Archive
-
Date
Tennis stalwart killed in crash
GAZETTE & HERALD: JOHN Ford, the chairman and match secretary of the Chippenham and District Tennis League for 24 years, died after being hit by a car yesterday. Mr Ford, well-known throughout the Wiltshire tennis world, died in the Royal United Hospital
-
Date
World trip to tie the knot
GAZETTE & HERALD: AN AUSTRALIAN couple's dream to marry in an English church came true when they tied the knot in Corsham two weeks ago. James Eagleson, 62, had spent a year in the UK 30 years ago and since then had always wanted to marry in an English
-
Date
'I won't be last to leave'
BRIAN Howard brings an end to his Town career today and warns that he won't by the last man to leave the County Ground this summer. The 22-year-old will be unveiled as one of three new signings by Barnsley at a noon press conference after rejecting Swindon's
-
Date
Children learn to be the new water detectives
GAZETTE & HERALD: WATERWISE kids can win themselves a certificate in a new Internet game being launched at a Corsham primary school. The Water Family is an online, interactive game for children aged eight to 11 where players score points for being
-
Date
World premieres and thirty festival events
GAZETTE & HERALD: FOR eight days Corsham Festival will play host to three world premieres, 30 events and more than 50 artists and performers in this year's musical extravaganza. From June 18 the festival is set to transform the town, where young and
-
Date
Now let your feet do the talking for Springboard
16205/1GAZETTE & HERALD: DOZENS of sponsorship forms have been sent out this week to supporters of the Gazette's sponsored walk for Springboard. The 3km event takes place at the Bowood Estate, Derry Hill, on June 26 to raise vital cash for the only
-
Date
Heading for the peaks
16259/03GAZETTE & HERALD: THREE men are taking part in the Three Peaks Challenge, climbing the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales but they are doing it with a difference. Retired Army officers John Wyatt, 59, and Bob Boothroyd, 63, both
-
Date
Thousands flock to Forties fun day
16278/115GAZETTE & HERALD: FANCY dress Tommies and GIs revelled in the action-packed agenda at Box last weekend. A record 4,000-plus people, flocked to this year's Revels, themed the Flying Forties to mark the 60th anniversary of VE Day. Young and
-
Date
Spotlight on future
THE future of North Wiltshire will come into the spotlight at a public inquiry into the Local Plan opening on Tuesday in Chippenham. After years of work, planners at North Wiltshire District Council have assembled a document that balances the need to
-
Date
Now let your feet do the talking for Springboard
16205/1DOZENS of sponsorship forms have been sent out this week to supporters of the Gazette's sponsored walk for Springboard. The 3km event takes place at the Bowood Estate, Derry Hill, on June 26 to raise vital cash for the only special needs pre-school
-
Date
Villagers pull together
Former Pewsey carnival queen Emma Dainton and retired policeman Colin Harris are planning to paddle for pounds to help local sportswoman Shelley Rudman achieve her Olympic dream. Skeleton bobsleigh ace Rudman, 24, who lives in Pewsey, has set her sights
-
Date
Market 'will add to buzz'
GAZETTE & HERALD: Organisers of the new farmers' market in Malmesbury reckon the extra competition will boost the takings of local shop owners. Management company Made in Stroud has agreed to run a fortnightly market in the town on the second and
-
Date
Author writes guide to town
TOWN councillor Charles Vernon, who has already written a book about Malmesbury, has created a new historical guide to the town. The book, which has numerous black and white photographs and maps, is designed to show visitors and residents that there is
-
Date
Two entries to chase £1,000
ONLY two budding entrepreneurs have entered a competition in Malmesbury for new businesses that has a top prize of £1,000. Only two business plans, compared to four last year, were submitted .for a competition organised by Malmesbury Chamber of Commerce
-
Date
Villagers buy land in first steps towards hall
VILLAGERS in Seagry and Startley have taken the first step towards building a modern village hall fit for the 21st century. The majority of local people feel the 83-year-old building in Upper Seagry, which serves a meeting place for people in Seagry and
-
Date
Town hall pledge wins support for new homes
Plans to build houses with an office and restaurant at the old Lucent Technologies site in Malmesbury have reluctantly been supported by town councillors. Hunter Page Planning, the agent acting on behalf of landowner the Minton Group has pledged £150,000
-
Date
Open verdict recorded on father's death in bed
On the doormat of the house where father-of-two Paul Newman was discovered dead was a newly-delivered envelope containing his altered will ready for signing, an inquest heard. Former computer company director Mr Newman, 52, of Minety, had been in the
-
Date
Baseball tactics make teacher celebrity hit
16149/6AMERICAN teaching assistant Bobby Tillman has been giving pupils at Malmesbury Primary School a taste of life in the USA. Mr Tillman, 24 from Milwaukee, comes from the mid western state of Wisconsin. He joined the school last March from the University
-
Date
CCTV camera network is given the green light
PC Emma CooperMalmesbury is to get its long awaited CCTV cameras after a working party agreed to give the project the go-ahead. Malmesbury police officer PC Emma Cooper welcomed the move and said the cameras could help rid the town's streets of yobs and
-
Date
All sides vow to fight on as gypsies win reprieve
16263/1GYPSIES in Mintey have won the right to stay on their land in the village for at least 18 months but there is confusion over a proposed move to Thingley, near Chippenham. The Minety Action Group reacted angrily to the decision of the Deputy Prime
-
Date
Biddestone 144-2, Cinderford St John 143-5
BIDDESTONE won easily thanks to another all round performance by Dwaine Perry as they sent Cinderford St. John to the bottom of Glos/Wilts Division Two. Perry claimed two wickets, took one catch and hit 61 runs not out as Biddestone cruised home. Biddestone
-
Date
Marlborough 153-3, Hinton Charterhouse 149-8
MARLBOROUGH picked up a second victory of the season with a convincing seven-wicket victory over Hinton Charterhouse. After reaching 110-4, Hinton capitulated to 126-7 before reaching a disappointing final total of 149-8. It was obvious within the first
-
Date
Crushing performance as big three cut loose
WILTSHIRE YOUTH LEAGUE: U13 Red Division - SWINDON completed an emphatic 145-run victory at home to Malmesbury after posting an imposing 200 runs for the loss of six wickets. The innings was built on a 68 opening partnership between Steve Laggett (67)
-
Date
Ten points separate the top five in Division One
CRUSADER WILTSHIRE LEAGUE: NO clear picture has appeared at the top of the Division after five weeks of the season with ten points covering the top five. Box and Purton both lost for the first time while at the foot of the table Spye Park won at the expense
