Archive
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Bus and car involved in crash near Devizes
EMERGENCY services were called to a crash involving a bus and a car yesterday afternoon on the A360 between Devizes and Potterne. The collision resulted in severe damage to a Daihatsu Sirion, driven by a woman. An ambulance was called to treat a woman
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Mervin Chapman
Mervin Chapman, a loving father, of six, died suddenly in the Packhorse pub, Chippenham, on July 3. Mr Chapman, 67, who had lived for 40 years in London Road, Chippenham, had suffered 11 heart attacks. He was born in Wilton but grew up in Corsham
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Peggy Stroud
Peggy Stroud, 82, worked at Maslins, Wootton Bassett’s former large department store, once the main High Street retailer. She was born in Clyffe Pypard, where she and her husband Don, who had begun courting in their teens, were married in 1948 in
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Lilian Till
Lilian Edna Till, (nee Hopkins) who was not expected to survive when she was born weighing only two-and-a-half pounds, has died at the age of 101. Mrs Till, known as Auntie Lil, lived in Wootton Bassett since the age of four. The family moved to
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David Fanshawe
David Fanshawe, who has died after suffering a stroke, was one of the UK’s leading composers and spent much of his life travelling the world recording ethnic music. Mr Fanshawe, 68, collapsed at his home near Ramsbury on June 28 and was rushed to
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We will miss all our Chippenham students
Small and intimate was the order of the day when Year 13 students from Abbeyfield School gathered to say goodbye to their friends and teachers. Around 55 sixth formers met at the Hilton hotel in Bath for the final social event of their school years last
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Fire breaks out at Wootton Bassett home
Fire crews were called to a blaze which broke out in an unoccupied bungalow which is being renovated. The fire started in the roof and then spread to the ground floor of the building in Milton’s Way, Wootton Bassett. No-one was hurt in the fire which
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Vital trike stolen from Wootton Bassett schoolboy
Devastation turned to total joy for Wootton Bassett schoolboy Daniel Wheeler, whose mobility trike was stolen last week. Callous thieves broke into the garden of the 14-year-old’s home and made off with the trike that gives him the independence to get
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CHIPPENHAM TOWN: "He's got to earn his stripes"
CHIPPENHAM Town manager Adie Mings says that new signing Nathan Rudge won’t be walking straight into his side. The 30-year-old defender agreed a deal to return to Hardenhuish Park on Monday night after leaving Tiverton Town last month.
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Misery for drivers as busy road in Chippenham shuts
Drivers will face around four weeks of delays on their way in to Chippenham when one of the town’s busiest roads is closed for resurfacing. The stretch of Rowden Hill from the Bridge Centre roundabout as far as the junction with Bath Road will be closed
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Armed police surround home at Calne
Armed police seized laptops and other electrical equipment, including an original Sony Walkman, during a raid on a house in Calne. The raid follows a series of burglaries and thefts from vehicles in the town over recent weeks and police are hopeful they
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Drug cops grab cash and pills in Chippenham
Police in Chippenham seized knives, nunchucks and a bow and arrow set when they raided five homes as part of a clampdown on violent and drugs-related crime yesterday morning. More than 20 officers from Chippenham and Trowbridge, as well as dog units
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Weapons grab by Chippenham Police
A hoard of weapons was seized by police in Chippenham when they carried out five simultaneous drugs raids yesterday. Officers confiscated ten different knives and swords and a bow with 15 arrows from an address in Kington Langley, as well as a set of
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ASDA pulls out of Chippenham
Plans to build a massive Asda store and hundreds of new homes in the centre of Chippenham have been withdrawn suddenly by a developer. Opinion over the controversial proposal to create a new supermarket on the Langley Park site has been divided over
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Marlborough store chain says sorry for delay
Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has written to every house in Marlborough confirming it is to mount a legal challenge to the decision to grant planning permission for Tesco to build a store in the town. It is going to apply for a judicial
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Run it or lose it at Pewsey
The people of Pewsey have been challenged to take over the running of its leisure centre or face losing it. Wiltshire Council’s review of its leisure provison has earmarked Pewsey’s sports centre and swimming pool for closure by 2015 unless a community
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Units at Malmesbury and Wootton Bassett are given an extra year
Two special educational needs schools in Malmesbury and Wootton Bassett could face closure under plans announced by Wiltshire Council. A review of facilities across the county means four centres will close and the facilities at Longleaze Primary School
