of the Year Lucy Griffin was welcomed with her family and future in-laws to the Goddard Arms in Old Town to discuss her lavish reception party
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Worms get work off to a slow start
SLOW worms threatened to hold up work to build a £27 million treatment centre next to Swindon's Great Western Hospital. As part of the planning consent for the building of the centre's 250-space car park, wildlife experts were brought in to scour the
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Vets In Practice star coming to Outlet Village
CELEBRITY vet Fiona Green is coming to town for the launch of a campaign to encourage responsible pet ownership. One of the stars of television's Vets in Practice programme is joining forces with the Blue Cross Charity for the national campaign. They
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PCs honoured for brave act
TWO Swindon police officers who disarmed a man as he tried to hammer a kitchen knife into his own chest have been honoured. PCs Gary Wells, 29, and Beverley Pitchford, 41, have each been presented with the Chief Constable's Certificate of Commendation
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Paths to be made safer
Swindon Borough Council is to carry out footpath improvement works between Moredon Road and Bourn Road next month. The £5,000 project, managed by the Technical Services Group, will improve conditions for pupils walking to and from More-don Junior and
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Call for a public debate
FEW people will be re-assured by recent government statements that the number of asylum seekers arriving in the UK is under control. The recently published census details show Britain's population expanding at a rate of 200,000 per annum, resulting primarily
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They should stay put
THE letter from Elspeth Wollen (EA, May 15) advocating uncontrolled immigration to the UK displays the mentality of an ostrich. We live in a country which refuses to make adequate provisions for its elderly infirm citizens, which is so financially incompetent
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It's one rule for one, and another for the rest
RE: Payback time, front page, May 16. What is exactly going on? Police have praised the actions of Valerie Hearn, 68, who photographed a teenager on her private CCTV cameras Are they the same police officers who gave my neighbours advice when I placed
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Not all refugees escape to the UK
I am reluctant to speak on behalf of Anne Lubin because I know she is more than capable of speaking for herself. However, I hope she will permit me to try to answer R W Selway's often repeated question about why "a person fleeing in fear of his life should
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Louts make our lives a misery
SO, the people at Age Concern think elderly people are frightened to go out after dark. They are wrong they are also afraid to go out in daylight. Many elderly people get themselves indoors by 3.30pm all year round, rather than be intimidated by the hooligans
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New plan for Golddiggers
A PLAN to use Chippenham's former Goldiggers building as a food and drink outlet, instead of a nightclub, will come before North Wiltshire District Council's development control committee on May 28. Developers E and J (Redditch) then have just two days
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Addict given £70 to pay off drugs dealer
CASH found on William Douglas, a Chippenham crack-cocaine user who had been addicted to drugs for 14 years, was given to him by his parents to pay off a dealer, a court was told on Monday. Douglas, 29, of Ridings Mead, pleaded guilty at Chippenham Magistrates
