Archive
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Take a fascinating trip through time
Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre in the Market Place celebrates the town's rich and diverse history. As Chippenham has grown over the past ten years, the heritage centre has served as a focus for a growing fascination and pride in the town's 6,000
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History of the oldest borough
Malmesbury's origins date back to the sixth century and it is the oldest borough in England, with a charter given by Alfred the Great around 880. Malmesbury Abbey's founder, Maidulph, died in 675. At this time Aldhelm, a Saxon by birth, took over the
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Diners have a wealth of choice
The Angel Hotel in Market PlaceWhen it comes to eating out in the Chippenham area, the diner is spoilt for choice. Whether you are looking for a cosy pub lunch, a classy dinner out or a tasty ethnic meal, Chippenham and its surrounding villages have plenty
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New look at a historic abbey
The 12th century Malmesbury Abbey is undergoing a faceliftA monastery was first established on the site of Malmesbury Abbey around 676, but the present building dates from the 12th century. During the next two centuries the building was expanded but in
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Long and distinguished past
The Western Arches are Grade II* ListedChippenham is a market town with a long and diverse history, back to Neolithic times. The Chippenham area has been inhabited for at least 6,000 years, according to evidence unearthed by local archaeologists. An excavation
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Talented musicians and all that jazz
Malmesbury Jazz Festival was started in 1996 by the Malmesbury Jazz Society. It was founded on the request of North Wiltshire District Council which wanted to start a festival in Malmesbury. They asked the jazz society, who have organised jazz gigs in
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Wonderful white horses
The White Horse at CherhillPeople living in Wiltshire have taken advantage of the chalk downland to commemorate an event by cutting out a figure on a prominent escarpment, allowing the underlying calcium carbonate to show. The eight Wiltshire White Horses
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Take a step back to the rock'n'roll era
Little Richard appeared at the Eddie Cochran Festival last yearThe rock'n'roll era of the 1950s is brought back to life every year at the three-day Eddie Cochran Festival in Chippenham. Collectors bring their cars and costumes to relive the glory days
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Art that is out of this world
IF you are near Devizes between April and September, chances are you could see at least one of those amazing formations that appear in arable fields known as crop circles. Every year for almost 20 years, investigators from all over the world have descended
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Motorola expands
MOTOROLA has announced the creation of a dedicated 3G mobile phone design centre in Basingstoke. The company's mobile devices business will be deploying existing employees to the centre as well as creating new engineering and product development jobs.
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Two new arrivals
TWO new firms have moved into Stanton Court in South Marston (pictured). Poise Associates which sells cash and till systems for shops have taken out a ten-year lease having moved from Old Town. V12, a telecommunications firm moving from Cirencester, has
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Don't get real designing offices and shops
THE future of office planning and design lies on a computer. That's the message from Wootton Bassett graphic designer Paul Hocking, who runs Virtual Solutions. Paul started the company in August and has worked with Nationwide, Edmont Joinery in Swindon
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Beware rogue invoices scam
TWO small garden businesses say they are being plagued by what they believe are scam phonecalls and have warned others to be careful. Jason Reeves, of Dean Street, has run Pond Services and Hands For Hire in and around Swindon for about two years. This
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Tesco staff check out a nice little earner
Tesco staff in Swindon are quids in they are among workers to receive a share in a multi-million pound thank you for investing in a company share scheme. Staff who invested in the five-year Save as You Earn share scheme saw their money double with the
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Silence on future of another boss
BOSSES at Swindon Council are remaining tight lipped about the future of social services director Keith Skerman. The local authority is refusing to confirm whether he will return, saying that the 51-year-old is still on leave. Speaking at his home in
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Ref off! Ref calls foul play on dad...