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BARBURY HORSE TRIALS: Nicola buzzes at Barbury
NICOLA Wilson was full of praise for her ride Opposition Buzz after claiming top prize in the CIC*** at the Barbury International Horse Trials on Sunday. The 32 year-old’s victory in the weekend’s showpiece event sealed her place in the Great Britain
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CALNE TOWN: Toolstation First Division fixtures 2010-11
(Home matches in capitals) Aug 7: CADBURY HEATH Aug 11: KEYNSHAM TOWN Aug 21: ALMONDSBURY UWE Sept 4: Portishead Town Sept 11: Chard Town Sept 15: DEVIZES TOWN Sept 25: Bradford Town Sept 28: Keynsham Town Oct 2: ROMAN GLASS ST GEORGE Oct 9
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Step forward for Bishops Cannings Dash
Organisers have hailed the Bishops Cannings 5,000 metre dash as a success. The annual race co-incided with St Mary’s Church fete held in the grounds of Bishops Cannings Primary School on Saturday. There were 80 entrants in the dash, which is a unique
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Malmesbury's farewell to ‘one of the best years yet’
Students from Malmesbury School’s upper sixth enjoyed a final farewell last week at their end of year prom. More than 100 students rounded off their seven-year stint at Malmesbury with style. The event, entirely organised by the student
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Arrival is all when it comes to the ball at Pewsey
A stunning white carriage drawn by a matching pair of black horses stole the show at Pewsey Vale School Year 11 proms on Friday. The annual ball for the students who leave Pewsey Vale, which has no sixth form, has become a contest to see who
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New Zealand joins Marlborough's musical celebration
Two towns with the same name, one in Wiltshire, the other in New Zealand, were united at the jazz festival at the weekend. For the first time Marlborough, New Zealand, played a part in the Marlborough International Jazz Festival. Its Chamber of Commerce
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FOOTBALL: Devizes on the right track
DEVIZES Town chief Tommy Dryden believes his side’s Toolstation League preparations are on course after running the rule on a host of new faces in his opening summer friendlies. Dryden, handed the job of restoring the Nursteed Road club’s fortunes after
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Trad regulars a hit but what a squeeze at Marlborough
Pete Allen Jazz Band This trad band has become a fixture, missing out only once in 20 years and it attracts a dedicated following wherever it plays, this year at a new venue, a marquee at Old Lion Court. The Cotswold-based musicians
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BARBURY HORSE TRIALS: So close for Nicholson
LOCKERIDGE-based Andrew Nicholson was slightly disappointed to miss out on the CIC*** title at Barbury. The 49 year-old New Zealander had the fastest time of the day with Avebury but lost his overnight lead on Sunday with an unexpected run out at the
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Jive Aces at Marlborough
Jive Aces Claimed to be the UK’s number one jive and swing band, theAces played to a packed audience in the Priory marquee on Saturday afternoon. They are an effervescent six-piece band and have worked with Van Morrison and John Travolta
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BARBURY HORSE TRIALS: Strong showing pleases Tapner
AUSTRALIAN rider Paul Tapner was happy with a top-10 finish in the CIC*** event at Barbury. The 34 year-old finished seventh after Sunday’s cross country on Innothing, the same horse who he rode to victory in this year’s Badminton Horse Trials. Tapner
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DEVIZES TOWN: Toolstation First Division fixtures 2010-11
(Home matches in capitals) Aug 7: Chard Town Aug 10: MELKSHAM TOWN Aug 14: OLDLAND ABBOTONIANS Aug 21: Gillingham Town Aug 28: Cadbury Heath Sept 11: MERTHYR TOWN Sept 15: Calne Town Sept 25: Portishead Town Oct 2: BRADFORD TOWN Oct 9: Keynsham
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ATHLETICS: Loren vows to make amends for near-miss
MARSHFIELD’S Loren Bleaken admits she ran out of gas at the Aviva English Schools’ Track and Field Championships – but has vowed to ensure it never happens again. The 14-year-old reached the final of the junior girls 1500m after clocking 4:41.33 minutes
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Audiences captivated by vibrant rhythms in Marlborough
Sarah Ellen Hughes and Trio A vibrant, young combination of melodious vocals and traditional jazz with a modern twist. The fire station came alive with Sarah’s sensuous voice, pulling in more people to have a look. The musicians with her
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MELKSHAM TOWN: Toolstation First Division fixtures 2010-11
(Home matches in capitals) Aug 7: HENGROVE ATHLETIC Aug 10: Devizes Town Aug 21: CADBURY HEATH Aug 23: WESTBURY UNITED Sept 7: Shrewton United Sept 11: SHEPTON MALLET Sept 25: Merthyr Town Oct 2: GILLINGHAM TOWN Oct 5: Westbury United Oct 9:
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Crazy Kremlin crew crams in the fans at Marlborough
The Kremlinaires This madcap bunch of ex-Soviets who escaped to the West have become firm favourites. The band, whose singing accordionist is pictured below, performed to a packed crowd in the Old Lion Court marquee on Saturday evening.
