SWINDON’S new mayor, Rex Barnett, has offered volunteer work placements to two college students to help him with his fundraising ahead of his mayoral year. And it will provide them with hands on work experience in event management, fundraising and public
THE Wiltshire Show will be making a return this summer, running alongside the Barbury International Horse Trials at Barbury Castle near Swindon. The event will take place on Sunday, July 11 featuring rural crafts, food exhibitions, cookery, heavy horses
WITH the World Cup in South Africa just around the corner, football crazy children in Swindon are being given the chance to show off their soccer skills. The town has organised an all day World Cup-themed Football Festival, welcoming a host of youthful
SWINDON firefighters will head to Wembley Stadium on Friday hoping their fundraising efforts will be recognised. Drove Road fire station has been nominated in the Fire Fighters’ Charity Spirit Of Fire Awards after raising £65,000 in a year-long 50-4-
DRIVERS are being asked to come forward to support a community bus service. Haydon Wick parish council is currently seeking a volunteer to drive its community bus and provide transport for elderly and disabled people within the area. The driver would
GOING back a bit, I did enjoy Michael Wills Swindon Adver’ articles, Brunel Would Be Proud and What Lies Ahead (SA 01 and 11 February 2010). I’m sure Mr Brunel would be very proud of Swindon’s achievements over the last 13 years; the new industries, new
LESS than three weeks into the life of this coalition and we have David Laws resigning in disgrace over another expenses scandal. This shows that this coalition is just as corrupt as the previous parliament. New parliament but same old expenses scandal
Residents from a care home took part in a 24-hour dart-a-thon. The Cedars residential home for the elderly is based in Purton and two of the carers, Richard Sawyer and Angela Franklin, organised the darts marathon to pull in some money for the
I WISH to respond to the letter from the Crouch family about flood risk from the Haydon Brook. We are as disappointed as the Crouch family that the Environment Agency (EA) has been so slow to provide a suitable response to the flooding that occurred
I HAVE just returned from buying shoes for my five year old son in the Outlet Village where we had the unfortunate experience of meeting a very rude, ignorant couple. My son was half sat/lying back on one stool with his arm a little on to the next one
THE iPad made its Swindon debut last week as Apple released its latest technological innovation in the UK. The much coveted ‘tablet’ computer was available at Western Computer, in Brunel Plaza and sold its supply of more than 60 in the first day. The
BILLY Paynter has agreed to join Leeds United and will link up with the newly-promoted Championship side on July 1. The 26-year-old striker, who is out of contract at Town this summer and had been offered an improved deal, will move to Elland
UP to 20 organisations that use volunteers in Swindon are taking part in an event to promote the value of giving up your free time to help others next week. Volunteer Centre Swindon, which matches individuals and groups interested in volunteering with
ONE-handed concert pianist Nicholas McCarthy dropped into Swindon meet brave toddler Morgan Sharpe. Nicholas performed at a charity concert at New College to raise money for the charity that has helped little Morgan. The pianist agreed
THE Central Community Centre in Emlyn Square is to host a forum for voluntary and community groups. The event, organised by Voluntary Action Swindon for Tuesday, June 8, will look at current issues facing the voluntary sector including the Gateway Project
DEDICATED ground engineers at RAF Lyneham aim to cycle across Britain in a bid to raise more than £100,000 for Help for Heroes. The six staff, who maintain the C130 Hercules aircraft at the base, hope to pedal about 960 miles from John O’Groats to Land
RE the never-ending stream of MPs, Cabinet ministers etc caught with their hands in the till committing blatant fraud, never investigated by the government agencies that bring full power to bear on the ordinary members of the public. Those not so honourable
MAY I through the letters page thank some of the supporters (I use that word loosely) who ruined my day out at Wembley. I took my wife and granddaughter to the match hopefully to see our town’s team come away victorious. I have no doubt that we will
STAFF at Nationwide, the UK’s biggest building society and one of Swindon’s largest employers, are facing up to the fact that there could be more redundancies. This comes after the society saw its profits fall by almost 50 per cent. As reported in
