Archive
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Roberts Shock!
'GUTTED' Christian Roberts is facing the longest lay-off of his career with the striker set for hernia surgery which could keep him out for two months. The 25-year-old is mortified at the prospect of being sidelined for such a lengthy period, especially
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City MP hits out at mental-health chiefs over proposed cut-backs
SALISBURY MP Robert Key has called on the chairmen of South Wiltshire primary care trust and the Avon and Wiltshire mental health partnership to "consider their positions" in the face of proposed cuts to mental health services in Salisbury. Mr Key said
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Call for readers to adopt a stricken village in Asia
AS the aid effort for the Asian tsunami victims continues, a Downton family has come up with the idea of twinning Salisbury with a stricken Sri Lankan village - and today the Journal gives its backing to the initiative. Chris Pitts has received detailed
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Man is cut from car following collision with double-decker bus
The Ford Mondeo that was in collision with a double decker bus in the centre of Amesbury on Monday evening. 13/1/5FIREFIGHTERS had to cut off the roof of a car after it was involved in an accident with a double-decker bus in the centre of Amesbury on
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Town council ups tax by 14pc
AMESBURY town council has raised their council tax precept by 14 per cent. At a recent meeting of the finance and general purposes committee, councillors agreed to raise the precept from £90,000 to £103,000. It means a property in Band D will now pay
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Votes pour in for your 2004 sporting heroes
THE competition for honours in the Journal Sports Awards is hotting up, with the voting in many categories already looking set to be thrillingly close. For the second week, we are printing the official voting form (below), which you will need in order
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German city keen to extend twinning links
A THREE-WAY twinning link between Salisbury, Saintes and the German town of Xanten is on the cards following a fact-finding visit to Salisbury last week. Salisbury is twinned already with Saintes in France. As Xanten and Saintes also are twinned, the
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Drink-around-the-clock is thrown out
COUNCILLORS have called time on 24 hour drinking in Salisbury-but pubs and bars will be allowed to serve alcohol until midnight in the week and 2am at weekends. Following months of arguments, the council agreed to extend pub opening hours at an extraordinary
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Minimum wage is having an impact
NEW research is showing that the national minimum wage is having an increasing impact on small businesses. According to a survey by Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, businesses are having to change the way they operate. For the first time
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Club boss buys drug detecting machine
THREE people have been arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs after they were caught by a state-of-the-art detection system at a Salisbury nightclub. The Chapel on Milford Street has become the first club in the country to buy a £30,000 ion track itemiser
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Retailers hit by festive gloom
SWINDON'S high street retailers have suffered their worst Christmas for a decade according to a new survey. A study by the British Retail Consortium and accountants KPMG found that sales were down by 0.4 per cent over the festive season. They also showed
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Trust buys cottage
Harnham Water Meadows Trust chairman Jonathan Marland outside Rose Cottage. 13/01/05TWELVE years after successfully acquiring the unique water meadows in the shadow of Salisbury Cathedral, the Harnham Water Meadows Trust is embarking on a second major
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City MP hits out at mental-health chiefs over proposed cut-backs
SALISBURY MP Robert Key has called on the chairmen of South Wiltshire primary care trust and the Avon and Wiltshire mental health partnership to "consider their positions" in the face of proposed cuts to mental health services in Salisbury. Mr Key said
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Cot-death mother's bid for compensation fails
Angela Cannings 13/1/5FORMER Salisbury mother Angela Cannings vowed this week to fight a Home Office decision that has denied her compensation for her wrongful imprisonment for the murder of her two cot-death babies. Mrs Cannings (41), now living in Saltash
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Gray outlook!
North Wiltshire MP James GrayNORTH Wiltshire MP James Gray has admitted an experiment to introduce family friendly working hours in the House of Commons has left him with nothing to do during long evenings in London. Under a two-year trial the Commons
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Tesco store is to close
SUPERMARKET giant Tesco is to close a north Swindon branch a year after spending thousands on a major re-fit. Bosses last night confirmed that its St Andrew's Ridge branch would close on Saturday. The 16-strong workforce are to be offered alternative
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Pub gives drug users bloody nose
REVELLERS snorting cocaine in a Swindon pub's toilets could find themselves getting a nasty shock. Rather than getting high, they are more likely to end up with nothing more than a nasty nosebleed caused by inhaling the household product WD40. Publicans
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Rotarians' collections add up to £2,000 boost
WAKE OF THE TSUNAMI: SWINDON Rotary Clubs joined forces over the weekend to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami. All seven local rotary clubs held a collection at Asda Walmart on the Orbital Retail Park and raised a total of £2,072. International
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Woman loses entire family
WAKE OF THE TSUNAMI: A lecturer who survived the tsunami disaster lost her husband, both her sons and her parents in the tragedy. Dr Sonali Deraniyagala of London was in Sri Lanka for her family's cherished annual holiday over the Christmas period. Her
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Happy end-ing for Keith in semi
END pegs produced the best catches in the first leg of the North Wessex Winter League semi-finals on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Bedwyn. In total, 12 teams of six competed in the first leg for a place in the finals, with Cotswold A's Keith Daniels
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What a load of rubbish!
