ON the day of the announcement of the electrification of the rail network between Paddington and Swansea, Prime Minister Gordon Brown tells the Swindon Advertiser why he believes this initiative will come as a major boost to passengers on the Great
WITH bacteria-ridden stalls, used sanitary products and wet floors, few could blame a mum for not wanting her daughter to use the toilets in Swindon bus station. However that is exactly what Kirsty Jones, a mother of four, from Bridport Road, Park North
AFTER an epic and costly legal battle, a top judge yesterday broke Wiltshire residents’ hearts when he refused to order the re-opening of a much-loved community hospital. Local people turned up in droves to support the campaign to save Savernake Hospital
A YOUNG Swindon side featuring triallists Stephen Morrison and Anton Ademole were beaten 2-0 at Chippenham Town tonight. Shaun Lamb and Sammy Allison scored the goals. Swindon Town starting XI: Mark Scott, Nathan Thompson, Will Evans
VIBRANT colours and costumes are to be modelled by representatives from around south Asia during this weekend’s Swindon Mela fashion show. The event, which is to take place on Saturday, from noon to 7pm, at the Town Gardens, in Old Town, will feature
AFTER an epic and costly legal battle, a top judge yesterday broke Wiltshire residents’ hearts when he refused to order the re-opening of a much-loved community hospital. Local people turned up in droves to support the campaign to save Savernake Hospital
PINEHURST Junior and Infants’ schools have closed forever, but will rise again as part of the flagship academy in September. The existing buildings in Beech Avenue will be bulldozed to make way for the new £35m Swindon Academy premises. Yesterday, parents
THE BBC’s Antiques Roadshow has postponed a filming trip to Swindon this autumn. The ever-popular Sunday evening programme was due to be at the Steam Museum on Thursday, October 15. Instead, the BBC plans to return next year. Series editor Simon Shaw
FISHING rods worth £25,000 were taken by three men in a late night raid. Thieves broke into Cotswold Angling, on the Kembrey Park Industrial Estate in Elgin, using a sledge hammer just before 10.30pm on Monday. They stole 250 rods, putting their haul
The long awaited sale of the Kingshill Estate, once owned by John Harding Sheppard, caused a lot of interest when it went under the hammer in September 1870. “The sale occupied several hours and presented a scene but seldom witnessed on such occasions
A WAR of words is expected at the Civic Offices this evening over new plans for libraries across Swindon. Swindon Council’s cabinet will vote on planned changes to three libraries, but Labour councillors are determined to fight to the end. As the Adver
ANOTHER storm of rain and Bruce Street bridges are flooded again. Why don’t the water engineers throw their computers into the flood water, get a cigar and put into the mouth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and give a slide rule. I bet he’d fix in no time
Football fan? Not caught up in Ashes fever? Summer can be a very dry time for the fanatic of the beautiful game, whether you love playing, watching, or combining both. Every second year is even harder to take, no Euro’s or World Cup to fill
FOR anyone who may be interested a petition is now on the Prime Ministers web site asking for a vote on the Lisbon Treaty, for anyone to read at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/votebritish/ Please spread the word. F E SHARPE Elburton Road Plymouth
West Wales brewing entrepreneur Simon Buckley has acquired the remains of Archers of Swindon for an undisclosed sum. Archers, which until March this year brewed in Swindon, went into administration following a period of difficult trading.
HAYDON Wick Parish Council has launched a campaign to re-connect with its constituents after regaining a full set of representatives. For the first time in six years the council has a complete team of 18 members, after it successfully filled all vacant
A FACEBOOK petition calling on Swindon Council to include a multi-purpose concert hall in its town centre regeneration plans has been a big hit. Gordon McKay, from Taw Hill, is behind the poll, which has been signed by almost 4,800 people so far.
A SWINDON school has been given an award for making lessons easier for dyslexic children. St Luke’s School, in Cricklade Road, has received the British Dyslexia Association Quality Mark. And Orchid Vale primary school has also been recognised for its
THE 1970s and 80s may have been a barren period for the Robins, but stalwart Malcolm Holloway says it was still a privilege to ride in Swindon colours. The Blunsdon outfit failed to win a single team trophy during that period, despite possessing
Firefighters had to tear holes in a church roof to fight a suspicious blaze last night. And one firefighter sustained minor injuries during the operation, at Holy Trinity Church in Shaw at about 5.30pm. Watch video footage of the firefighters
EIGHT people had to be rescued by firefighters after getting stuck in a lift for almost an hour. Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the Paramount Apartments, in Beckhampton Street. A spokeswoman said one crew from Drove Road in Swindon
VETERAN Rudi Deitrich topped the field by a large margin in the recent Golden Carp match held on Walters Lake. The 84-year-old amassed 71lbs 8oz of carp all caught on the meat from the South Cerney venue to see off nearest rival, Eric Bizley (40lb 14ozs
WHAT deluded world is Coun Derique Montaut living in? He claims that the recent council decision to defer offering a ballot on the future of the housing stock is a u-turn. About two weeks ago, the Government announced that the system for financing council
A PENSIONER has accused a water company of neglect after his 75-year-old wife fell down a manhole in their garden when its cover collapsed as she stood on it. Lawrence Holgate, 85, of Whitworth Road, Pinehurst, said his wife, Inez, is lucky
AN investigation is under way into the death of a man who fell through a roof while at work. John Wheeler, 61, from Cheney Manor, was working on the roof of an industrial unit at Hawksworth Industrial Estate when he fell at 11am on Monday.