A ROW between a police officer parent and a referee led to a children's football match being called off. The youngsters only played one half of the under-15s game between Wroughton and Stratton Juniors on Sunday - before the referee called time. Referee
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Nick's treble in Swindon romp
IMPRESSIVE Swindon edged a step closer to securing the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Premier Division title with a 95-16 massacre of bottom club Thatcham. The visitors ran in 15 tries as they comprehensively buried memories of a defeat to their hosts last season
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McMillan leads rout of Ivel
FOURTEEN-MAN Chippenham returned to South West Two East action with a vengeance as they dismantled Ivel Barbarians 58-21. Following last week's half-century of points against Cooper-Avon in a friendly, the home side made light of the absence of three
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Late try gives Marine that sinking feeling
SWINDON 2nd gained the upper hand in their Dorset & Wilts One North derby at Supermarine as a late score from scrum-half Nuno Pinto-Dias clinched a 10-7 success. In perfect conditions both teams attempted to entertain. But with local pride at stake
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As good as gold
SHRIVENHAM were impressive 4-0 winners at home to Winterbourne and managed to keep 11 men on the field into the bargain. Alan Dyton has seen a succession of his players sent off in recent weeks and called an early pre-match meeting to address the problem
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Late rally extends Corsham run
CORSHAM had to overturn a two-goal defecit to extend their long unbeaten Premier Division run. Nobby Bush's charges trailed at home to Exmouth but Ryan Bush gave Corsham hope with 12 minutes left and Alan Griffin levelled at the death. Devizes suffered
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'Lack of belief' costs Cricklade in cup
HIGHWORTH were given a major scare in the Wiltshire Senior Cup before disposing of Wilts League Cricklade 2-1. The underdogs were 1-0 up at half-time and Highworth had two men sent off, while Cricklade were also reduced to 10 men. But the Hellenic Premier
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Website all setto get your vote
A WEBSITE will answer questions about the county council elections. 'Vote Wiltshire 2005' intends to clarify the election process for voters and candidates. The site has information on registering to vote and explains the procedures and deadlines for
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Drive to recruit more specials
WILTSHIRE police are kicking off a new drive to recruit more special constables throughout the county. It will launch its new recruitment pack next Monday for the drive which runs until March 11 and which will follow a National Specials' Weekend on Saturday
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Gareth pops in to help youngsters
POP Idol Gareth Gates was in Swindon to help people with speech impediments. Gareth, a runner-up in the ITV talent programme Pop Idol was visiting the town with the McGuire programme, a scheme to help people with speech problems solve them through the
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Be a design winner
THERE are now only a few days left to get designs in for the front cover of this year's Old Town Festival programme. Anyone can enter the competition. The winning design of which will feature on more than 1,500 programmes which provide a timetable of
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Stars set for a sky high show
ORGANISERS of the Royal International Air Tattoo have unveiled several star aircraft to appear at the show in July. The show, which will be held at RAF Fairford on July 16 and 17 will feature rare aircraft including two Romanian Mig-21 fighters as well
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Victim in long wait for cash
THE victim of three brutal beatings is still waiting for a compensation payout which could run into thousands of pounds 18 months after the first attack. Nigel Fulcher is at the Great Western Hospital after suffering a fractured jaw and skull, a blood
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Hunts ride in to help the Tories
DOZENS of hunting and shooting enthusiasts are planning to pound the streets of Swindon as part of a campaign to punish Labour at the polls. Riders from the Beaufort, Old Berkshire and Vale of White Horse hunts are preparing to campaign on behalf of Robert
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Landscapes of our parks in spotlight
THE varied landscapes of Britain's national parks will feature in a talk in Swindon on Friday. Mervyn Silver, of the Friends Of National Parks, will be giving the illustrated talk on Britain's best-known areas of natural beauty. He said: "The purpose
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Drink-driving OAP given ban
A PENSIONER was so drunk behind the wheel of his car he twice mounted the kerb and nearly crashed into a pedestrian crossing, a court heard. Robert Guy, 68, of The Grove, Shrivenham, attracted the attention of police officers late on August 29, last year
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Is this right?