-
Date
Work-related learning plan
SOCIALLY-minded businessmen and women are required to give youngsters an insight into the working world. The Commonweal School in Old Town is launching an environment day on July 13, to educate pupils about waste and recycling. Groups of youngsters will
-
Date
Tighter control for health trust finances
MEMBERS of Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust board were given assurances that tighter controls will be put in place to get a grip on its spending. In the last financial year the trust finished with an overspend of £10.158million. As a result
-
Date
Bid to stamp out trouble
A NEW police initiative aimed at encouraging residents to help tackle anti social behaviour has come into effect in Wootton Bassett. The initiative, which has already proved successful in Swindon and Malmesbury, has been introduced by PC Phil Connor and
-
Date
Deadline nears for directory
Manufacturers, makers and growers in Wootton Bassett have just a few weeks left to be included in the free directory that will soon be distributed around the town. The directory is part of a North Wiltshire District Council initiative called Made in the
-
Date
Cricketing star due to appear at arts festival
Organisers of the Wootton Bassett Music and Arts Festival have made a fine catch with the news that England cricketer Jack Russell will be appearing as their star guest. The former Gloucestershire and England wicket-keeper, well-known in the cricketing
-
Date
Terrified cat owner is forced to re-home pet
Thomas the cat who has survived being shot with an air rifle. Now his owners have decide to rehouse himA distraught cat owner has spoken of her heart-break after deciding to re-house her beloved pet despite its incredible survival after being shot by
-
Date
Police head for heights
SIX officers from Wiltshire Constabulary are to try to climb the three highest mountains in Britain in 24 hours to raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance appeal. Matt Fox, a police constable based at Devizes, has assembled a team of colleagues including
-
Date
Health boss left with no chance in M4 crash
Health chief Geoff Scaife was killed in an horrific M4 crash in circumstances completely out of his control, an inquest in Devizes heard on Friday. Wiltshire coroner David Masters described the 55-year-old's death in April 2004 as being "that nightmare
-
Date
Wanderers snap up teenage star
A TEENAGE schoolboy is living the dream after being handed a four-year deal at Premiership outfit Bolton Wanderers. Chris Stokes, 14, of Azalea Drive, Trowbridge, will become the youngest ever player to have been offered this chance at the Reebok Stadium
-
Date
Tighter control for health trust finances
MEMBERS of Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust board were given assurances that tighter controls will be put in place to get a grip on its spending. In the last financial year the trust finished with an overspend of £10.158million. As a result
-
Date
Lye determined to match last season's success
CORSHAM midfielder Scott Lye said his team mates are determined to match last season's success. Lye, 18, said he was looking for more glory after doing the double with Wiltshire U18s and winning the Wiltshire Senior Cup and finishing runners up in the
-
Date
It was much easier being a goalkeeper in the 70s
ARSENAL goalkeeping legend Bob Wilson arrived in Devizes last week to help raise money and the profile of Bromham Football Club. Invited by friend and Bromham manager John Boatman, Wilson talked about how the game now compared to that of the 1970s at
-
Date
Helmet plea by skater's sister
Neil Cole, 18, who had a passion for surfing and extreme sports Picture Ref: 72704-89THE family of teenage skateboarder Neil Cole say he died doing what he loved. The popular 18-year-old, of Harcourt Road, Ferndale, died in hospital three days after suffering
-
Date
Our pledges to you
Signing the pledge Picture Ref: 77704-10SWINDON...AND PROUD OF IT: FIFTY promises are being made to the people of Swindon to transform their town. The Swindon Council pledges include building a new library, cut ting crime, improving schools' performance
-
Date
Mystery remains over Leanne's death
Leanne White, who fell to her death from the Brunel West car park nearly two years agoNEARLY two years ago 29-year-old Leanne White, left, fell to her death from the Brunel West car park. Mystery surrounds her fall as the inquest revealed that Leanne,
-
Date
Woman injured in car park fall
Picture Ref: 77714-50A WOMAN suffered severe injuries after she fell from the top of a town centre multi-storey car park in what may have been a suicide bid. And now traders are calling for barriers to be installed on the car park to stop this happening
-
Date
Nature group's £4,000 boost
GAZETTE & HERALD: WILTSHIRE Wildlife Trust's Calne Watch Group for young people is celebrating receiving a £4,000 grant from the local network fund to set up a short way-marked route in Castlefield Park. The group's members, young wildlife enthusiasts
-
Date
Raffle treats at interiors shop
GAZETTE & HERALD: A NEW interior design shop is celebrating its opening in Calne with a series of charity raffles in aid of the National Osteoporosis Society. The winner of the first raffle, to be drawn on June 18, will scoop £100 of gift vouchers
-
Date
New dad given last chance to change life
GAZETTE & HERALD: NEW dad Michael Hayward has been given a last chance by magistrates so he can concentrate on getting his life back on track with his partner and baby daughter. Hayward, 34, of Bancroft Gardens, Calne, pleaded guilty on Thusday to
-
Date
Cavalcade of biking history
GAZETTE & HERALD: THREE thousand vintage, veteran, classic and modern motorbikes will be descending on Calne next month for the Rotary Club's fifth motorcycle and summer fun event. The all-day event the largest in the region takes place around Calne
-
Date
Doctor says goodbye after thirty years in job
Dr Norman BealeGAZETTE & HERALD: WELL known Calne doctor, Norman Beale, who has worked in the town for 30 years retired last week. Colleagues past and present attended a retirement party at the surgery. "It was a wonderful occasion," said Dr Beale
-
Date
Fen Shui for historic hotel
THE proprietors of the Bear Hotel in Devizes employed the services of a Feng Shui consultant during the recent refurbishment. Andrew and Angela MacLachlan commissioned Chippenham-based consultant Summer Watson to advise on how their proposed changes were
-
Date
Soul legend fronts gig to help cricket club appeal
SIXTIES soul legend Geno Washington will front the first of a number of celebrity gigs at Dauntsey's School Memorial Hall on Saturday that will raise money for a new pavilion for Bishops Cannings Cricket Club. The gig takes place on Saturday, and some
-
Date
Angry residents await ruling on homes plan
Bentley Grove resident Tony Bott showing the two houses which Syms and Sons wants to knock down (16312/1)GAZETTE & HERALD: ANGRY residents say plans to knock down two houses in Bentley Grove and replace them with ten new ones are unacceptable and
-
Date
