Archive
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A starring role for Rourke
Swindon began the 2005 league season in fine style with a 34-run victory over Redmarley. Darren Rourke once again made significant contributions with both bat and ball however it was a good all-round performance by John Baden's side and augers well for
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VE Day parade pays tribute
ROYAL British Legion and ex-Service Association standards fluttered proudly in the breeze as Salisbury and district paid homage to its Second World War dead at a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of VE Day on Sunday. The Guildhall Square event was
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Mayor will "involve public more"
INVOLVING the public more in the affairs of Amesbury will be one of the aims of new town mayor Councillor John Noeken. Mr Noeken was presented with his chain of office by outgoing mayor, Councillor Jan Swindlehurst, at the council's annual meeting last
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Malmesbury miss out
Malmesbury were defeated by Rockhampton in a low scoring match. Malmesbury batted first but both openers Ed Shellard and Richard Mosdell went cheaply in the opening overs and then faced with an accurate double-pronged spin attack the middle order never
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Tsunami work helps orphans rebuild lives
DEDICATED fundraisers who have devoted themselves to helping survivors of the tsunami have returned from Sri Lanka. Two Salisbury charities were established to improve the lives of people who lost everything when the waves struck. Clare Allen Crook, who
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Portrait tipped to sell for £1m
AN oil painting of a 1920s Codford St Mary society beauty is expected to fetch around £1m when it is auctioned at Christie's in London at the end of next week. The picture, titled Miss Ruth Brady On Bugle Call, is by one of Britain's most outstanding
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Mayor sets out his priorities
THE new Mayor of Wilton, Ivan Seviour, has outlined his priorities for the town in the year ahead. The future of the Wilton Middle School site, the state of the town's roads and keeping residents informed about how their council tax is being spent are
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Campaigners get pub back
AFTER two years of campaigning to keep their pub from closing down, residents of the Paul's Dene area of Salisbury celebrated the reopening of their local in style over the weekend. From the moment the doors of the Butt of Ale opened at 6pm on Friday,
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Meet the man with the golden coach
SWINDON holidaymakers will be travelling in style this summer with the launch of the £250,000 gold service coach by Bakers Dolphin. The gold-liveried Volvo is currently being put through its paces with specialist driver training and test runs, and has
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Joe has started so he hopes to finish
BRAINBOX Joseph Hand faced some tough questioning in the famous black chair when he took part in Junior Mastermind. The 11-year-old answered two minutes of quick-fire questions on his specialist subject the Famous Five Books by Enid Blyton and also tackled
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House prices slow to rise
HOUSE prices in Swindon rose by more than £20 a day last year, according to figures from the Land Registry. The Registry's records show that in 2004 the average home in the town went up from £147,165 to £155,169. While that may seem good news for homeowners
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Tory victories keep County Hall blue
TRIUMPHANT Tories won eight of the 13 seats up for grabs in Salisbury and district last week, on their way to retaining control of Wiltshire county council. Their only casualty in the council elections locally was William Snow, cabinet member for education
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High-tech signs will ease pain of parking
SIGNS are being installed around Salisbury to help drivers find parking spaces quickly and easily. High-tech variable message signs are being installed to show real-time information about the availability of spaces, and improvements to direction signing
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Vandalism rife in country park
Purton Road BridgeIT used to be an area of natural beauty, a place of tranquillity, where people could go to relax. But now Mouldon Hill Country Park in West Swindon is a scene of devastation after becoming a target of vandals and graffiti artists. Steve
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Success for White Horse
WHITE Horse junior football club experienced mixed success at last weekend's 5-a-side tournaments. The Calne-based club were represented at the Trowbridge tournament by the Under 7s, Under 8s and Under 9s and Under 11s. The Under 11s reached the semi-finals
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Ex-Town player is charged
