Archive
-
Date
Restaurant review - Red or White, Trowbridge
DESCRIBING Red or White is proving a bit of a challenge the best I can say is that it is unique. Moving to Wiltshire from Cornwall just a couple of months ago, I thought I'd seen everything in the hip, minimalist category of restaurant. But Red or White
-
Date
Pub restaurant review - The Bell, Bowden Hill, near Lacock
"Blinding!"After we finished our third course at The Bell at Bowden Hill, near Lacock, this statement from my pal Big Dan summed up how we all felt about the top scoff we'd just enjoyed. A team-mate of mine at Devizes Rugby Club, the big fella, had taken
-
Date
Proud Nicola is named princess for the annual carnival
76903-37JUDGES had a hard time picking this year's Wootton Bassett carnival princess. They said the standard was one of the highest ever, but eventually settled on a winner 12-year-old Nicola Georgiou. The Wootton Bassett School pupil was selected from
-
Date
Aid for divorcees
A LAW firm with offices in Swindon is offering a new approach to dealing with divorce. And Thring Townsend has one of the first lawyers in the country to be trained in the new process, called Collaborative Law. It seeks to do away with the confrontational
-
Date
Only three units left on new industrial estate
AN industrial estate in Stratton is fulfilling its promise of success with only three units out of the original 21 available. Construction of the Equity Trade Centre in Hobley Drive began just over a year ago and now just three units remain without lease
-
Date
Warning over cyber crimes
DEVIOUS cyber-criminals are costing British businesses almost £2.5 billion pounds a year. E-crime is the committing of traditional crimes through electronic means and, according to new statistics from the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit, the impact of this
-
Date
Another hold-up
MOTORISTS were held up in Wootton Bassett when traffic lights in the High Street stopped working. The temporary lights failed yesterday morning, causing a tailback to Coped Hall and down the High Street. An engineer was called out to deal with the problem
-
Date
Head-turning Toledo
SEAT makes a serious move up in the world with the third-generation Toledo. While the last model, launched seven years ago, was a genuine step up in style and build quality and was a cracking car to drive, it never had that ability to stand out from the
-
Date
Size isn't everything
DAVID says: Do you want to buy a 4x4? No problem, there are literally dozens on the market. You do not want anything jungle-crushingly massive and your absolute limit is £30,000. Still not a problem. By my reckoning there are still 21 glitzy, compact,
-
Date
Bouncing baby Beemer
DAVID says: Prestige carmakers have a couple of choices if they want to attract new buyers to their marque. They can either produce cut-price versions of an existing model in the hope that people will be prepared to give up some of the goodies in the
-
Date
Breeding hell at the sanctuary
76883-28AN ANIMAL sanctuary owner is facing an uphill task. He is trying to prevent bunnies breeding like rabbits. John Warwick, the owner of the Swindon and District Animal Haven in Wootton Bassett, believes that pet owners should prevent their rabbits
-
Date
Film review - Sahara (12A)
WHILE it has pretensions to be a cross between Indiana Jones and the recent Mummy films, Sahara is a slice of silly fun. It's when it tries to add James Bond to the mix that the belief we were prepared to suspend drops to the floor with a loud crash.
-
Date
Marching orders
Sue Stebbings on the STOP March 76905-273The people of Swindon took to the streets to protest against plans which they say could destroy their town. Hundreds of protesters gathered at Faringdon Park during the STOP March, reports Diana Milne. THEY couldn't
-
Date
Keeping the crafts alive
76913-05A TASTE of traditional country life was on offer in Swindon. Visitors to the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery took a step back in time and got back to basics. Wood-turning and lace-making demonstrations were held and people were given the chance
-
Date
Cheating tax man ordered to pay back £63,909
Richard BakerDISGRACED tax inspector Richard Baker has been told to pay back almost £64,000 of his ill-gotten gains or face another two years behind bars. The 38-year-old Inland Revenue worker siphoned off hundreds of thousands of pounds for himself over
-
Date
Bassett so close to victory
Wootton Bassett narrowly lost 20-16 to league leaders Bournemouth in a Southern Counties South championship deciding game on Saturday at Stoneover Lane. In a game that Bassett really needed to win to secure a play-off spot, it was the visitors that opened
-
Date
Cruise for Corsham
CORSHAM cruised to a 3-0 win against Torrington to strengthen their grip on third place in the Screwfix Premier. Alan Griffin, Jon Eldred and Ryan Bush scored the goals. Devizes banished fears of relegation with a 1-0 win over Keynsham, while Calne won
-
Date
Crucial point for Marine at Bromsgrove
Supermarine have notched up 12 draws this season but Saturday's stalemate with promotion chasing Bromsgrove must be the most important, writes Leigh Moore. Marine put in a gutsy performance to shut out the attacking prowess of their higher placed opponents
-
Date
Westlecott end Castle Combe run
Castle Combe, looking to go through the season undefeated in Wilts Junior Division Two, finally met their match when they were beaten 6-1 on their own ground by Westlecott United, writes RAY BURROUGHS. A delighted Westlecott manager James Lovell said:
-
Date
Justin time
JUSTIN MILLER scored the most timely goal of his career to keep Highworth on course for the Hellenic Premier crown. The striker pounced in stoppage time to seal a dramatic 2-1 win for the league leaders over local rivals Fairford. With closest challengers
-
Date
Staff aim to win trip
STAFF at a Swindon firm have entered an unusual competition. The workers at fireplace retailer Blazes, in Cricklade Road, Gorse Hill, will be trying to guess where Phil Mitchell from EastEnders is hiding. The actor left the BBC soap when his character
-
Date
Daring 70s
ARE you Swindon's most daredevil 70-year-old? Vitamin firm Seven Seas is launching a search to find the most extreme 70-year old in the country as part of its 70th birthday celebrations. The winner will be the guest of honour at the Seven Seas birthday
-
Date
Studio is all set to open
YOUNG people in Swindon will be able to use a new dance studio. The Parks Youth and Sports Centre, at Marlowe Avenue, is launching the studio on April 21, which will be open to any youngsters in east Swindon. They will practise DJ-ing skills and dance
-
Date
Wrigglers celebrate
A PARENT and toddler group in Abbey Meads has celebrated its first birthday. The group, called Wrigglers, was set up by Lisa Hume and Alison Carr who, after having their own babies, realised that other groups had long waiting lists for people who wanted
-
Date
Builder is sent to jail
SWINDON builder Geoffrey Gee has been jailed for three months for perverting the course of justice. Gee, 55, of Cricklade Road, passed on his brother's name to police after being stopped driving his car and gave the address of their parents where he was
-
Date
Plea for help to catch offenders
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man was followed by a gang and hit in the face in an unprovoked attack. The victim was walking down Drove Road at 11.30pm on Friday when the group of seven teenagers approached him. He ignored them and kept on
-
Date
Pushchair dad injured on road
A DAD was hit by a car as he crossed the road pushing his son's pushchair. The man, from Penhill, was crossing the road in Blunsdon near the entrance to the Countrywide Store in Lady Lane when he was struck at about 11.15am yesterday. He sustained minor
-
Date
Dr knows best
DOCTOR Who is helping in the hunt to find a cure for cancer. Actor Christopher Eccleston, pictured, who plays the time lord in the BBC series, is launching a fund-raising campaign to help medical research into beating the disease. Eccleston, 41, has recorded
-
Date
Woman faces an assault trial
A 34-year-old woman is to face trial by jury after pleading not guilty to a string of assaults. Joanne Sloly is accused of wounding Barry Davies with intent on June 30 last year. She is also charged with unlawful wounding and common assault on the same
-
Date
Jenson joins party
FORMULA One racing driver Jenson Button, was in Swindon helping friends celebrate. The 25-year-old, who became Britain's youngest Formula One driver in 2002, was in The Spot in Old Town yesterday evening. Button, who was born in Frome but now lives in
-
Date
Row on bus led to racial abuse
TWO women racially abused a passenger on a bus, telling him to go home and stop wasting their taxes. Lucy Bailey, 19 and Amber Davis, 21, both of Branksome Road, Moredon, pleaded guilty at Swindon Magistrates' Court to charges of racial abuse. The court
-
Date
Rare recordings of radio show are uncovered
76899-10A LITTLE piece of radio history has been found tucked away in Swindon. Tapes of BBC Radio 4's cult serial The Archers, dating back to 1977, have been discovered at BBC Radio Swindon. Broadcast assistant Gerry Hughes stumbled across the reel-to-reel
-
Date
Polls differ on Labour's lead
ELECTION '05: Labour is heading for General Election victory, according to the results of opinion polls published yesterday. But the surveys offer widely different estimates of the extent of its lead, as the parties square up for the first week of full-scale
-
Date
Candidates quizzed on the Iraq war
ELECTION '05: ELECTION candidates will be quizzed on the war in Iraq at a meeting two days before polling day. Swindon Stop The War Coalition has organised the meeting, which will be chaired by former Swindon MP Lord Stoddart. It will allow members of
-
Date
Units are empty
I FAIL to see the logic in building more warehouse units on the triangle off the 419 when, on the opposite side of the road on the South Marston Industrial Estate, there are units which have been empty for a long time. It would spoil the area and walking
-
Date
Ignorant view
IN response to the story in Thursday's paper about footballers. I would like to point out that people who know nothing about the game should keep their opinions to themselves. All Mrs Tompkins did was show her ignorance. As a Newcastle United supporter
-
Date
Walkers in fear of hunt
On Saturday, March 26 my husband I and our German Shepherd went to Notgrove, near Bourton On The Water, and were trying to find Guiting Power Woods. We missed the parking in Guiting Power but spotted a sign that said Wardens Way which looked ideal a bridleway
-
Date
Make jails tougher to halt addicts
IT was not until I had finished reading the letter from Andy Newman in which he set out his idea on dealing with the drug problem that I realised that the date was in fact April 1. If the matter was not so serious his letter would be in contention for
-
Date
Decision time!