THE River Severn Rescue Association applied for a National Lottery Grant recently to replace an aged Land Rover. "No" said the funding committee. The Sheffield Samaritans applied for a grant to continue their vital voluntary work. "No" said the funding
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Poor turnout
I WAS one of the few people who attended the public meeting at Upper Shaw re the council proposal "Improving education provision in West Swindon". West Swindon is being offered a real opportunity to shape its future, although the proposal is far from
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Praise comes from surprising quarter
IT came as a shock to read MJ Warner's letter heaping lavish praise on Conservative governments of the 80s and 90s. Those years were certainly a time of progress and growth. We are more used to his peevish criticism of Tory successes. We had a sensible
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Injury-hit England looking to Bell
Duncan Bell appears on the verge of an England call-up just three months after being told he could not play for Wales. Bath prop Bell looks set to answer an SOS from England boss Andy Robinson after the world champions' injury jinx returned with a vengeance
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Mick's Just the Job
MICK HARFORD was expected to be followed into the County Ground today by Rotherham United striker Michael Proctor. The former Nottingham Forest boss was unveiled as the new assistant manager yesterday and Andy King dropped a heavy hint that it wasn't
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Herring keeps Bluebirds top
IAN Herring's second-half penalty was enough to beat King's Lynn and extend Chippenham's leadership of the Premier Division. The former Swindon Town youngster, pictured, coolly dispatched the spot-kick after all hell broke loose on the hour. Sam Allison
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It's like any other game for Chalky
TO more than a thousand fans, tonight's showdown between Bath City and Chippenham is the highlight of the non-League calendar. To Bluebirds boss Steve White it's just another stepping stone to silverware. The in-form Southern League leaders will arrive
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Bowood offers fun for all ages
Bowood House is a magnificent Georgian mansion set in 2,000 acres of landscaped gardens and grounds. An architectural gem set in gardens designed by Capability Brown, Bowood is an ideal destination for the visitor seeking history, tranquillity, beauty
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Abbey is the crown jewel
Rural North Wiltshire is blessed with a host of picturesque villages but the National Trust village Lacock is the jewel in the crown. Film makers have flocked to the village, keen to make use of its unspoilt appearance to recreate a vision of England's
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Scene of viking battles
The Vikings storm Chippenham High StreetThe Vikings raided Chippenham in the 9th century and possessed the town for a time before King Alfred the Great and the Battle of Edington. Chippenham played a pivotal role in the conflict between the Saxons and
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Tourists are spoilt for choice
Corsham Court a film settingVisitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to looking for somewhere to visit in North Wiltshire. Half an hour's drive from ancient Avebury and Silbury Hill to the east, and half an hour's drive from Georgian Bath to the west
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Useful phone numbers
Chippenham Police Station: (01249) 654455 Hathaway Surgery: (01249) 447766 Rowden Surgery: (01249) 444343 Lodge Surgery: (01249) 660667 Chippenham Town Council: (01249) 446699 Corsham Town Council: (01249) 702130 Malmesbury Town Council: (01666) 822143
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Calendar 2005
March 24-28: Chippenham Children's Easter Egg Trail organised by Chippenham Town Council in the town centre. March 1220: Corsham Film Festival May 58: Badminton Horse Trials May 19: Gardeners Roadshow Chippenham Market Place. May 27-30: Chippenham Folk
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Folk festival takes over the town
In May every year, Chippenham hosts a spectacular and colourful folk festival, drawing thousands of people from across Britain and beyond. For over 30 years, the three-day event has brought folk musicians, dancers and Morris sides into the town for a
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Kwik-Fit's £1b value
KWIK-FIT, the car parts and repair chain, would be worth up to £1 billion if it were auctioned off. CVC Capital, which acquired the business from US motor giant Ford in 2002, is thought to be ready to appoint financial advisors. There are Kwik-Fit branches
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Stars set for a sky high show
ORGANISERS of the Royal International Air Tattoo have unveiled several star aircraft to appear at the show in July. The show, which will be held at RAF Fairford on July 16 and 17 will feature rare aircraft including two Romanian Mig-21 fighters as well
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Rat run drivers abuse bus lane
drivers who use Ferndale Road as a rat run are warned they could face a fine if they continue to ignore police warnings. Motorists are being told that they are breaking the law to drive through the bus lane rather than using nearby Great Western Way.
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It's time for a fresh approach
Simon BirchSWINDON'S chief council officer has quit because he believes the town needs a fresh approach. Secret papers, released exclusively to the Adver, revealed that chief executive Simon Birch had resigned after two years in the job. In spite of helping
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Shah golf club tees up expansion
A WOOTTON Bassett golf club looks set for expansion after development plans got the backing of the town council. A new nine-hole course is planned at the Wiltshire Golf and Country Club. The club owned by former newspaper magnate Eddy Shah intends to
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Merger 'would raise standard'
Nick Letchet at Swindon CollegeSWINDON'S two colleges have revealed plans to merge creating just one college for over 16-year-olds in the town. New College and Swindon College are putting together a proposal, which will have to be approved by the Government's
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'We kept our word,' says Conservative leader
Council leader Mike BawdenTHE most vulnerable people in society will suffer as a result of Swindon Council's latest budget, according to opposition coun-cillors. The council last night set a council tax rise of three per cent as they promised but came