FORMER Swindon Town star George Ndah is to appear in court charged with speeding on the M4. Ndah who is worth more than £1.5m is alleged to have been zapped travelling at more than 70mph between junction 16 Swindon West and 17 at Chippenham. The 30-year-old
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'I just love living here' says Mel
SWINDON'S Melinda Messenger loves her home town so much she cannot tear herself away. The former Page Three girl has admitted she considered moving closer to London for work but could not bear to leave Wiltshire. She was speaking to the Advertiser as
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Beaten man has surgery on face
POLICE are hunting men who had a fight at about 9pm on Sunday. The fracas involved three to four men in the Queens Drive and Russell Walk area of Walcot. The fight resulted in a man suffering facial fractures, swelling and bruising. He was undergoing
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Motiveless attack on man outside nightclub
Swindon Police are appealing for information following an assault. At approximately 2am on Sunday a 25-year-old man was approached by a group of about eight to 10 men in Hoopers Place, Old Town, outside the Studio Nightclub, while he was waiting for a
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Vandalism rife in country park
Purton Road BridgeIT used to be an area of natural beauty, a place of tranquillity, where people could go to relax. But now Mouldon Hill Country Park in West Swindon is a scene of devastation after becoming a target of vandals and graffiti artists. Steve
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Boy loses his boot souvenir
Fraser Joyce Picture Ref: 77375-04A DEVOTED Swindon Town fan was mugged on his way home from the team's final game on Saturday. Fourteen-year-old Fraser Joyce, of Harcourt Road, had gone to the game especially to see if he could get hold of something
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Give your views on GWH plans
THE public is being asked to give opinions on designs for new mental health facilities at the Great Western Hospital. A two-week consultation period when people can make comments on the designs began on Monday and will end at noon on Monday, May 23. The
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Teenager threatened and robbed
A TEENAGER had a bike and wallet stolen after he was threatened with violence. At about 5.50pm on Monday, a 16-year-old boy was walking through Rushy Platt Nature Reserve with his brother's black and yellow mountain bike, when he was approached by a man
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Meet the people who make the Advertiser sing
MEET our hotshot reporters and advertising staff during a special week to mark the success of local papers. Local Newspaper Week, which runs from May 16-22, celebrates the healthy state of the regional press. This success is enjoyed by the Evening Advertiser
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Exercise is a firm favourite
Npower CEO Andrew Duff with run organiser Zoe Eccleston Picture Ref: 77369-8EMPLOYEES at a Swindon-based company joined their boss on a three-mile fun-run. Andrew Duff, the chief executive officer of RWE npower, took part in the run in Lydiard Park along
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Taxi driver fined for flashing lights
A MOTORIST illegally forced a father-of-three to pull over on the A419 by using flashing lights, a court heard. Adrian Moore, of Scarlet Close, Swindon, appeared before Cirencester magistrates to face charges of harassment and using flashing lights. Moore
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Tories get new deputy leader
Roderick Bluh the new deputy leader Picture Ref: 77373-3IT'S all change at Swindon Council except at the very top. Both the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups on the council have elected new leaders and, as reported in the late edition of yesterday's
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Man, 70, to cycle 700 miles to help raise money for hospice
AN ADVENTUROUS 70-year-old cyclist, who has raised more than £50,000 for the Prospect Hospice since 1998, is embarking on a 700-mile bike ride through the Czech Republic. Martin Vandervelde, who will be accompanied by friends Roger Hayes and Bob Chittinden
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It's time for tee
The Newsquest 2 team Picture Ref: 77364-18SWINDON CANCER APPEAL: SWINDON'S big hitters have been getting into a swing of things for the Swindon Cancer Appeal. Fifteen teams gathered in the bright sunshine at the Castle Combe Golf Course, near Chippenham
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Henry's a man who laps up a challenge
A WILTSHIRE farmer has been named regional lapwing champion because of his efforts to help revive the bird's habitat. Henry Edmunds, who farms at Cholderton Estate, near Amesbury, has recently converted to organic methods. He said: "Intensive cropping
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Today's mayor pays final tribute to Arthur Archer