75537-14OLD Town traders are furious after their rubbish was not collected for three weeks and say that the mess has attracted rats. In spite of numerous calls to Swindon council the bags of commercial waste piled up in the alleyway between the Old Town
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Collier bids to keep Marine's show on the road going strong
FOR a team hovering three places and four points above the Southern League drop zone, Swindon Supermarine have a surprisingly good record on the road, writes CRAIG LYUS. Mark Collier's men have not been beaten away from home since a 2-0 defeat to high-flying
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Architect of trust's new base mourned
THE architect who had been commissioned to design the National Trust's new headquarters in Swindon has died. Richard Feilden, 54, died suddenly on January 3. He was based in Bath but since 1998 had practised with increasing success in London. His concern
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Portrait of greatest black Briton found
A PORTRAIT of the nurse Mary Seacole, recently named the greatest black Briton, has been discovered more than 100 years after her death. Miss Seacole was known as a Florence Nightingale figure who helped tend to sick and wounded British troops in the
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Scottish fun
Swindon Caledonian Society will be holding its Burns Supper in the Goddard Arms, Old Town, on January 29. Annual membership costs £7 a person or £10 a couple. Call Jim Wilkie on 01249 813960.
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Be on guard over conmen
ELDERLY people can pick up a calendar reminding them to be vigilant about bogus callers. Doorstep conmen are a growing problem in Swindon. Callers pretend to be workmen or officials and, once indoors, will steal money or property. Now Wiltshire Age Concern
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Canal plan needs you
DO your bit to help preserve one of the country's finest waterways. The Wilts and Berks Canal Trust is always looking for new members. Membership is £10 a year, which includes subscription to the trusts' quarterly journal, Dragonfly. The trust hopes one
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Extra meeting tonight on council tax
THE final public meeting about council tax takes place tonight. Swindon Council is considering £10m of cuts to try to keep the council tax rise down and wants to hear residents' views on the proposals. Tonight's meeting is an extra date announced after
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Draw launched for charity fund
THE Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has launched a charity lottery. Players have the chance of winning up to £1,500 each week. They can also win £20,000 in a 'SuperDraw' which is held every three months. Peter Friend, spokesman for Guide Dogs' Weekly
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Stores were raided for heroin habit
A BRAZEN thief has been jailed after trying to walk out of a Swindon town centre shop with a TV to feed his drug habit. And Jo Bambrick's accomplice, Susan Baker, has been warned by Swindon Magistrates that she faces jail when she is sentenced later this
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Man is accused of threats to kill
A MAN accused of threatening to kill a woman and violently assaulting her has appeared before magistrates for a committal to crown court. Antonio De Brito Lourenco, 31, of Armstrong Street, Swindon, is charged with making threats to kill and carrying
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In Bel's footsteps
The first free public lecture being held at the University of Bath in Swindon will be about the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The commission was created in 1917 and is responsible for commemorating commonwealth servicemen and women.
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Keep a New Year resolution and help out
The Swindon Volunteer Centre is urging Swindon residents to become volunteers as part of their New Year Resolutions. Volunteers are needed for a variety of projects across the town according to organisers. There are opportunities to work with older people
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Flasher exposed himself to girls
THREE young girls were left shaken after a man exposed himself in a Penhill park. And the same man is believed to have exposed himself to two women just ten minutes later. The three girls aged 11 and 13 were walking in the area of Semley Walk and the
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Refuge hit in vandal spree
75541-80YOBS have ransacked a Penhill house used as emergency accommodation by homeless families. Council tax payers will now have to shell out between £2,000 and £5,000 to repair damage to the Lodge in Hillary Close. Louts have smashed all the windows
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Trio accused of smuggling
THE RETRIAL of a Wroughton man and two others accused of tobacco smuggling has started at Maidstone Crown Court in Kent. Abraham Smith, 52, of Hay Lane in Wroughton, Jazsef Gulyas and Nicholas Hever, were in all the dock following an investigation into
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Jack's the lad for our chess team
75549-27A SCHOOLBOY has earned a place on the England national chess team.Twelve-year-old Jack Cleeves, started playing chess at five and is now looking forward to a trip to Bulgaria with the England team in May. His mother Jo said: "It's a real achievement
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Get it right
IF Mr Reynolds thinks crime figures are important (EA Friday January 7) he might take the trouble to report them accurately. Violent crime has not doubled since 97, it has come down by 24 per cent. Burglary and car theft is also down. The British Crime
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Two sides of blood donation
PLEASE consider donating blood. I had thought about it many times, but never quite got round to it, so I didn't start until I was 44. My blood form stated Blue Bag, which meant it was virus free and could be used for the tiniest babies. This made me very
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Events and collections boost tsunami appeal