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Taps opened on water bills hike
76166-13RESIDENTS in Swindon are to be hit with an 18 per cent increase in their water bills for 2005-6 and a 24 per cent rise over the next five years. The price hike is way above the national average of 11 per cent and will see this year's average Swindon
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Bassett rise to the summit
WOOTTON Bassett seized control of Southern Counties South with a 26-20 victory at Sherborne, flanker Tim Gallimore running the show. The visitors went a point clear at the summit as previous leaders Frome were thumped 31-0 at Bournemouth, who moved up
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Leaders held in stalemate
Junior One leaders Down Ampney were held to a 0-0 draw by Ferndale Rodbourne and Westside moved to within three points of second-placed Wroughton after their 1-0 win over Stratton Rovers Dave Rendell scoring. Blyskawica were the day's highest scorers
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College hopes in the balance
New College's 2-1 defeat at Bromham could have ruined the Premier Division title chances of the Swindon side. In a tight first 45 minutes a header from Bromham skipper Tom Paget was all that separated the sides at the break. Bromham added a second from
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In-form Bassett denied by late penalty
Wootton Bassett sneaked a credible point at North Leigh though it would have been all three but for a last-minute penalty. A 2-2 draw extends the Premier Division strugglers' unbeaten run to four matches. Chris Jones' men battled back from a goal down
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Dyton's disciplined troops put Winterbourne to sword
BAD boys Shrivenham cleaned up their act and duly wiped the floor with Winterbourne. The Hellenic One West challengers had received five red cards in their previous two fixtures but manager Alan Dyton laid down the law with a pre-match pep talk and the
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Marine slipping after derby loss
It's becoming apparent that Supermarine players just don't like the easy life, writes LEIGH MOORE. A poor performance at local rivals Oxford City on Saturday saw Marine slip to just above the relegation zone, with a scrap to avoid the drop now looming
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Town-backed space mission sheds new light on Saturn
A SPACE project, partly funded by the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, in North Star, has found a unique form of aurora on Saturn. The Cassini-Huygens mission, that landed a probe on Saturn's moon Titan, has found the auroras, similar
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Man jailed for theft
A ROW over drugs landed Carl Kilding back in prison after he stole a mobile phone from a crack cocaine addict. The 32-year-old, who was free on licence after serving half of a three-year sentence for burglary, was returned to prison for seven months.
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Dance boosts trip to Lourdes
A DANCE organised to help disabled children make a pilgrimage to Lourdes has raised £1,600 towards the trip. The Pilgrimage Trust takes children to the shrine in France and then for a holiday in the area. The dance took place at the Thistle Hotel on Saturday
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Protests over hostel plan
MORE than 170 people are objecting to plans to make a homeless hostel in Nythe permanent. St Ives Court in Tyneham Road was a sheltered housing scheme for the elderly but since 1991 a series of temporary permissions have allowed it to operate as a hostel
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Fans urged to book up to catch train to the final
FOOTBALL fans heading for Cardiff for the Carling Cup final on Sunday are urged to plan their trip. Swindon-based train operator First Great Western is running extra services between London Paddington and Cardiff on the day of the final on Sunday, but
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Shoppers are target of theft
TWO Wootton Bassett shoppers were victims of a handbag thief on market day. A woman had the contents of her bag, valued at £65, stolen while shopping at the weekly High Street market. Sergeant Andy Fortune, of the town's police, said: "She placed her
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Council workers may strike over pensions
PUBLIC sector union leader Dave Prentis has written to every local government member in England, Wales and Scotland urging them to vote yes in the pension strike ballot. The first proposed strike day is scheduled for March 23. Mr Prentis, leader of Unison
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Graves to make way for homes
GRAVES in a disused Highworth burial ground could be moved to make way for a sheltered housing project. Bristol-based developer, McCarthy and Stone plans to build a sheltered housing complex of 48 homes on land adjacent to the Vorda Works on Brewery Street
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Tragic road overhaul is in pipeline
MEASURES to improve safety along a notorious stretch of road in Swindon will soon be unveiled and they are expected to spark controversy. Proposals for Pinehurst Road will go on display at a public meeting which Swindon Council hopes to hold in the spring
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Spending 20p
IT IS odd a disabled toilet has appeared between the Mailcoach and Wilkinsons, 20p if you are taken short! Has this set the precedent for all toilets in Swindon? One is given to understand it will be the council's policy to shut all public toilets hardly
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Meet old pals
THIS is an appeal for serving or ex-serving crew members of H M Destroyers to join the 8th Destroyer Association. As can be seen from the title, membership was originally limited to those who served in the 8th D S in the far east but has now been opened
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Maths bid does not compute
With reference to the article "Head figures on maths academy" (Friday, January 21). It amazes me how Mr Fleet proposes to "create the first specialist maths, science and computer school in Swindon''. Both my children have attended Hreod Parkway School
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Howard's way just not British
I RECENTLY read an enlightening article called "From Transylvania to Smith Square." The article described the immigration of Bernat Hecht, Michael Howard's father, who, in the 1930s escaped the fascist round-up of Jews in Romania. In the words of Mr Howard