A REBUILDING job gets underway at the County Ground this week with Andy King preparing to tell his players who's in and who's out. Saturday's lifeless 2-1 defeat by Walsall killed the play-off dream and the manager felt uncertainty over individuals' respective
-
Date
Red tape costs hit MS therapy
SOARING levels of red tape are hitting a Warminster charity and bosses fear for its survival. New charges brought in by the Government are threatening the Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre, in The Avenue, which offers state-of-the-art treatment to sufferers
-
Date
Turning Chinese?
AFTER the collapse of talks to save MG Rover, Chinese motor giant Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation is considering plans to build Rover cars in China. SAIC purchased the rights to build the Rover 75, pictured, the Rover 25 and the K-series engine
-
Date
Recruiters want to find parents
A recruitment consultancy is harnessing the potential of parents in order to benefit businesses. Swindon and Bath-based SJC Recruitment is looking to recruit more parents as it says they come armed with many skills and qualities that companies seek. Sara
-
Date
VW Golf GTI: The badge is back
DAVID says: The pinnacle of achievement for any brand is for a product's name to become a generic term. Think Biro for ballpoint pen, Hoover for vacuum cleaner and JCB for mechanical excavator. For hot hatch think Golf GTI. I was a fresh-faced, motorcycle-riding
-
Date
Breeding hell at the sanctuary
76883-28AN ANIMAL sanctuary owner is facing an uphill task. He is trying to prevent bunnies breeding like rabbits. John Warwick, the owner of the Swindon and District Animal Haven in Wootton Bassett, believes that pet owners should prevent their rabbits
-
Date
Volvo's third way
DAVID says: Men hurtling towards a mid-life crisis have an unfortunate habit of opting either for a mistress or a motorcycle. Both can be relied on to provide instant thrills, but share the disadvantage of being potentially dangerous and more expensive
-
Date
Film review - Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (12A)
Having successfully thwarted a terrorist attack at the Miss United States Pageant, tomboy FBI agent Gracie Hart (Bullock) has become the darling of the media. When Gracie's new found fame jeopardises her undercover work, and her relationship with her
-
Date
Meet the famous five
ELECTION '05: In our series leading up to the election, we look at the North Swindon area and its candidates. The battleground is growing and changing but has it changed enough to alter its political colour? IN 23 days North Swindon's 73,636 voters will
-
Date
Tragic end to a ride home
TEENAGER Stephen Heaps was getting a lift home with his boss when he was killed in a motorbike accident, police have revealed. The 18-year-old from Toothill was riding pillion on the motorbike when it was in collision with a car on Great Western Way on
-
Date
Couple feel like royalty
76906-443WHILE Charles and Camilla were saying their vows, a Swindon couple were doing the same. Kate Ireson, 25, became Mrs Liffen on Saturday when she tied the knot with 30-year-old Darren. The wedding took place at St Phillip's Church, in Upper Stratton
-
Date
Breeding hell at the sanctuary
76883-28AN ANIMAL sanctuary owner is facing an uphill task. He is trying to prevent bunnies breeding like rabbits. John Warwick, the owner of the Swindon and District Animal Haven in Wootton Bassett, believes that pet owners should prevent their rabbits
-
Date
Car dealer guilty of trading fraud
Stephen RogersCar dealer Stephen Rogers cheated suppliers out of more than £100,000 by trading after his company had gone bust. But the 41-year-old managing director has escaped jail after a judge at Swindon Crown Court suspended his 15-month prison term
-
Date
'Mr Howard, you are a nuisance...'