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At 83, Buddy’s still a keyboard maestro in Marlborough
The last surviving member of Frank Sinatra’s legendary Rat Pack, American singer-pianist Buddy Greco, brought the 2010 Marlborough International Jazz Festival to an close on Sunday afternoon in sweltering conditions with a disappointingly small audience
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CHIPPENHAM TOWN: Youngster Nash to step-up
ADIE Mings was pleased to see members of his Chippenham Town squad back on the pitch as the Bluebirds warmed up with a 5-0 friendly win over Calne Town on Tuesday night. Mings fielded a mixed line-up, including triallists and youth players, as Chippenham
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The eat is on in Devizes Market Place
Food lovers were spoilt for choice at the Devizes Food and Drink Festival’s food fair on Saturday. Wonderful aromas drifted around the Market Place as local producers and those from further afield attracted the crowds. The food fair
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DAWSON: Facing a University challenge
WITH the Twenty20 taking over the domestic calendar in the last couple of months, if you are not in the side it is a bit of a quiet time. Unfortunately, that’s been the case with me in recent games, so I was looking forward to getting back into Hampshire
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Wiltshire show up and running after 40 years
Wiltshire County Show returned after nearly 40 years at the weekend and it was such a resounding success it will become a fixture on the calendar. More than 10,000 people turned up at the show held in tandem with Barbury Castle International
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CRICKET: Late stand saves the day for Chippenham
PAUL Bates was glad to see his Chippenham side come out on top after a tense five-wicket win over Ashcott and Shapwick on Saturday. After winning the toss, the visitors opted to bowl first with Rob Woodman taking three wickets. Richard Bates also claimed
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CRICKET: Perry sparkles as Biddestone go top
BIDDESTONE took top spot in the Glos/Wilts Division with a five-wicket win over Potterne on Saturday. Skipper Dwaine Perry hit 90 from 91 balls as his side leapfrogged Gloucester City Winget, who lost at Hatherley & Reddings. Biddestone won the toss
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CRICKET: Dennett rues below-par display
PETE Dennett conceded his Corsham side weren’t good enough as they slipped to a 135-run defeat to Weston-super-Mare on Saturday. Dennett won the toss and chose to bowl, with Quasim Khurshid taking four wickets for Corsham. Ashur Morrison and Will Collier
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CRICKET: No respite for Bassett
WOOTTON Bassett remain bottom of the Glos/Wilts Division after they were swept aside by local rivals Swindon. Mark Vincent’s side took to the crease first, with opener Jaggy Chahal hitting 39. Anis Ali was closest behind with just 14 as the Swindon
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CRICKET: Marshfield hold on
MARSHFIELD picked up their fourth win of the season with a narrow win over Trowbridge. Rupert Crockett led the way with 72 for the hosts, who won the toss and batted first. Toby Dorgan and Pete Hickerton took three wickets each but Marshfiel skipper
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CRICKET: Calne's Dan is determined to survive
NEW Calne captain Dan Knight insists his side have the talent to fight off relegation from the Wiltshire Division this season. Knight has taken over from former skipper Chris Downham and watched his struggling side lose by 103 runs at Marlborough. “
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Enter the dragon at Chippenham
Hundreds of rowers made a splash in Monkton Park on Saturday when they took part in the second annual Dragon Boat Festival. Sixteen teams decked out in matching T-shirts or fancy dress took to the river in colourful boats for three rounds of
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CRICKET: It's tight at the top for Goatacre
GOATACRE’S title bid could come down to a winner-takes-all clash at leaders Lechlade on August 7 after their ninth victory of the season. Lechlade maintained their summit position with a narrow victory over third-placed Winsley, whose title chances may
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CRICKET: Hat-trick hero Adam wins it for Devizes
ADAM Croutear took a last-gasp hat-trick as Devizes came out on top in a nervy clash with Malmesbury on Saturday. With the hosts needing 25 runs from 18 balls to win the game, Croutear’s three consecutive wickets sealed the victory for Jon Couch’s
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Vandals slash vital tyres at Calne