Panto proceeds help disabled
THE Seend Fawlty Players have presented a cheque for £250 to Devizes PHAB Club after hearing how the buses they use to transport disabled people in the area were vandalised. The Gazette highlighted the charity's plight in October last year when a spate
-
Date
TV star joins Guides' walk
TV NEWSREADER Peter Rowell is joining Devizes Guides in their annual sponsored walk around the town on Sunday June 12. Mr Rowell, who presents news bulletins on HTV West, has told Ann Lovelock, district commissioner for the Guides, that he is anxious
-
Date
Concern as Link again suffers a deficit
DEVIZES and District Link, the good neighbour scheme that helps elderly and disabled people with lifts to medical appointments and shopping trips, has reported a four-figure loss for the second year running. Because of the deficit between the amount contributed
-
Date
A touch of the exotic
DEVIZES Corn Exchange was a sea of colour on Saturday as the Wiltshire Orchid Society held its annual show. Show secretary Simon Pugh-Jones said it had a great success. He said: "We had more than 300 people through the doors. The plants on show were all
-
Date
Road closed all night for urgent work on bridge
PEOPLE driving from Devizes to West Lavington after 7pm are having to take a long detour through Urchfont and Market Lavington for the next few weeks. The diversion, which came into force on Wednesday, is to allow work to be carried out to protect the
-
Date
Bid to reduce security men branded dangerous
DEVIZES Town Council has changed its mind about employing fewer security staff at its discos at the Corn Exchange after the promoter and bar manager said it would be dangerous. The council's recreation and properties committee agreed a month ago to reduce
-
Date
Visiting artist teaches pupils
CHILDREN at St Katharine's School can hardly fail to take notice of the changing seasons because their place of learning is virtually surrounded by Savernake Forest. So when visiting artist Rosie Smith from Marlow spent a day working with the pupils on
-
Date
Tennis ace sees sister achieve singing success
Kate Tunstall and brother DanTENNIS ace Dan Tunstall, who recently took up the post of chief tennis coach at Devizes Leisure Centre, is proud of the achievements of his elder sister, Kate, who has become a singing sensation under the name KT Tunstall.
-
Date
Health chief fails to make pledge on hospital
HEALTH boss Carol Clarke failed to give assurances about Devizes Hospital when she was quizzed at the annual meeting of DASH2 (Devizes Action To Save Our Hospital). She said that the major review of health services going on in Kennet, North and West Wiltshire
-
Date
School's double promise for top teachers
David Ball and Sarah Beswick celebrate being shortlisted for a regional award with their pupils at Rowde Primary School 16248/3STAFF and pupils at Rowde Primary School had good cause to celebrate this week after they received news that their head teacher
-
Date
Daughter steps out in memory of her father
Gina Bridewell is taking part in the Race for Life to help research into cancer, the disease that claimed her father (16311/3)GINA Bridewell will be thinking of her late father Malcolm Maslen when she takes part in the Race for Life for Cancer Research
-
Date
Pet shop couple tie knot
16284/1RANGEBOURNE Pet Care in Devizes will close on Saturday for the first time in its existence for the wedding of owner Andy Sheppard and long-time staff member Jo Garrett. Because all the shop assistants have been invited to the wedding at St Andrew's
-
Date
Protests aired on phone mast
A PROPOSED mobile phone transmitter on the edge of Great Bedwyn would be too close to the school, protesters are telling Kennet district councillors. Newbury-based Vodaphone Ltd is seeking planning consent for a telecommunications base station at Wansdyke
-
Date
Students stage sit-in on fee demand upfront
Principal George Bright with students at the sit-in 16270/1ADULT students who are unhappy at plans to force them to pay upfront for their courses at Devizes College, held a sit-in on Friday. The students who are on the popular upholstery and art courses
-
Date
Pupils defend school in face of violence claims
16264/1TWO Year 11 pupils at Lavington School, the subject of allegations of bad behaviour in recent weeks, have spoken up to defend the school. Joanne Hewes and Dulcie Patten, currently sitting their GCSEs, are furious that the school where they have
-
Date
Gardeners bag the chance of green option
16258/1YOU may have been told when you were a child that wilful waste made woeful want but Wiltshire waste makes wonderful compost. Devizes mayor Coun Peter Evans yesterday took delivery of five tonnes of compost that has been made from garden waste delivered
-
Date
Riverside parking spot sparks concerns
RESIDENTS in Ramsbury claim a proposed riverside parking space would be a blot on the landscape and spoil pastoral views across the River Kennet. A planning application has been submitted for the formation of an access and parking area for one vehicle
-
Date
Wetherspoon set to get go-ahead
A PLAN to transform the former Beales of Bath shop into a J D Wetherspoon pub has been recommended for approval despite fears that it will spell the end for smaller hostelries in Devizes. There are also fears that the new pub, which is likely to undercut
-
Date
New hospital due to open in three weeks
16302/1THE new Savernake Hospital, which sees buildings spanning three centuries coming together, is nearing completion with the first patients expected to move back in on June 27. It will be 17 months since the only resident patients, those on the Ailesbury
-
Date
Travellers ousted from forest camp
16304THERE were some tense moments when police had a face-to-face confrontation with a group of travellers who settled in Savernake Forest on Tuesday evening. All weekend extra officers had been on duty manning access points to the forest after police
-
Date
Get seats for summer play
TICKETS are available for the summer show by Wootton Bassett's amateur dramatics group, the Clarendon Players. The play, entitled We Found Love and an Exquisite Set of Porcelain Figurines Aboard the SS Farndale Avenue runs for three nights from Thursday
-
Date
Nurse still on the critical list
A NURSE remains in a critical condition in the Great Western Hospital following the crash near Oxford on Saturday evening in which three schoolboys and a motorist were killed. Angela Dublin, 46, underwent surgery while her son Anton, 13, is being treated
-
Date
Concert to raise cash
A CONCERT will be held next week to raise money for a Swindon counselling service to move to a new building. At the moment the Willow's Counselling Service is based in Cricklade Road, opposite Clive Parade but, because of increasing demand, it is now
-
Date
Confidence is growing in the criminal justice system
PUBLIC confidence in Wiltshire's criminal justice system has risen more than four per cent in the last two years, according to new figures. Over 46 per cent of those asked said they were very confident or fairly confident in the ability of the CJS to
-
Date
Jump to it!