Swindon mayor Peter Stoddart pays silent respect to Arthur Archer Picture Ref: 77374-47SWINDON mayor Peter Stoddart paid his last respects to a former civic leader from the steps of the Civic Offices. Arthur Archer, who held the post of town mayor between
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TEST TEST TEST test
Organic Week, the UK's largest celebration of organic food and farming, takes place from 3 to 11 September 2005. Organic Week is now in its eleventh year and is organised by the Soil Association, the country's leading organisation certifying and promoting
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Dinner lady's tasty morsels
LET'S face it, school dinners have never been popular with children. I can still remember with a shudder the wafer-thin slices of reclaimed meat product drizzled with a watery gruel that I was served at school. And I never once recall eating decent vegetables
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Checking in
I WAS stationed at RAF Burderop (7505th USAF Hosp) from 1962 to 1964. This evening, I decided on a whim to go looking for Swindon newspapers on the internet and found the Advertiser. I've never quite let go of Swindon and would move back there in a heartbeat
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MP's thanks
A VERY big thank you to the people of South Swindon for electing me as their member of Parliament. I am very proud to be your MP and will do my very best to reflect your views and fight for a fair deal for Swindon in the future. I would like to thank
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Chippenham rally to earn draw
A thrilling finish at Chippenham saw the home side tie their Wilts Junior League under 11 Red match with South Wilts. Thomas Cowley (15) and Harry Hawkins (11) helped the visitors reach 58-7 in their 20 overs. The Chippenham bowling was led by the Brothwood
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Shaky start for sponsors Monahans
Sponsors of the Midweek League, Monahans got off to a shaky start at Sevenhampton last Tuesday. Put into bat they could only manage 71-8 in their Division Three match with Simon McCluskey top scoring with 18. Laing did the damage for United Churches with
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The final warm-up for Wiltshire
Wiltshire play their last friendly match before the Championship starts when they take on Hampshire 2nd XI in a 50-over-a-side match at South Wilts CC on Sunday May 15, starting at 11am. Captained by Russell Rowe, Wiltshire include several young players
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Double deal
ANDY King has rubbished suggestions that Luke Beckett is County Ground-bound although he is hopeful of completing deals for two Premiership youngsters. The manager jets off for his summer holiday today having reached verbal agreements with the unnamed
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Personal memories of VE Day shared
THAT the war in Europe would end in victory for the Allies was beyond dispute as the month of May 1945 dawned. Indeed, plans for the celebrations and the public holidays that would follow the announcement had been drawn up for some time. The one uncertainty
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Warden moves "leave elderly vulnerable"
CLAIMS that a reduction in the number of sheltered accommodation wardens is putting the elderly at risk have been refuted by council bosses. The council also denies the wardens are deliberately being ousted so that council tenants will opt for the transfer
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Tory victories keep County Hall blue
TRIUMPHANT Tories won eight of the 13 seats up for grabs in Salisbury and district last week, on their way to retaining control of Wiltshire county council. Their only casualty in the council elections locally was William Snow, cabinet member for education
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Key makes it six wins out of six
CONSERVATIVE Robert Key has won a sixth consecutive election in the Salisbury constituency. The shadow science minister increased his majority to 11,142 and received 25,961 votes. It was a disappointing night for the Liberal Democrats, with their candidate
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Off to prom
STRETCHED limousines and luxury cars transported students from Upper Avon School in Durrington to their school prom held at Antrobus House in Amesbury on Friday night. The evening was a formal one giving the students the chance to don their best ball
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Daryl completes the Italian job
DARYL Bolter is still riding high in the World Enduro motorbike championships after speeding to yet another podium finish. After picking up his first outright win on the international stage in Poland, the Durrington racer had high hopes for the Italian
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Inquest told of 'driver error' in death crash
DRIVER error was to blame for an horrific road crash in which an Amesbury man was killed on the Warminster bypass, an inquest at Salisbury heard on Tuesday last week. Stuart Scurr (36), of Chambers Avenue, Amesbury, died when an oncoming motorist made
