Archive

  • Adults and youngsters urged to join walking festival

    THE Swindon Festival Of Walking gets under way on Monday and residents are being urged to put an extra spring in their step. A host of free walks has been planned during the festival, which runs from May 14 until May 24, and will cater for all ages and

  • Sewage leak family hit by sickness bug

    FAMILIES affected by a burst sewer pipe are set to be relieved of their misery by the weekend after Thames Water received emergency planning permission to take action. Engineers from the water company started work on the sewer pipe in Liden yesterday

  • Riding high in loving memory of dad

    MEMORIES of her father will be spurring on Kirsty Mapes when she gets in the saddle for the British Heart Foundation’s Wiltshire Bike Ride in September. The 24-year-old, of Eldene, will be taking part in the fundraiser on Sunday in memory of her dad

  • Festival honours town poet

    WRITER Alfred Williams may be nicknamed the Hammerman Poet, but as the Swindon Festival of Literature audience discovered, he could equally be called the English renaissance man. Williams (1877-1930), who lived in South Marston, left school before the

  • Mum targeted by thief at cemetery

    MUM Jade O’Connor is devastated after a thief stole her precious family keepsakes from her locked car while she was at a cemetery in Pinehurst. The 25-year-old was at the grave of her grandparents, Danny and Bridie O’Connor, at Whitworth Road Cemetery

  • Bobbies all ready to tweet

    BOBBIES are getting ready to go on the tweet next week as the police aim to reach out to the public through social networks. Wiltshire Police are launching Tweet Week in order to connect with the public in readiness for one of the busiest summers in

  • A couple from Swindon find peace and harmony in India

    FOR most of us, starting the working day with an outdoor breakfast would be a brave move. Oh, we might get lucky and pick a morning when there’s no rain, but even in high summer the days don’t warm up properly until after clocking-on time. To take our

  • Thief broke into my car as I tended grave

    MUM Jade O’Connor is devastated after a thief stole her precious family keepsakes from her locked car while she was at a cemetery in Pinehurst. The 25-year-old was at the grave of her grandparents, Danny and Bridie O’Connor, at Whitworth Road Cemetery

  • They call it puppy love

    THEY SAY giving birth is the most painful thing you will ever go through. So spare a thought for three-year old Great Dane Jazz, who has just given birth to an eye-watering 19 pups in an exhausting 15-hour labour at her home in Shrivenham Road. Owners

  • Share your tales of love and marriage

    Testimony Films are making a three-part series for the BBC on the history of love and marriage in Britain. We are especially keen on memories of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, particularly the following experiences: Were you a couple who chose cohabitation

  • Don’t blame Labour for all the problems

    Again and again on TV, radio and in the papers, the Tories and the Tory Liberals blame the last Labour Government for our financial plight today. And as we have seen in the past 12 months the Tory solution as always, is to cut support to the old and

  • No hospital help for disabled parkers

    I had an appointment at the GWH early on April 16. There were no disabled parking spaces to be found and, as I have difficulty and pain when walking, I need to be within reasonable distance of my destination. I am in receipt of a blue badge to facilitate

  • Soldiers deserve a rebate on their tax

    With a number of soldiers returning home to Swindon from a six-month tour of Afghanistan, it is disappointing to discover that Swindon Borough Council has decided to use its discretionary powers to avoid giving them the partial refund of six months’ council

  • Tribute to the Big O

    Barry Steele presents his all live spectacular multi-media tribute to The Big O, featuring classic Orbison hits, at Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre on Friday, May 25. The show stretches from the 1960s right through to the late 1980s when Roy joined a band of

  • The importance of being earnest about cash

    It Could Be You, a piece of theatre based around the importance of hard cash, is presented next week by Purton Drama Club. The play is performed on May 16 and 17 from 7.30pm at Bradon Forest Theatre. Directed by Philippa Bradfield, It

  • Scoop tickets to see psychic show

    We’ve got two pairs of tickets to see psychic medium Tony Stockwell when he brings his show to Swindon. From an early age Tony says he was aware of seeing people that others could not see. It was common for him to hear his name being called

  • The Chef's Table

    This week, it’s the turn of Darren Brain, 42, chef at The Cross Keys in Wanborough Tel: 01793 790392 When did you first take an interest in cooking, and when did you decide you wanted to become a chef? I first took an interest in cooking at school