THRILLSEEKERS are needed to jump out of a plane with the Red Devils over South Cerney in aid of the Wiltshire Blind Association. The Red Devils team are jumping at the airfield near Cirencester and have dates available for people wishing to experience
-
Date
Robots to battle at air tattoo
ROBOTS will be battling it out at the Royal International Air Tattoo. The show at RAF Fairford will host the first Guinness World Record attempts for robot sprinting and rope climbing. Professor Noel Sharkey, from Sheffield University, who is an expert
-
Date
Don't rely on a Dyson says study
DYSON domestic appliances are among the most unreliable on the market, a new survey shows. More than a quarter 29 per cent of Dyson's upright vacuum cleaners needed repairing within six years of purchase, the Which? report said. And two-thirds of the
-
Date
Disabled golfers battle for British title
Club manager David Buckingham and Lady Bader with Kevin Barby Picture Ref: 77633-09THE Disabled Golfers' British Open took place at Broome Manor Golf Club, in Swindon, for the 12th time. Thirty competitors, including a number of amputees, took part in
-
Date
Fans of jazz set for treat
WITH less than four weeks to go until the first notes ring out over the start of the sixth Swindon Jazz Festival, organisers are looking forward to the most successful event yet. This year the Evening Advertiser-backed festival features 25 acts, ranging
-
Date
A little treasure
A METAL detectorist who discovered a silver Anglo-Saxon clothing fastener near Swindon thought it was a piece of rubbish. Police found the item at Robert Duquemin's home in Home Farm, Highworth. He was charged with several offences, including using a
-
Date
On their bikes for good cause
The npower team Picture Ref: 77687-36CYCLISTS working for npower in Swindon have cycled from sister offices in Germany back to their home office to raise at least £5,000 for Macmillan Cancer Relief. And staff believe the final total could go as high as
-
Date
Time to get alarmed
Picture Ref: 77702-150SURE Start Month kicked off in Swindon with fire safety advice for young families. The national Sure Start Month celebrates the education, childcare, health and support services offered by the centres. And here the month was launched
-
Date
Sky's the limit for young artist
Sam Thomas' winning entryARTISTS struggling to find a place to exhibit their work will be green with envy to discover that a Swindon primary schoolchild's work will be seen by millions next week. Sam Thomas, a pupil at Catherine Wayte school in Abbey
-
Date
Use the space
IN reply to Mike Bawden's statement that we need 16,000 more houses which will have to be built on green field sites we need to look at all the empty properties in Swindon. These include houses, offices and factories. Many of the offices and factories
-
Date
Give the people the cash
RECENTLY Gordon Brown was the prime mover in proposing the cancellation of Third World debts. Now, he and other financial experts, are intending to pour billions into Africa. May I remind these leaders of the names Ceacescu, Mugabe, Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein
-
Date
These arguments don't hold water
MAY I reply to the letter by W Vigor in which he/she endeavours to support the case for development at Coate. Contrary to W Vigor's assurances that the views will be unaffected, there is little doubt that the views of Liddington and the surrounding downland
-
Date
Time for repair
I WRITE further to the reservations already expressed by Mr Jackson over the quality of conservation work undertaken to the Western facade of Brunel's viaduct in Chippenham. I wonder whether those responsible might take the opportunity offered by the
-
Date
Gray the brave
OUR MP James Gray was most brave to denounce the unfair system brought about by the Barnett formula. By telling the truth it brought about his resignation as Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland. The Scottish parliament has introduced free long term
-
Date
Jimmer vows to return after illness shock
INSPIRATIONAL comebacks do not come much greater than Jimmer Courtney's dream to wear the yellow and blue of Swindon Rugby Club a year after facing death. But he side stepped the grim reaper and he is set to reach that dream with the help from friend
-
Date
Sign of the times
RECENTLY I was stopped by a stranger asking the way to Hillworth Park and Queens Road. I was not surprised. The rusting, peeling signpost has for many years past carried the legend: "Que ns rad ,H ll pa k''. I used to think this was to benefit Far East
-
Date
Brave girl could be home soon
GAZETTE & HERALD: GUTSY schoolgirl Emily Hudd could be back at home with her family by the end of the week if tests show her kidney infection has cleared up. The eight-year-old, who was born with only half a heart, has been in Bristol Children's Hospital
-
Date
Wonderful care
MY wife was recently taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath. When she was home, she wrote to the casualty department as follows: "I should like to thank you for the exemplary care I received yesterday. I was in for a suspected heart attack, not found
-
Date
Hunt protester's pledge
GAZETTE & HERALD: Pro-hunting campaigner Nick Wood says a massive protest on a scale never yet seen in this country is planned in London before the year is out. The declaration from the 41-year-old former royal chef, of Lacock, comes just days after
-
Date
Planning decision is a sad outcome
THE fate of Quakers Walk field in Devizes was sealed last Thursday, when Kennet's Planning Policies Committee reconfirmed it for development, failing to take the opportunity offered by the Kverneland inquiry inspector, to take out or de-allocate this
-
Date
Marathon mum overwhelmed by kindness
16281/3GAZETTE & HERALD: THE kindness of strangers is the key to bike-ride mum's success in her mega challenge to raise awareness about meningitis. Cara Mead is more than half way through the 250-mile slog around Wiltshire, but has battled tears,
-
Date
Motorist apologises to family of grandmother
Beryl JefferiesGAZETTE & HERALD: The driver of the car that struck and killed great-grandmother Beryl Jefferies as she walked across a zebra crossing in Chippenham has offered his sincere apologies to the family. Colin Brown, of Marshfield Road, Chippenham
-
Date