Full-time carer Peter Horne from Calne has hit out at the heartless vandals who slashed his car tyres leaving him and his disabled wife housebound. Mr Horne, 59, of Abberd Way, was devastated when he went to take his 16-year-old son Callum out on his
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Wiltshire towns challenged to run leisure centres
Leisure centres across Wiltshire are being threatened with closure unless community groups come forward to run them. Springfield Leisure Centre in Corsham, Pewsey Leisure Centre and Lime Kiln Leisure Centre in Wootton Bassett will be closed by 2015 unless
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Calne station up and running
Police in Calne lifted the lid on their brand new police station as they were joined by local school children for the official opening ceremony. The new building, which has been completed ahead of time and come in £150,000 under budget, will
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Top dogs to be stars of Hullavington show
Visitors to this year’s Emergency Services Show will get to see some of the country’s best trained dogs put through their paces. The police dog trials, led by the Wiltshire Police dog section, is a new attraction for the sixth show to be held at Hullavington
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Power changes hands in Wiltshire
NHS Wiltshire’s chief executive Jeff James has pledged that services in the county’s community hospitals will remain the same when they are transferred to new organisations. The Government’s radical shake-up of the NHS, announced on Monday, means that
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Former Devizes Hospital land up for sale
Part of the former Roundway Hospital site in Devizes is being marketed for £2.5 million. Estate agent Carter Jonas is marketing the 3.3 acres on behalf of receivers. The site used to house the former Katherine McNeile Clinic on the corner of Byron Road
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Long march home
Twelve members of the RAF Reserves Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron will tackle the daunting task of marching along Britain’s oldest road in the hope of raising £10,000 for Help For Heroes and Troop Aid. The aim is to walk 87.5 miles along the Ridgeway
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CORSHAM TOWN: Toolstation League Premier Division fixtures 2010-11
(Home matches in capitals Aug 7: WELTON ROVERS Aug 9: Hallen Aug 18: BRISLINGTON Aug 21: Odd Down Sept 7: Longwell Green Sports Sept 11: WILLAND ROVERS Sept 25: Dawlish Town Sept 29: HALLEN Oct 2: Larkhall Athletic Oct 9: WELLINGTON Oct
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Calne pupils' cakes raise £735
Students from St Dunstan’s Primary School in Calne have raised £735 selling cakes in aid of Help for Heroes. Selling began in November after the school council chose the services charity from a shortlist they had drawn up. Deputy head Mrs Helen Warrick
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Old soldier battles on with challenge
Endurance athlete Mike Buss is nearly a third of the way through his biggest challenge yet – running 100 marathons in 100 days in aid of the Gazette and Herald’s Help for Heroes appeal. The 36-year-old former soldier from Highworth is on day 31 of
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Night walk in Marlborough appeal
Prospect Hospice is appealing for women to take part and men to help marshal its 15k Starlight Walk on September 11. The hospice at Wroughton costs £4.5 million a year to run and relies on fund-raising and donations to top up its health service funding
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Devizes man in the money after find
Metal detector enthusiast Dave Crisp is delighted his name will be associated with one of the biggest finds of Roman coins in Britain. The 63-year-old, of Waylands, Devizes, became a media star after the story of his find of more than 52,000
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BOWLS: Misery for Wiltshire
WILTSHIRE failed miserably in their attempt to finish second behind Devon in the Middleton Cup group table, writes DAVE EATON. They slumped to a surprise 23-shot defeat against Gloucestershire at Barnwood as they went down 130-107. And they only picked-up
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No action against boater who struck lock
British Waterways is not going to take action against the boater who struck a lock gate on the Kennet and Avon Canal near Devizes causing £45,000 damage. The entire Caen Hill flight of locks was closed for over two weeks following the incident on June
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PC's live-saving act at Littleton Panell wins award
Hero cop PC Tom Kinderman has won a national bravery award for his part in saving a woman’s life when her car ended upside down in a stream near Littleton Panell. PC Kinderman, with a member of the public Paul Wiltshire, a Wessex Water engineer