COULD I through your newspaper ask the schools in the borough whether they adopt a policy of handing out smoking cessation products to children without parental consent or knowledge. If they do then perhaps they ought to be made aware of the case of a
Egyptian Canal Zone reunion May 2010 Friday, May 7 to Friday, May 14 2010 SINCE my retirement I have organized reunion visits to the Canal Zone area in Egypt. I was called up for National Service in 1954 and was posted to Egypt
TONIGHT sees the County Ground host England Ladies’ final warm-up game before they fly out to Finland for this year’s European Championships, writes STUART SMEDLEY. It promises to be a cracker too, as they face Denmark, who sit three places above England
A LANDMARK town centre building could become a mecca for music in Swindon. The Adver has learnt that Swindon Council has been in discussions to turn the former Mecca bingo hall site, in Regent Circus, into a live music venue. The news
WALKING into Da Vinci restaurant was a real blast from the past. The decor is modern and fresh but I couldn’t help being transported back to the late 1970s. For I was greeted by the ever-charming Antonio D’Azzo who I first met all those
The last time we went to Belfast – three years ago – there was a great big hole in the middle of it. Now it’s been filled – and with spectacular results. At £400 million, Victoria Square is one of Northern Ireland’s most expensive and dramatic developments
MARK Brown blasted 102 not out as KC Club kept up the pursuit on leaders Devizes with a three-run victory over Hinton Charterhouse in Division One of the Surridge Sport Wiltshire League. Brown’s unbeaten century was backed up by a knock of 48 from Scott
LAST week I was fortunate enough to visit the Bright Start nursery in Penhill as part of Douglas Alexander and Jim Knight’s visit to Swindon. It was a fantastic visit to a fantastic community facility and it had a real impact upon me. This facility is
YOUR correspondent Kelly Slade suggests there should be a meat free day (SA, July 16), indeed she suggests Monday as being a good day on which to observe such a restriction. However I can advise that a meat free day actually already exists and has been
WILTSHIRE have made one change ahead of their Minor Counties Championship match against Herefordshire at Corsham on Sunday. Wes Durston returns in place of Joe Breet as Wiltshire look to bounce back from their defeat to Cornwall. Wiltshire team: James
I AM writing to you during these times when young teenagers seem to attract only bad press, to praise a group of young people from Swindon Academy. I was out on a trip to Lydiard Park on Friday afternoon (July 17) with a group of six to seven-year-old
A DISABLED woman from Swindon has won millions of pounds in compensation nearly 25 years after her botched birth. A London High Court judge heard that Anne Jones and her husband, Christopher, were doing their best to care for daughter Lucy when an occupational
I AM writing on behalf of the Meningitis Trust to say thank you to those who took part in our two 36-hour Three Peaks Challenges on May 15-17 and July 10-12; scaling the highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales in order to raise vital sponsorship
GOATACRE’S 18-run victory over Purton was closer than anticipated, after a fine seventh-wicket stand between Mark Gardner and Malcolm Samsun put the visitors on the brink of victory. Samsun came to the crease with Purton reeling at 76-6 as they chased
LECHLADE stormed to an eight-wicket victory in their crucial relegation battle at Wootton Bassett, the win moving them up two places in the Glos/Wilts Division table, writes Stuart Smedley. However, despite tearing through their hosts - bowling them
SWINDON police need the public’s help in eliminating this man from their inquiries after a theft of a black Mercedes ML320 car. The vehicle was reported stolen on Monday, April 20, from a property in the Old Town area of Swindon. Police say it is unclear
THREE cars collided in a rush-hour smash just outside Swindon. A black BMW 320 estate, a silver Vauxhall Vivaro and a silver Nissan were involved in an accident at about 9am yesterday. It happened on the B4019 between Highworth and Blunsdon near the
DANNY Wilson was full of praise for Jonathan Douglas’ moment of magic as Town beat Luton 1-0 in their latest pre-season friendly last night. The midfielder grabbed the only goal of the game at Kenilworth Road midway through the second half
A SICK toddler is in quarantine after being put into isolation with a swine flu patient at Swindon’s Clover Centre. Chloe Bartlett of Welcombe Avenue, Park North, has myasthenia gravis, a muscular dystrophy-linked illness so serious that a
STRATTON'S Ajay Kumar (88*) top-scored in Division One of the Monahans Midweek Cricket League. But his team made just 135-5 after Ian Lancaster wreaked havoc. Joe Lukens (57) and Anis Ali (41) guided Wootton Bassett to an eight-wicket victory. Compton
BUSINESSES in South Marston have been left surprised to hear that a neighbouring recycling business had been named as part of an investigation into allegedly hazardous waste that stretched from Britain to Brazil. Last week, Brazil’s Institute
STEVE Thompson’s letter of July 14, 2009 states would UKIP in the unlikely event form a government or join in a more likely event join with the Tories in a government hold a referendum on the issue of EU membership. The answer in the first event I would
JAMIE Cox will be taking his magical memories of Arturo Gatti into the ring on Friday night, knowing he must avoid the legend’s pitfalls if he is to fulfil his own ambitions of becoming a welterweight king. Cox’s childhood hero was found dead
CHERNO Samba and Scott Spencer will not be offered County Ground contracts after failing to impress while on trial at Swindon. Spencer was released by Everton in the summer, while former England youth frontman Samba has been without a club
AFTER nearly 40 years of service, lollipop lady Dorothy Painter has stopped traffic for the last time. The 72-year-old grandmother-of-two retired from guiding children to and from Shrivenham Primary School for 39 years on Friday. Pupils
PERFORMERS are putting the finishing touches on their cultural dance routines as this weekend’s Swindon Mela fast approaches. The final dress rehearsal for Gujarati folk dancers – a tightly knit group of friends, cousins, mothers and daughters, ranging