Marathon man on the run to help children
Anthony Kane setting off from Chippenham to run to London and back to raise money for the NSPCC (16240/2)GAZETTE & HERALD: CHIPPENHAM'S very own Forest Gump, 50-year-old Anthony Kane set off from the town's cenotaph on a sponsored run to London last
-
Date
Thwacking good festival
16274/4GAZETTE & HERALD: Chippenham Folk Festival 2005 was a stunning success. Bathed in an untraditional amount of blazing sunshine, enjoying sell-out evening concerts and attracting thousands of people to the town, it was possibly the best folk
-
Date
Prayer for the gift of life
16306-2GAZETTE & HERALD: EVERY DAY Peter Cavaciuti and his family say a prayer for a woman they've never met a mother-of-two who saved his life when she donated her kidney. It's hard to believe that just 13 years ago the burly builder was confined
-
Date
Pals in tribute to brave colleagues
GAZETTE & HERALD: TWO Chippenham mums who lost their courageous battles with cancer will be remembered this weekend when their colleagues from Focus DIY run the Race for Life for Cancer Research UK in their memory. Workmates Sue Richardson, 43, and
-
Date
Tree at death crash site is felled
Nicky Gough and Colette HolbrookGAZETTE & HERALD: A GRIEVING relative of car smash victim Nicky Gough is thought to be responsible for hacking down the tree that killed him and fiance Colette Holbrook at Easter. The inseparable couple died when their
-
Date
Celebrations for hall jubilee
GAZETTE & HERALD: THIS year marks the golden jubilee of Colerne Village Hall and to celebrate a fundraising weekend and an autumn party has been organised. The building is one of the main focal points in the community and many of the men who helped
-
Date
Ghost hunt fails to find evidence of hauntings
GAZETTE & HERALD: GHOST hunters who spent a night in Corsham Tourist Information and Heritage Centre have found no evidence of ghostly apparitions. Nevertheless the group of nine investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the premises may
-
Date
Lack of adult helpers puts youth club at risk
GAZETTE & HERALD: URGENT pleas have been made for adult helpers to prevent Rudloe Youth Club from closing down permanently. The Bradford Road club has been forced to close its doors to teens and is under serious threat of never reopening. For the
-
Date
Coroner questions delay in reporting ancient find
METAL detector enthusiast Robert Duquemin who discovered a silver Anglo-Saxon clothing fastener in a field near Barbury Castle, thought it was a piece of rubbish. Police discovered the item at Mr Duquemin's home in Home Farm, Highworth. He was charged
-
Date
Centuries old rings declared treasure trove after inquest
THE Crown's treasure coffers have been boosted after not one, but two, medieval rings were declared as treasure after being unearthed by metal detecting enthusiasts in north Wiltshire. A silver finger ring found by Colerne treasure hunter Tony Mims and
-
Date
Gunning for gum
THE sticky problem of removing chewing gum from the streets of North Wiltshire is about to be tackled by the district council. A team of gum busters has been trained to use a new machine, which will blast the problem away. North Wiltshire District Council
-
Date
Circle takes a new twist
ONE of the most bizarre crop formations to appear in Wiltshire fields has arrived at Milk Hill, Stanton St Bernard, between Devizes and Pewsey. The formation was discovered in a field of immature wheat on Sunday and is rectangular at one end and circular
-
Date
Two entries to chase £1,000
ONLY two budding entrepreneurs have entered a competition in Malmesbury for new businesses that has a top prize of £1,000. Only two business plans, compared to four last year, were submitted .for a competition organised by Malmesbury Chamber of Commerce
-
Date
Hamiltons back Big Brother man
FORMER Tory MP Neil Hamilton has backed his good friend Derek Laud in his effort to win the public over on the celebrity show Big Brother and achieve his ambitions to become an actor. Mr Hamilton, of Bradfield Manor, Hullavington, believes his fellow
-
Date
Teenager is killed after party night
Emma OutlawLoving tributes have been paid to 16-year-old Emma Outlaw who died as she walked home during the early hours of Saturday after celebrating leaving Malmesbury School. She was killed after being hit by a red Ford Transit van on the A429 road
-
Date
Big sixes and diving catches
YOUTH CRICKET: PRIMARY school children from villages around Biddestone competed in their own version of the Ashes at a kwik cricket tournament last week. Five primary schools took part in the tournament hosted by Biddestone Cricket Club on Wednesday May
-
Date
Swindon 210-7, Bredon 68
AN inspirational innings by skipper John Baden and a fine bowling performance were enough to see Swindon continue their unbeaten start. Having elected to bat first, Swindon struggled against the Bredon opening pair of Hill and left-armer Bridge. But when
-
Date
Colwall 265, Devizes 247-8
DEVIZES captain Andy Hodder said his side will need to bowl better to beat Trowbridge this Saturday. His comments came after his side lost to Colwall by 18 runs in Saturday's mid-table clash. Colwall won the toss and batted first, hitting 265 before Devizes
-
Date
Goatacre 311-6, Warminster 161
GOATACRE produced a superb all round display to thrash Wiltshire rivals Warminster and move into second place in Division One on Saturday. An unbeaten century by Peter Turner in his first game of the season helped set Goatacre up for a 150-run victory
-
Date
Dumbleton 95-4, Malmesbury 92
MALMESBURY captain Ed Shellard is looking for new players after Dumbleton reached their total in under 16 overs. Shellard blamed a lack of experienced on his team's six-wicket defeat to the second-placed hosts. He said: "I read about the guy who hit a
-
Date
Chippenham 145, Old Bristolians Westbury 139
CHIPPENHAM captain Trevor Lloyd says his side now has a platform to build on after picking up a narrow six-run victory for their first win of the season. Trevor Lloyd said there is still work to be done but that the side could now go into the away tie
-
Date
Corsham 318-4, Frenchay 211
CORSHAM gained revenge for two defeats by Frenchay last season with a 107-run victory at Station Road on Saturday. Corsham won the toss against their bogey team and chose to bat first. The decision looked the right one as they reached 106 before Tom Abbot