The Rotary Club of Salisbury collecting for the tsunami appeal on Saturday. 13/1/5MONEY is still pouring in to support the tsunami relief effort. Across south Wiltshire, people have been donating to collections, gathering vital supplies and taking part
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Club boss buys drug detecting machine
THREE people have been arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs after they were caught by a state-of-the-art detection system at a Salisbury nightclub. The Chapel on Milford Street has become the first club in the country to buy a £30,000 ion track itemiser
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Drink-around-the-clock is thrown out
COUNCILLORS have called time on 24 hour drinking in Salisbury-but pubs and bars will be allowed to serve alcohol until midnight in the week and 2am at weekends. Following months of arguments, the council agreed to extend pub opening hours at an extraordinary
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CSO funding plan rejected
AMESBURY councillors have rejected a request to help fund the town's police community support officers. They were asked to consider the feasibility of such a proposal by Chief Superintendent Jerry Wickham, of Salisbury police. No indication of costs was
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Vital village post office reopens in new location
A THRIVING Salisbury Plain village has salvaged a vital community service threatened with the axe. Ludgershall post office was due for closure after supermarket giant, Tesco, took over the One Stop store in Andover Road and decided to ditch the Post Office
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Traffic-flow plans are scrutinised
AMESBURY councillors have put forward a number of ideas that could reduce traffic flow within the town centre. At a recent meeting they suggested pedestrianising Salisbury Street and returning the High Street to two-way traffic. Other areas earmarked
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Murder inquiry into mystery death
THE parents of a Salisbury man murdered in the Ukraine spoke this week of their son's love of life and of sport. George and Mary Downes issued a statement shortly after the opening in Salisbury of an inquest into the death of their 42-year-old son, Kieran
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'Keep our school open' say parents
HUNDREDS of parents turned up to a meeting last night to demand answers to why their children's school could shut. There were angry scenes at the meeting in Westlea primary school as parents were told the school could close as early as 2007 as part of
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Civic Society rewards conservation projects
PROJECTS at Salisbury Cathedral and the city's St Thomas's Church have been recognised with conservation awards. New statues adorning the cathedral's west front and a new kitchenette and better access to the vestry at St Thomas's are among three winners
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Regan 'stripped room bare'
SOUTH Newton villager Hugh Smith told an Old Bailey jury how he saw Kenneth Regan working at the back of a van parked in the freshly-washed driveway of his father's home in Forge Close. Regan (55), said to have killed businessman Anil Chohan and his four
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New guidelines for dangerous drivers
Employers could soon be using new guidelines to deal with staff who drive too fast or use mobile phones at the wheel. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has published the policies to help employers tackle the problem. Driving is
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Events and collections boost tsunami appeal
The Rotary Club of Salisbury collecting for the tsunami appeal on Saturday. 13/1/5MONEY is still pouring in to support the tsunami relief effort. Across south Wiltshire, people have been donating to collections, gathering vital supplies and taking part
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Confidence grows
Consumer confidence maybe stabilising according to a new report from the Woolwich. It says consumer confidence fell by one per cent last month but it was smallest month on month fall for seven months. Currently, around 39 per cent of homeowners believe
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Passenger growth just the ticket for Stagecoach
73187-03SWINDON may have a proud railway history but it seems that buses are clearly a firm favourite with the town's residents today. During 2004, one of the town's main bus operators, Stagecoach reported passenger growth of 6.5 per cent, bucking a national
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Call for readers to adopt a stricken village in Asia
AS the aid effort for the Asian tsunami victims continues, a Downton family has come up with the idea of twinning Salisbury with a stricken Sri Lankan village - and today the Journal gives its backing to the initiative. Chris Pitts has received detailed
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Murder inquiry into mystery death
THE parents of a Salisbury man murdered in the Ukraine spoke this week of their son's love of life and of sport. George and Mary Downes issued a statement shortly after the opening in Salisbury of an inquest into the death of their 42-year-old son, Kieran
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Wider access for winter walks
Walkers in central southern England can now take advantage of OS Explorer Maps showing new access land areas. The 24 maps, covering areas of South Gloucestershire, Bristol, East Somerset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are
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'Keep our school open' say parents
HUNDREDS of parents turned up to a meeting last night to demand answers to why their children's school could shut. There were angry scenes at the meeting in Westlea primary school as parents were told the school could close as early as 2007 as part of
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She won't let memory fade
75544-44A WROUGHTON gran who has devoted 40 years to the Poppy Appeal has received recognition for her selfless work. Susan Dyer, 58, of Perry's Lane, started collecting funds for the Royal British Legion when she was 15, with her late father, Fred Pittaway
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Roly goes crackers for concert...