  • Thai to die for

    STEPHANIE TYE whets her appetite for a holiday to Thailand with some authentic cuisine... in Wroughton EAT AT: The Check Inn, Woodland View, Wroughton. Tel: 01793 331428 Food served noon to 3pm and 5pm to 10pm Monday

  • Bearing up with a famous pair

    Those little pandas are one giant reason to visit Scotland. BARRY LEIGHTON found a few others too Edinburgh’s most celebrated couple may not be as amorously entangled as say, Romeo and Juliet – at least not yet – but they are certainly toying with

  • Sounds around town with Dave Franklin

    There is a bit of a coup up at The Victoria tonight when none other than Jazz Morley is the headline act. For the uninitiated, Ms Morley is an amazing vocalist who manages to mix strength and control with sensuality and fragility whilst getting comparisons

  • A night with the king

    Pull on your Blue Suede Shoes and Shake, Rattle And Roll down to the Wyvern Theatre on Saturday for a two-hour spectacular based on the songs of Elvis Presley. On Tour With Elvis Live 2012 creates the essence of a Presley gig, with all the glitz and

  • Irish folk favourites

    Two young, enterprising musicians, Finbar and Eddie Furey, started performing Irish folk songs when they were just nine-years-old, busking on trains when they went to football matches or the race course. Finbar was given a bag and chanter, a half set

  • Said leaves Town

    MIDFIELDER Abdul Said has left Swindon Town after failing to land a new deal with the club. The teenager was handed a six-month professional contract last summer after impressing for the youth and reserve sides at the County Ground, but has been unable

  • Opera to the masses

    THE first of this summer’s BP Big Screen performances can be seen at Wharf Green next Thursday, when Puccini’s La Bohème is shown live from London’s Royal Opera House. It has been 25 years since the first Big Screen broadcast in 1987, when hundreds of

  • Shattering illusions

    BARRIE HUDSON previews a magic show at the Wyvern, where secrets are shared DARK comedy illusionists Barry and Stuart bring their Show and Tell to the Wyvern Theatre tomorrow. Sometimes compared favourably to American magicians Penn and

  • The ideas just keep coming

    WRITER and performer extraordinaire Andy Hamilton comes to the Wyvern Theatre next Wednesday. He’s a familiar face on our screens thanks to appearances on comedy panel shows such as QI and Have I Got News For You, as well as writing and starring as the

  • 400 jobs to go as drugs firm winds down Swindon operation

    PHARMACEUTICAL giant Patheon has announced it is to wind down its operation in the town - putting more than 400 jobs at risk of redundancy. The US-based firm told staff at its Dorcan Way headquarters this week they will begin a consultation

  • Thoughts of pre-season won't spoil Risser's summer

    OLIVER Risser is not going to let the thought of a Paolo Di Canio pre-season spoil his summer break. The Namibian played a prominent part in Swindon’s rise to the top of League Two this term, making 40 appearances in his first season in English football

  • Wray recovering at home

    SWINDON Town’s interim chairman, Jeremy Wray, is recuperating at home following his release from hospital. Wray was admitted to Newbury Hospital on Saturday suffering from severe leg pain and was transferred to Reading on Sunday when his condition

  • Hospital workers announce new strike

    GMB has given notice of another day of strike action at Great Western Hospital. The union, which represents approximately 130 Carillion workers in the housekeeping department at GWH, have already taken 18 days of strike action. They claim that

  • Farm goes up in flames

    The devastated owners of Roves Farm were left to pick up the pieces today after a huge blaze destroyed the visitors’ centre. Firefighters were called out at midday yesterday, but it was too late to save the focal point of the tourist attraction

  • Students kicked out for theft, racism - and carrying weapons

    SWINDON Academy suspended 85 students between 2010 and 2011 for misdemeanours including fighting, racism and bringing weapons on to its premises. Fixed-term exclusions for disruptive behaviour were given to 30 students, with persistent poor behaviour

  • Tributes pour in for loved coach

    TRIBUTES have been paid to a popular youth football coach whose love for the game meant all players got a chance to improve, regardless of their ability. Gary Else, 52, died peacefully at his home in Highworth on April 18. He was a well-known