-
Date
Dismal display from Wiltshire
WILTSHIRE produced a dismal performance as they lost to Oxfordshire by 257 runs in the first Minor Counties Championship of the season. Wiltshire had one major plus point to take into the Buckinghamshire game in a fortnight after 17-year-old Eddie Abel's
-
Date
Freehold on a high
THOMPSONS has let a shop in Beechcroft Road, Stratton St Margaret. The 993sq ft property was let to Wyko Industrial Services on a 10-year lease at £10,250 per annum. Thompsons were inviting offers of £135,000 for the freehold interest. Thompsons' Francis
-
Date
Millennia from now the Adver will be read by archaeologists
ADRIAN and Alison Wheeler will leave a lasting mark on a new Wroughton housing estate. The Wheelers are the first to buy a home at The Limes on the site of the former RAF Princess Alexandra Hospital. Topical memorabilia, including a copy of the Evening
-
Date
New hospital due to open in three weeks
16302/1THE new Savernake Hospital, which sees buildings spanning three centuries coming together, is nearing completion with the first patients expected to move back in on June 27. It will be 17 months since the only resident patients, those on the Ailesbury
-
Date
Pupils' imaginations run riot for carnival
Singing robots, dancing UFOs and even a poetry-reciting octopus invaded the grounds of Noremarsh County Junior School, much to the delight of the Wootton Bassett parents and relatives. The extraordinary spectacle also known as the school's carnival procession
-
Date
Builders' merchant opens in new unit
A new builder's supply company yesterday enjoyed its first day of business in Wootton Bassett. Town mayor Chris Wannell provided the snip of the scissors at the official opening of the new branch of Travis Perkins at the Coped Hall roundabout site. The
-
Date
Big decision for England captain Yan
ENGLAND Schoolboys captain Yan Klukowski faces his entrance exams for the US universities this weekend still mulling over which side of the pond his future lies. Klukowski, from Hill Rise in Chippenham, travels to Surrey to face the exams after being
-
Date
Dress down for a good cause
WILTSHIRE schools and businesses are being urged to sign up for Casuals for Casualties a fundraising dress down day for St John Ambulance. "We would like local bosses to let their staff or pupils wear casual clothes for one day in return for a £1 donation
-
Date
Chairman thanks Highmore
CALNE chairman Steve Walker said the future looks rosier after receiving the first applications for the Bremhill View hot seat. Walker said two people have applied for the job adding that the financial situation was not as black as has been painted. He
-
Date
Assistant Hillier refuses to rule out a promotion
CALNE assistant manager Simon Hillier has not ruled out applying for the top job as he tries to keep a squad in limbo happy. Hillier arrived back from his honeymoon on Sunday to a team without direction after last year's successful manager, Kelvin Highmore
-
Date
Graham one of five going for Devizes job
DEADLINE day is approaching for Devizes Town as they look to appoint a manager within the next week. Five people have applied to take up the hot seat vacated by Mark Godley after he left the club last month citing financial constraints as the reason.
-
Date
Huge interest for Chippenham Ladies six-a-side
TEAMS from all over the South of England have been attracted to Chippenham Town Ladies inaugural six-a-side tournament this weekend. Teams are travelling from Bath, Swindon, Bristol and London to attend the two-day event. Around 40 teams are expected
-
Date
Woodsy targets his comeback match
CORSHAM Town's assistant manager John Woods, who has spent the past five months battling cancer, hopes to pull on his boots again for a charity match inspired by his bravery. The Gazette is backing the event to take place at Corsham's ground on Sunday
-
Date
Teenager is killed after party night
Emma OutlawLoving tributes have been paid to 16-year-old Emma Outlaw who died as she walked home during the early hours of Saturday after celebrating leaving Malmesbury School. She was killed after being hit by a red Ford Transit van on the A429 road
-
Date
Wayne: I'm not going to visit
SWINDON ...AND PROUD OF IT: FASHION guru Wayne Hemingway has snubbed the offer of a guided tour around Swindon by the mayor. And the designer insists that he was not being derogatory about the town when he commented on housing developments in Swindon
-
Date
Chess set row man is jailed
A MAN who armed himself with a kitchen knife in a row over a chess set has been jailed for four months. Carl Thomas grabbed the weapon at the Abalone Guest House in Sheppard Street before confronting a man in the street out-side. And the 23-year-old was
-
Date
My life is being made a misery
SHE is an 83-year-old woman who just wants to live out the twilight of her life in peace. But every evening she says is terrorised by a gang of yobs at her sheltered housing flat at Lupin Court in Upper Stratton. She says they throw eggs, stones and,
-
Date
Support your local bra firm
Picture Ref: 77709-45SWINDON'S own lingerie experts are looking for the best breasts in town for an exotic modelling contract. Yesterday Triumph International was running what for many people would be the world's best job auditioning large breasts whose
-
Date
Council backs 16,000 homes
Swindon will be able to cope with 16,000 new homes before 2026 the council cabinet members reckon. Councillors have voted that 16,000 homes was the figure to be sent to the South West Regional Assembly the organisation which will decide how many houses
-
Date
Boyfriend in smoking row
GAZETTE & HERALD: A CALNE man has been ordered to keep the peace with his girlfriend after pushing her over because she was smoking. Michael Flory, 38, of St Dunstans Close, pleaded guilty to common assault before Chippenham magistrates last Thursday
-
Date
Cairn crowns first phase in park's development
GAZETTE & HERALD: A STONE cairn has been erected in the wild flower meadow in Castlefields Park, Calne to mark the completion of the first phase of improvements in the neighbourhood. Wild flowers have been planted in the meadow next to the river and
-
Date
Cross country raises £1,100