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Young people to join council
YOUNG people in Amesbury are being given the chance to play a greater role in the life of the town and have a voice on the town council. Formal approval has been given by town councillors to the setting up of a Youth Council with elected members which
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Ciren make a winning return
A superb spell in the middle of Fairford's innings from left-arm spinner John Turton gave Cirencester a winning return to Division One of the Gloucestershire County League. After coming on to bowl in the 29th over, Turton put the brakes on the Fairford
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Warden moves "leave elderly vulnerable"
CLAIMS that a reduction in the number of sheltered accommodation wardens is putting the elderly at risk have been refuted by council bosses. The council also denies the wardens are deliberately being ousted so that council tenants will opt for the transfer
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VE Day parade pays tribute
ROYAL British Legion and ex-Service Association standards fluttered proudly in the breeze as Salisbury and district paid homage to its Second World War dead at a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of VE Day on Sunday. The Guildhall Square event was
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No evidence, says barrister
A DEFENCE barrister claimed this week that there was "not a scrap of evidence" that convicted criminal Kenneth Regan was behind the murders of an Asian businessman and his family. Regan (55), of South Newton, is alleged to have killed Anil Chohan (46)
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Second store opens
A SCHOOL uniform shop that started in the Brunel Centre in Swindon has celebrated the launch of a second shop. The National Schoolwear Centre now has a branch in Newbury, three years after Swindon's opened. Owners David and Jackie Henshaw started the
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Youth leader gets deserved award
SURROUNDED by her family and friends, Marilyn Dovey, last Thursday was presented with her MBE by the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire. The award recognised a life-time of service to young people in Salisbury and south Wiltshire. Because of Ms Dovey's ill
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Key makes it six wins out of six
CONSERVATIVE Robert Key has won a sixth consecutive election in the Salisbury constituency. The shadow science minister increased his majority to 11,142 and received 25,961 votes. It was a disappointing night for the Liberal Democrats, with their candidate
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Music fans protest at relocation
A POPULAR music project that helps talented teenagers realise their dreams could be moving out of Salisbury - leaving scores of young people stranded. Bass Connection, which launched in 1996 at Wiltshire county council-owned Grosvenor House in Churchfields
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Teacher to trek China's Great Wall for autistic
ENERGETIC teacher Janet Kelly will embark on a trip of a lifetime to raise money for charity. Janet, from Wootton Bassett, has been training for the trek across China for the past six months. Her challenge will raise money for The National Autistic Society
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Last chance for Stratton sixes
TIME is running out to get a team entered into Saturday's six-a-side tournament run by Stratton Rovers Football Club. There has already been huge response but a few places are left for teams to sign up. It costs £45 per team and application forms are
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Highworth look for new players
Highworth Junior Girls FC are looking for Under 10,12 & 14 (school years 4,5,6,7 & 8) for the coming season. Full training will start in September in line with the season commencing. More information is available on request or if anyone is looking
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Croft Spring to it
TWO Swindon teams were in top form at the Spring Festival at Butlins last weekend. Croft Juniors Under 12s won their tournament while Old Town United reached the semi-final stages before bowing out. Teams from Oxford, Gloucester, Devon, Wales, Birmingham
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Drugs gang is sent to prison
Darren Mensah Picture Ref: 76992-15A GANG police say were responsible for a large part of the drug trade in Swindon have been jailed for a total of 40 years. Their boss, 28-year-old Darren Mensah, who lived a luxury life of fast cars and designer clothes
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Elite juniors in a battle at Westleaze
THE latest Westleaze Open incorporated some very good junior anglers. Weights were very close generally with a single fish making the difference. Mark Baston lead the way this time with a 48-4-0 catch ahead of Terry Hicks 43-7-0 and Martin Iles after
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Bless us ... we may be clamped