FUNDRAISERS took to the hills and managed to raise more than £1,800 for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. A team of 40 people walked several miles during laps around Chelworth Fields Livery Yard in Cricklade on Bank Holiday Monday to raise cash for the charity
THE Government scrappage scheme has given Honda’s South Marston factory a major boost. Honda dealers up and down the country reported increased levels of business as drivers, keen to reap the benefits of the scheme, traded in their old vehicles
POLICE in Swindon are appealing for the next of kin of Winifred Emily West to come forward. The coroner’s officers at Swindon are currently dealing with the death of Mrs West, 97, who was living at 12 Station Road, Chiseldon, at the time of her death
NOWHERE in your 32-page special Play-off supplement on Saturday could I find an explanation of why the Town relinquished their usual red shirts for white ones. Was it a club, FA or Football League decision? Whoever was responsible it was surely a wholly
I AM a proud season ticket holder at Swindon Town and even though I am disappointed with the result at Wembley I appeal to all fans to look at the wider picture. We have come a long way in a short period of time. The progress under Wilson and the board
I WOULD like to comment on how disappointed I was with my trip to Wembley last Saturday. My husband has been a season ticket holder for the last two years and takes my six year old grandson as well. He started going when he was just five and there is
A MAN who drowned in the bath on Christmas Eve had drunk a large amount of alcohol. Matthew Piechowicz, 40, of The Paddocks, Lower Stratton, was discovered in his bathroom by his family with a bottle of vodka and a glass nearby on December 24 last year
PLANS to build 273 homes on the site of the former Hreod Parkway School in Swindon were given the go-ahead by councillors last night. Barratt Homes applied to redevelop the site, in Akers Way, Moredon, and build 35 flats and 188 houses for
I HAVE just received my paper. Can you please tell me why 11 pages were necessary to tell the people of Swindon that they lost? The better side won. I do not understand why we are bombarded with all this football hysteria about a game that requires grown
A MOTHER has said people who continue to vandalise the site where her son died are practically dancing on his grave. Caroline Hannah, 36, of Old Walcot, lost her seven-year-old son Tyrese when he was struck by a speeding car in Drove Road,
Swindon Talent ’10 kicks off this week and, due to popular demand, we have now decided to throw the competition open to those who have entered in the last two years. Many budding stars were hugely disappointed not to enter this year so the
The Messenger demonstrated just why they sit at the summit of the Swindon St Josephs 6-a-side league as they comfortably saw off the challenge of Booya, by five goals to two. God With An Extra ‘O’ are keeping the leaders in close comfort however
POLICE were out on the streets of Swindon last night, exactly a month after a woman was seriously sexually assaulted in her home. Officers were speaking to people who might have been in the area at the time of the incident. They had
LIFESAVERS from Swindon have been honoured by the Ambulance service. Three men from Swindon were among the 100 people celebrated at the Great Western Ambulance Service Chief Officer’s Awards ceremony held in Bath. Ambulance practitioner
DESPITE the remainder of the Wiltshire and West of England cricket fixture list being wiped out due to rain, Purton’s match at Winsley got the green light, only for the elements to play a major role in proceedings. Purton captain Mark Gardner was left
ROBBIE Williams’ hairdresser hanged himself in the face of mounting debt, a recent bereavement and following a row with his long-term partner. Aaron Vickers, 25, of Pulsar Road, Oakhurst, was found by a teenager on December 1 last year in woodland
CRAIG Easton explained his surprise after being handed the opportunity to extend his County Ground stay yesterday. The midfielder is one of four Town players who will spend the next few weeks mulling over contract offers, with their current deals set
WALCOT'S end of season boxing show at the Premier Club in Stratton was a huge success with a large crowd enjoying 15 bouts. The newly-crowned Miss Swindon, Emma-Jayne Slater, was on hand to present the trophies alongside the club’s main sponsor
WHILE Town’s play-off final defeat at Wembley on Saturday prompted tears of disappointment on the pitch and in the stands, the emotion for one player went far deeper than just 90 minutes of football. Lecsinel Jean-Francois had been battling to come to
ANDREW Fitton believes Billy Paynter’s County Ground departure is “inevitable”, as Town’s top scorer gets set for a move to Leeds United next month. The 29-goal striker is almost out of contract and can therefore walk away from the club on a free transfer