Alison Wood, left, from Blacklands Leisure Club, with fundraiser Loretta JohnstoneGAZETTE & HERALD: A GRUELLING cross-country run which challenged even the fittest athletes has raised £1,100 for Wiltshire Air Ambulance. One hundred people joined Blackland
-
Date
Archaeology day to boost interest in ancient finds
BUDDING archaeologists in Devizes will soon be able to dig up all the knowledge they need on their interest. National Archaeological Day is taking place on July 23 at the Wiltshire Heritage Museum between 10.30am and 4pm, with free entry for people wishing
-
Date
Councillor's bid to save Quakers Walk site fails
A BID to remove the land at Quakers Walk in Devizes from Kennet's Local Plan failed to win support from enough councillors. The Local Plan was adopted last year but Jeff Ody, a Devizes Guardians councillor on Kennet District Council, proposed that the
-
Date
Trail of damage at football club
TWO of the vandals who allegedly caused £1,000 damage to the stand at Devizes Town Football Club last week have been released on police bail pending further inquiries. Two local teenagers were arrested after windows were smashed and paint tipped around
-
Date
Garage man may face jail
A FORMER deputy manager of a Devizes filling station has been told he faces a jail sentence after he admitted stealing £1,600 from his employers. Richard O'Neill, 26, of Azalea Drive, Trowbridge, pleaded guilty before Kennet magistrates in Devizes on
-
Date
Ticket warning for beer lovers
VISITORS to Devizes Beer Festival at The Wharf arriving without tickets will be turned away, the organisers have warned. Even before the Devizes branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, or CAMRA, advertise the event on July 2, they have sold ten per cent
-
Date
Traffic study to be taken
A STUDY of traffic flows in Devizes is to be carried out after Kennet District Council lent money to Wiltshire County Council to cover the cost. Residents of Devizes have long called for the county council to update traffic studies done during the 1990s
-
Date
Club to showcase local talent
THE hunt is on at Marlborough's only nightclub for local singing and song writing and entertainment talent. Every fortnight starting next Thursday there will be an opportunity for newcomers to take to the stage and entertain. The evenings are being promoted
-
Date
Women set up singles group
A NEW singles group for men and women aged 35-60 to share social activities has been started in Marlborough. Its first meeting will be a wine tasting evening on Thursday June 9, 8pm, in the function room at the Crown Hotel in The Parade. The group is
-
Date
Little imp overcomes the odds
16261/4Seth Hyslop is an adorable little boy with an impish smile but he also has from Down's syndrome. As part of an awareness week his parents spoke to JILL CROOKS WHEN Seth Hyslop was diagnosed with Down's syndrome his parents, Fiona and Rob, felt
-
Date
Historian to recreate merchant's own garden
WITH restoration of Marlborough's 17th century Merchant's House well under way, plans have been revealed for a period garden behind the High Street house. Landscape gardener and garden historian Jeffrey Galvin-Wright has come out of retirement to head
-
Date
It's snatch of the day
16301/1GEORGE Diddams, eight, was devastated on Monday when the man he thought was going to give him back his football jumped in a car and drove off with it. The incident took place outside George's house on Devizes Road, Rowde, as he played with his
-
Date
Battle of Beanfield lives on as one of county's bloodiest encounters
SATURDAY June 1 in 1985 was carnival day in Marlborough and also the day of the bloodiest battle in Wiltshire in living memory. While the carnival revellers were dancing through the streets of Marlborough, hardly 20 miles away police fought a pitched
-
Date
Forest watch pays off
News that travellers were set to invade Savernake Forest on the 20th anniversary of the Battle of the Beanfield brought back memories for veteran reporter NIGEL KERTON FEARS of a huge rave in Savernake Forest at the weekend proved unfounded as police
-
Date
FROGS leap to help
16245/5CHILDREN have a group of FROGS to thank for the new multi media library in their school. The group is the Friends of Ogbourne St George School, known as the FROGS. They raised the money for the school to have a new dedicated library area complete
-
Date
Charities link up to help victims of Swindon disease
TWO charities have joined forces to raise awareness of mesothelioma, dubbed the Swindon disease. Thousands of railway workers were exposed to asbestos while employed at the railway works and hundreds have contracted it. Now the June Hancock Mesothelioma
-
Date
Workmen find suicide victim
A pensioner killed himself because his wife had become ill. Anthony Higg, 67, left a note repeating his wedding vows before hanging himself in his garage. He was found at his home in Carlisle Avenue, Old Town by men who had come to check his boiler on
-
Date
A major push on minor offences
POLICE cracked down on minor offences as part of an operation in Swindon town centre. Police officers joined council staff and street wardens for the two Empowerment Days yesterday and Tuesday to make the town centre a cleaner safer place to be. Cyclists
-
Date
Log on to bid for soccer history
AN internet auction seller is hoping to turn around a quick buck with the sale of an old Swindon Town turnstile. The unusual piece of Town's history should be sold this evening on the internet auction website eBay after 10 days of bidding. The turnstile
-
Date
Join the team of volunteers
Picture Ref: 77710-296MANY potential volunteers may feel too busy at work to give up their free time to help others. But what happens if companies help their staff to volunteer? Across Swindon hundreds of workers get involved in community projects with
-
Date
Children get teeth stuck into light sabres
Thomas Wilmott, 5, at a mask workshop in the Outlet Village Picture Ref: 77689-12YOUNG Star Wars fans made light sabres out of balloons at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet village. The shopping centre in Swindon is playing host to seven days of activities
-
Date
Review for new permits
THE COUNCIL is to review its decision on phasing out second permits for residential parking. At a meeting of council cabinet members, coun-cillors were told a review of the phasing out of second permits for residents would be carried out six-months before