Roly GillardWAKE OF THE TSUNAMI: FUNNYMAN Roly Gillard doesn't want to see any serious faces at our charity gig on Friday. The Advertiser has signed up some of the biggest names in local music to stage the one-off bash. All those involved are giving their
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Insure your new home...No chance!
The site of St Joseph's Upper School in Nythe Road, earmarked for housing but it could be at risk from floodingA HOUSING estate in Swindon is to be built on land that is considered a flood risk by the Environment Agency. Insurance companies say it means
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Get tickets for the show
IT'S not too late to get your hands on tickets for the Gorse Hill panto. Tiverton Players Drama Group will be staging their production of Aladdin between Tuesday, January 25 and Saturday, January 29 at the Gorse Hill Community Centre in Chapel Street.
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A chance to watch the birds
MAJOR events are to be held in the Cotswold Water Park this month which will allow people to get closer to many of the birds that spend winter on the park's many lakes. On Saturday a special RSPB roadshow will be paying a visit for the first time. Children
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MP rapped for 'dogs of war' hunting comments
AN MP who said a hunting ban would send the message to the countryside to "let loose the dogs of war" was yesterday accused of making pathetic arguments by a government minister. Countryside minister Alun Michael accused North Wilts Tory MP James Gray
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Candidate backs bid for safety
LABOUR hopeful Anne Snelgrove has backed a campaign to give pupils tips on staying safe. The prospective parliamentary candidate who wants to replace Julia Drown as Labour MP for South Swindon when she steps down, said it was vital to protect youngsters
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Housing aid service is looking for your views
WILTSHIRE residents who get help with housing are being invited to have a say on the future of the services they receive. Wiltshire's Supporting People Partnership covers people who live within the part of the county served by Wiltshire County Council
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Witness fails to turn up at rape bid trial
THE trial of a Kurdish man accused of trying to rape a 17-year-old boy was adjourned after a key witness failed to turn up. Soran Mohammed who has been granted asylum in the UK denies attempting to rape the teenager on July 27 last year. A jury was sworn
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Don't miss out
SWINDON pensioners are being told to make sure they are not paying more council tax than they need too. Michael Wills, MP for North Swindon, is backing a new awareness campaign to stop pensioners missing out on an average of £426 towards their council
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Child porn charges to go to crown court
A PINEHURST man has appeared in court facing seven charges of downloading and possessing child porn photos. Dwayne Reynolds, 36, of Pinehurst Road, appeared before magistrates yesterday and indicated no plea, but said that he would like it dealt with
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Pollution allegation
THE Environment Agency is taking Thames Water to court over allegations the company polluted the River Ray in Swindon, killing thousands of fish at Pipers Way. The agency alleges that Thames water was responsible for discharging untreated sewage into
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Remand in custody
A 32-year-old man accused of aggravated burglary has been remanded in custody by a judge at Swindon crown court. Christopher O'Donnell is accused of carrying out the offence in Freshbrook on December 30. He is accused of brandishing a 12in kitchen knife
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Farmers' finest produce available at the market
SWINDON'S farmers' market is to become a regular event. Wiltshire's finest produce will be in town this Friday and then every second Friday of the month throughout the year after town centre bosses decided to make the popular market a monthly event. Products
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Gray outlook!
North Wiltshire MP James GrayNORTH Wiltshire MP James Gray has admitted an experiment to introduce family friendly working hours in the House of Commons has left him with nothing to do during long evenings in London. Under a two-year trial the Commons
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Pub closes as the landlord departs
75529-02THE SEARCH is on for a new landlord for the Royal Oak pub in Old Town. The present landlord and landlady Mike and Stacey Coombes opted for pastures new, meaning that the pub is up for grabs from today. The couple used to run the Toothill Village
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Punishment?
WHEN floods hit the USA during the Iraq war, Islamic clerics crowed that Allah was punishing the USA for that. Now, by logical process, Allah has just punished the muslim world much more severely. Perhaps the clerics will explain this? J UTTING Swindon
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Special cause
HOW dare G Scott (EA, Your Views, Fri Jan 7) assume that the Tsunami tragedy is any old cause. Thousands of people have lost their lives including mummies, daddies, sons and daughters and lots of other family members. How can you not show your compassion
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Re-Connect
CONGRATULATIONS to SMASH for securing funding for their mentoring scheme for young people (Adver Sat Jan 8). In Swindon young people and their families also have another service they might like to use. Re-Connect is a mediation service where young people
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We must help the vulnerable
AS I approach the evening of my life there is one specific area of concern that has yet to be openly faced and resolved for us all. That is: our right to die naturally? The pro-euthanasia lobby make their decisions while they are supremely fit and healthy