76896-289A PURTON man has reported the leader of the Conservative party as a nuisance caller. Maurice Card, 60, was sitting at home in Vasterne Close looking forward to watching Liverpool play Juventus in the Champions' League when he was interrupted
-
Date
Pensioners scoop £9m lottery jackpot
A GROUP of 24 pensioners from Swindon have hit the jackpot by winning £9.42m in the National Lottery. The delighted syndicate from Margaret Matthews Court a sheltered housing complex in St Albans Close, Rodbourne, scooped the massive win in Saturday's
-
Date
Westlecot go out in semis
WESTLECOT made a brave bid for glory in the national fours competition but lost out in the semi-finals. The rink of Mel Biggs, Jamie Titcombe, Mark Dyer and Neil Hope were beaten 26-15 at the English Indoor Bowling Association headquarters in Melton Mowbray
-
Date
Swindon finish with a flourish
Swindon were crowned Southern Counties North champions after an impressive 65-0 win away at third- placed Drifters. Eleven tries, including a hat trick for skipper Paul Wakefield, ensured the league title in style and dashed any hopes Drifters had of
-
Date
Plan perfect prom
SCHOOL proms are fast becoming a tradition and, to help with preparations, Hreod Parkway Parent Teacher Association will be hosting a prom fair and fashion show at the school on Thursday. Companies will be on hand to offer advice on prom gowns, menswear
-
Date
It's time for you to rhyme
BUDDING poets are being called to write about the sprit of Swindon. The Swindon Learning Partnership is running its poetry competition in association with the Festival Of Literature. They are looking for poems which express the feelings, visions, and
-
Date
Pupils are in need of escorts
SWINDON Council is looking for people who can help children to get to and from school safely. They want to recruit escorts who can travel on school runs, with children who have special needs. Transport will be provided to and from the escort's home. There
-
Date
Thief told he faces jail term
A MOBILE phone thief has been warned he could be jailed. Cameron Galloway has been remanded in custody after admitting robbing a man of his phone in Swindon. The 26-year-old from Gorse Hill, who struck on March 30, also made off with his victim's MP3
-
Date
The best of Billie
BILLIE Piper, is planning to release a greatest hits album. The Swindon-born singer and actress is set to release the album in June. It comes as the 22-year-old's profile has rocketed since starring with Christopher Eccleston as Rose in the BBCs new series
-
Date
Guide reveals green secrets
NATURE For All, a Swindon Council initiative, has launched a guidebook called Swindon's Green Secret. The book contains photographs of all Swindon's nature reserves, including close-ups of wildlife by the photographer Laurie Campbell. Among the sites
-
Date
Sentence to stand rulingby judge
A TEENAGE thug whose single cowardly punch led to serious brain damage for a young Australian has failed in an Appeal Court bid to have his three-year sentence cut. Jamie Baldwin, 19, of Rolleston Street, Swindon, was jailed at Swindon Crown Court in
-
Date
M4 signs hit by fault
POLICE patrols were needed to keep an eye on the M4 through Wiltshire after a major fault knocked out all the hazard signs. The failure in the central matrix system between Membury Services and junction 18 at Bath meant no advance warning could be given
-
Date
Still top of the pops
SEVENTIES crooner Tony Christie and comic Peter Kay clung to the top spot in UK singles chart. Their Comic Relief remake of the 1971 classic Is This The Way To Amarillo? has remained at number one for the fourth week.
-
Date
£2,000 raised to aid charity
PUPILS at Windmill Hill School, in Freshbrook, have raised nearly £2,000 for the Children With Leukaemia charity. The children took part in a treasure hunt challenge. They had to collect 26 items on a list from around the school and were sponsored for
-
Date
Time is right for a protest
EVERY three seconds a child dies as a result of poverty. That was the message a group of 100 campaigners wanted to get across in Swindon. And they used the Jubilee clock in the town centre to make their point. They met up on Saturday to make a human ring
-
Date
Fans enjoy a mini adventure
76909-63YOU could have been mistaken for thinking you had stumbled across a scene from The Italian Job. A convoy of six classic Mini cars set off from Gorse Hill yesterday on a sponsored trip around the Cotswolds. Peggy-Sue Ford organised the event to
-
Date
More consultation needed on school changes
THERE has been a lot of concern recently about the proposed changes to primary schools in West Swindon, particularly Freshbrook and Grange Park, brought about by the falling school rolls. Further consultation is required to work with parents, governors
-
Date
Talk will deal with threats
I FEEL I must respond to G Alexander's letter, (EA March 25), which attributes me with a vivid imagination. If only that were so! It seems he has missed the message I tried to convey; for that I apologise. My letter followed Andy Newman's letter (EA March
-
Date
Coach backsMears' claims
Bath coach John Connolly backed the claims of uncapped hooker Lee Mears as a possible wildcard selection for this summer's Lions Tour to New Zealand. Lions boss Sir Clive Woodward will announce his 44-man squad today, and the hooking position is a potential