-
Date
You can't beat a good punch up
Dr Desmond MorrisWORLD renowned anthropologist Desmond Morris admits he likes watching a good fight on the TV show Big Brother. Dr Morris, who grew up in Swindon and is the author of the best selling book The Naked Ape, said he is fascinated with watching
-
Date
Full steam ahead for a wedding
The City of Truro at last year's Swindon Railway Convention Picture Ref: 72265-43STAFF at the Steam museum are polishing the brass and stoking the coals to celebrate a landmark birthday. It was just five years ago this month that Prince Charles opened
-
Date
Riders will be on the road to a record
CYCLISTS are gearing up for this weekend's Castle Bike Ride for the Swindon Cancer Appeal. Hundreds of cyclists are expected to turn up for the ride on Sunday. Last year's event raised around £8,300 and attracted about 300 riders but organisers of the
-
Date
Victim described as bad character
A JURY who will today try to decide if two men are guilty of attempting to murder a Swindon builder has been warned to be wary of the victim's evidence. The Honourable Mr Justice Jack cast doubt over the character of Vincent MacNamee who was stabbed and
-
Date
I'm confused
MS Jean Saunder's reply to my letter has left me baffled to say the least. I criticised her Save Coate web site for giving people from all over the world the opportunity to vote on issues that have nothing to do with them. These are local issues for Swindonians
-
Date
Suspicious
AFTER an Adver story regarding the desperate state of the road surface in Nythe Drive, I am pleased to say that part of the road has been completely resurfaced. Thanks to everyone concerned. But the cynic in me asks just how long it be before a utility
-
Date
Hidden agenda
PEOPLE who oppose the introduction of ID cards always parrot the line "it didn't stop the bombing in Madrid". But the ID cards in Spain are nowhere as sophisticated as the ones proposed for the UK, so this argument is false, and they know it. Further
-
Date
Pledge to make the town better
THE EA Pledge card campaign is becoming an annoyance. You had Melinda Messinger, Don Rogers and James Arkell in the newspaper bleating about Swindon. How many of these actually live here? Builder Gordon Moore stated Swindon is surrounded by countryside
-
Date
Foolish thinking
JAMES Gray MP thinks the invasion of the House of Commons by pro hunting fanatics was a minor thing. The law was clearly broken on that day, the evidence given in court points to a criminal conspiracy, and yet the culprits are being treated like little
-
Date
Gray had to go
IT is incredible your paper aired so much of James Gray's attempts to play down the fact that the Scottish Conservative Party were so incensed by his complete ineptitude, that they demanded he was sacked. Anyone suggesting otherwise should read the article
-
Date
Gray the victim
IT never ceases to amaze me what opponents of James Gray will fasten on to in their attempt to embarrass him as the Member of Parliament for North Wiltshire. This time, the usual suspects are represented by Mary Fallon (Gazette letters, May 26). Mr Gray
-
Date
Recruitment bid for volunteers
GAZETTE & HERALD: VOLUNTARY organisations from across the county will be gathering in Island Park, Chippenham on Saturday to take part in a recruitment drive for volunteers. Organisations taking part include the special constabulary, the fire brigade
-
Date
Royal date for daughter of haulage firm boss
GAZETTE & HERALD: PROUD dad Graeme McFaull will be looking on as his seven-year-old daughter Kirsten presents Princess Anne with a bouquet next Thursday to mark the opening of his firm's new European headquarters in Chippenham. Mr McFaull, the managing
-
Date
Views sought on local plan
GAZETTE & HERALD: CHIPPENHAM residents are being invited to air their views on the 2005-2015 community area plan, which is being launched in the town hall next Thursday. The event, from 7pm to 9pm, will give people the chance to find out about other
-
Date
Disc schemes work
HAVING recently returned from a visit to North Yorkshire I was pleasantly surprised to see in Thirsk and Yarm that their disc controlled parking continues successfully. Both small towns have heavily used on-street parking in the market squares and wide
-
Date
Thanks for support
A BIG thank you to all those involved on Thursday for the MS Flag Day, to all those who collected and all those who gave so generously. Also a big thank you to Wyn Guest for all her organisation and to Connie Thorne for her time collating the collection
-
Date
EastEnders star to film in North Wiltshire
GAZETTE & HERALD: FORMER EastEnder Tamzin Outhwaite could be spotted around Chippenham in the next few weeks as she films for a new two-part drama. Walk Away and I Stumble, billed as a love triangle with a twist, is being filmed around the town in
-
Date
Here comes summer
THE arrival of summer last Friday with its high temperature and south westerly breeze co-incided as it always does with the awakening from winter slumbers of the 'must light a bonfire and blow the environment and neighbours brigade. With the town's superb
-
Date
High Street is a mess
I AM writing to bring your attention to the disgraceful state of the pavements in Marlborough on some mornings. I walk up the High Street each morning and I often have letters to post. Some mornings it is almost impossible to post letters into the box
-
Date
Land sale pays for a new school extension
GAZETTE & HERALD: A £1.6 MILLION extension to Charter Primary School in Chippenham got underway this week. The extension will feature four new permanent classrooms to replace a number of existing mobile classrooms. There will also be a new play area
-
Date
Devastating blow
I AM utterly devastated to learn that despite thousands of objections building on the Quakers Walk in Devizes is to be allowed. I think this decision is as we all expected pessimistically, despite our protests. A school and 230 houses! A school is needed
-
Date
Feeding mums are victimised
IT was interesting to read your article Breastfeeding to be Promoted in the Gazette & Herald (May 12) stating that mothers across Wiltshire will be offered help and advice in giving their babies the best start in life by breastfeeding. The help and