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New staff recruited at Marlborough Hospital
Health boss Alison Knowles said two new staff had been recruited to work at Savernake Hospital in Marlborough, where half of the 24 beds have been closed due to a lack of staff. NHS Wiltshire, which operates the hospital, closed 12 beds at the end of
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Devizes wheelie-bin kitten saved
This cute kitten was condemned to a cruel death until she was plucked to safety by Kay Ainsley. Ms Ainsley was putting rubbish into a wheelie bin in Hillier Road, Devizes, when she heard meowing. In another bin she found a zipped up
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Nightmare finally ends for Urchfont couple
Melvin Riggs said he and his wife, Rose, can put behind them the nightmare of the last year. Mr Riggs, 59, was accused of eight charges of indecent assault and one charge of gross indecency with a girl, a family friend. The girl, now
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I felt like suicide said Urchfont man
Former builder Melvin Riggs told of how he contemplated suicide after he was charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a girl. Mr Riggs, 59, of The Croft, Urchfont, was cleared of all nine charges at Swindon Crown Court last week. He
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The New Inn, Lower Westwood
The New Inn sits at the entrance to the village of Westwood, near Bradford on Avon, and is both a cosy local and gastropub. It is believed to date from the 1750s, when thirsty wayfarers paying the toll at the turnpike might have dropped in
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Preview: Storm on the Lawn 2010 - Oliver Twist, Prior Park College, Bath
This powerful adaptation of Dickens’s classic novel, inspired by Victorian music hall, is the choice for this year’s Bath Theatre Royal outdoor summer school. The walls and ramparts of Ball Court at the college will be transformed into 19th-century alleyways
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Review: Calamity Jane, Wootton Bassett Light Operatic Society youth production
The future looks bright, thanks to the rising stars of WBLets, a youth section that brims with talent. Last week’s production of Calamity Jane, a Western musical based on the Doris Day film, was a resounding triumph for a cast with members
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Preview. O Blessed Art: Songs and Opera, Holy Trinity Church, Bradford on Avon. Saturday, July 31, 7.30pm
Inspired by the music of Germany and Austria, and some of the writing that stimulated it, the exciting programme features an attractive anthology by Schubert, Schumann and Mozart, as well as outstanding local performers Maria Garcia and Katharine
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Good clean fun raises £1,000 for Pewsey school
Easton Royal school’s summer fun evening was most certainly not a washout but more of a wash-up because some of the £1,000 raised will be going towards a new dishwasher for the school kitchen. The event, held at the school, was a huge success
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Tree cheers for Marlborough's Green Wave
Students at St John’s School, Marlborough, have taken part in a ceremony to plant an 18-foot high oak tree in a celebration timed to link in with other schools around the world. The tree planting was part of the Green Wave, an event organised
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Drowning not waving - the lighter side of family life
I’m wandering along a High Street with an hour to kill and a credit card limit not quite reached and wondering how I can turn this day off work into a bit of a treat. So far I have put out the bins, cleaned the cat lit tray, shouted at the cat for peeing
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Your memories ... of grammar school life
Last week’s Memory Lane sparked an e-mail from Ken Jenks who, with his wife, had been chatting with friends Gloria Chapman (nee Neate) and her husband Tony. They filled in more detail about some of the teachers in the photograph, which is reproduced
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An unlikely romance
One of the more unlikely romances, between the teenage daughter of an Army major and a German prisoner of war, is recounted in a heritage website. Despite initial opposition Yvonne Trevorrow and former PoW Hans Bittner married in Devizes in
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Two Afghan heroes flown back to RAF Lyneham today
The bodies of two servicemen killed in Afghanistan are to return to the UK today. The remains of Marine David Hart, 40 Commando, Royal Marines, and Bombardier Samuel Robinson, 5th Regiment, Royal Artillery, will arrive at RAF Lyneham for a private