Daphne Hardwick takes the numbers of cars parked in Christ Church car park Picture Ref: 77356-20EVERYONE is welcome into God's church but not necessarily into his car park. Following months of parking problems at Christ Church in Old Town, staff are vowing
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Dyson's plan to invest in new school
WILTSHIRE entrepreneur James Dyson is considering making a multi-million pound investment to help build a specialist secondary school. The billionaire, whose company headquarters is in Malmesbury, wants to inject some of his fortune into the British education
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Woman hurt in attack
A WOMAN is in hospital after being attacked in Manchester Road. The attack happened at 2am on Monday and the victim suffered severe swelling and bruising to her face, arms and legs. Police say the assault appears to be unprovoked and motiveless." Officers
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Burglars raid bookmakers
BURGLARS have forced their way into a Sussex Square bookmakers. Intruders stole a silver flat screen television and three computer monitors. Police want to quiz two men seen in the area at the time of the raid at 11pm on Sunday. One wore white trainers
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David joins the high society for dinner
WILTSHIRE explorer David Hempleman-Adams has unveiled his next record-breaking attempt. Mr Hempleman-Adams, who lives in Box, and fellow adventurer Bear Grylls are to attempt to break the world record for the Highest Formal Dinner Party. The current world
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Mayor beaming at official BMW
GUTTED Swindon mayor Peter Stoddart only has two weeks left to cruise around in a spanking new BMW. The silver four-litre monster was officially handed over yesterday outside the civic offices. But the 66-year-old has only weeks left to enjoy the chauffeur-driven
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Look out for fun festival
THIS year's Old Town Festival will be bigger and better than ever before, promise organisers. They are laying on a programme of events and entertainment for all ages from June 25 to July 3 and they want everyone in Swindon to get involved. Brian Mattock
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Resident in battle over road
A Covingham resident is hoping his home-made sign will persuade councillors to remove a large speed hump. As heavy lorries travel along Kingfisher Drive the vibrations from the speed hump can be felt in the homes which back on to the road. And Hugh Hamilton
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Green fingers
Philip Osman with his design Picture Ref: 76003-0005SWINDON CANCER APPEAL: THE Swindon Cancer Appeal doesn't just benefit from putting greens, but also garden greens. Former panel-beater Phil Osman is giving Swindon gardeners something to look forward
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I feared for my life wife tells inquest
FATHER-of-three Colin Holcombe subjected his estranged wife to a vicious attack the night before he died in police custody, an inquest has heard. Sarah Holcombe relived the horror of that evening as she took to the witness stand on the second day of the
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Attila the stockbroker adds up to fun
SWINDON FESTIVAL OF LITERATURE: PUNK poet Attila the Stockbroker brings his unusual act to the Swindon fringe festival on Friday. He will be giving an afternoon performance at the Beehive pub on Prospect Hill. The performer was never a stockbroker, but
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Broken word
Double congratulations are due to Anne Snelgrove. The first is for becoming the newly elected MP for Swindon South. The second is for being able to find an NHS dentist in Swindon assuming she has found one. Unfortunately for the vast majority of her new
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Pathway peril
THERE have been a couple of letters recently about grass verges, footpaths and cycle tracks inferring that these places should be used for the purposes that they were designed. There have also been complaints about dogs and their owners. While I agree
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Have an open air university
THE intended plan to build an extension of Bath University on the Coat Water site seems short sighted, ridiculous, and criminally negligent. As well as ignoring the outrage of so many well intentioned and responsible citizens, the council is foolishly
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Can you give us a hand now?
AFTER the near daily arrival of Mr Tomlinson's face through my letterbox, I asked one of his canvassers how they could afford to produce so many high quality glossy leaflets and was told that they were supported by a team of "very dedicated, hard-working
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The majority is being ignored
SO, Labour got its historic third successive victory, as expected. However, one issue seems to have evaporated since the party came to power. Whatever happened to the introduction of some from of proportional representation? Even the Liberal Democrats