  • Talented teenage busker ends on high note

    TEENAGER Tamsin Ball, who busked in the town to raise money for Help For Heroes, raised a total of £666. Tamsin, 17, stopped off in the town during her journey to London’s O2 Arena, which saw her finish in fourth place from more than 8,000 entries in

  • Honk talks, and so does comedian Alex

    COMEDIAN and renegade wordsmith Alex Horne enthralled a Swindon Festival of Literature audience with a show that, in his parlance, was well worth the honk. The Radio 4 regular is on a mission to change the face of the English language by planting new

  • Sian's family face agonising wait for murder trial

    THE FAMILY of Sian O'Callaghan still face an agonising wait after a provisional murder trial date was set for January next year. Christopher Halliwell, who is accused of murdering the popular 22-year-old last March, appeared via video link from HMP Long

  • Hospice will be discussing death

    PROSPECT Hospice will be among the thousands of groups holding events focused on death next week. It is one of more than 15,000 members of a national coalition called Dying Matters, which aims to change public knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards

  • Audience blown away by musical about vanished legend

    THE AIR filled with the sounds of classic band tunes this week when Bugle Boy came to the Wyvern Theatre. Bugle Boy traces the life of the great American bandleader Glenn Miller and is a poignant love story which follows Glenn meeting his high-school

  • Young people can line up a brighter future

    SWINDON College has teamed up with Inner Flame to help unemployed people across the town. The college, in North Star, and the teenage personal development charity are running The Prince’s Trust Team programme, designed to change the lives of young people

  • Enjoy a tasty treat and help save Mela

    A RESTAURANT owner is helping to raise funds for the Swindon Mela. Rokib Ali, who owns Biplob in Wood Street, Old Town, will be running special lunchtime and evening fundraising sessions on May 14 with all proceeds going to help fund the Swindon Mela

  • Get your skates on for roller disco fun

    FAMILIES can get their skates on tomorrow as the cult of the Roller Disco comes to town. The event, at the MECA, is being held after the first event in April sold out. A spokesman for MECA said: “We will be putting the fun back into going out as a family

  • Workers take action over pension erosion

    SCORES of Wiltshire’s public sector workers will be taking industrial action today against the unrelenting onslaught on their pensions by the government. Workers in the NHS, including a small number from the Great Western Hospital, and the Ministry

  • The new Tipple fit for a queen

    FAMILY brewers Arkell’s have created a Tipple fit for royalty to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Yesterday, in preparation for the historic event next month, Arkell’s began brewing Queen’s Tipple – so called because of the Tipple Malt head

  • Battle begins over site for 700 homes

    LAWYERS locked horns yesterday on the first day of a planning inquiry to decide whether to build up to 700 homes at Ridgeway Farm, close to Purton. Developer Taylor Wimpey is appealing against Wilt-shire Council’s refusal of permission for the development

  • Town set for week of safety action

    PEOPLE living in Swindon’s town centre are being asked to identify problems in their area ahead of a multi-agency crackdown next week. The Week Of Action, which is being co-ordinated by Swindon Community Safety Partnership will run from Monday, May 14

  • Robins washed out again

    SWINDON'S home clash against Eastbourne in the Elite League tonight has been postponed due to a waterlogged track. The club was hopeful of getting the meeting on after their previous seven meetings were beaten by the weather, but heavy overnight

  • Steady ready for return

    SIMON Stead is doing all he can to make sure he stays sharp during Swindon Robins’ enforced break from action, but he is desperate to get back on the bike as soon as possible. The Robins’ last seven meetings have all fallen victim to the weather

  • McCormack - Stars will stick with Di Canio

    SWINDON Town will not let go of any of their star players as long as Paolo Di Canio is manager, according to Alan McCormack. After claiming the League Two title in style, the Robins now have their eyes set on conquering League One when competitive football

  • Fredericks moves closer to an Olympic place

    LITTLE Cheverell rider Clayton Fredericks’ chances of an Olympic place moved a step closer with a win at the Jardy CIC*** one-day international in France. The 44-year-old, already an Olympic silver medallist, rerouted after the cancellation of Badminton

  • SKATER HOCKEY: Stars almost break Cardiff Voodoo

    SWINDON Stars came close to pulling off one of the biggest shocks of the season in the third round of the BISHA South West Senior League at Dorcan Leisure Centre. Stars were up against the early pace-setters Cardiff Voodoo and pushed the league