BRITAIN’S Got Talent finalists will be hoping to hit all the right notes when they take to the stage in front of clubbers. Boyband The Mend will be performing and meeting fans at Bushwackers on June 3, following in the footsteps of cast members
UNEMPLOYMENT in the south west has fallen to 175,000 amid a drop nationally between January and March. Across the country, numbers fell by 45,000 to 2.63 million people or 8.2 per cent. Youth unemployment also fell by 17,000 to 1.02m or an unemployment
TODAY’S annual general meeting of Swindon Council is tipped to be the most interesting in years. Normally the AGM, to be held at the Civic Offices at 2.30pm, is a ceremonial meeting to welcome the new councillors and select the cabinet, council leader
THEY have won dozens of rosettes and trophies and even beat Britain’s Got Talent winner Ashleigh Butler at a competition. And now dog trainer Ali Buck is hoping people across the town will take up the chance to get their paws on dog dancing lessons with
RESPONSES from letters to the Queen, Waitrose and the Old War Office had the audience in stitches when John Summers took to the stage at the Arts Centre. John told the 15-strong crowd about the hundreds of letters and their replies which he has published
RESPONSES from letters to the Queen, Waitrose and the Old War Office had the audience in stitches when John Summers took to the stage at the Arts Centre. John told the 15-strong crowd about the hundreds of letters and their replies which he has published
THE TROUSERS that held the hips that rocked the world will go on sale in Swindon tomorrow. Originally belonging to none other than Elvis Presley, the item of clothing is set to cause a stir among fans of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll when they go on sale
WATCHING his father die from a heart attack at the age of 52 has spurred North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson to get emergency lifesaving skills on the national curriculum. Justin was just 12 when his dad Paul had a heart attack. Paul had gone to a shop
A CHARITY recycling centre has received a £20,000 boost from a grant which will see it expand and take on disadvantaged young people. Swindon Scrapstore Reuse Centre has secured the funding over a two-year period from the Lloyds TSB Foundation to set
SWINDON Council is seeking to adopt a road which would be the access route for the planned development of nearly 250 homes in Gorse Hill. Haboakus aims to build 241 homes on the former allotment site Pickards Small Field and the Kembrey Grass open space
Congratulations Councillor Tray on your re-election. Whether all residents of Upper Stratton, who you claim to represent, turned out to vote or not, we all have to agree this is good old fashioned British democracy working in the true sense of the word
IN a cabinet in a Swindon living room, two Diamond Jubilee mugs are separated by a couple of inches of shelf space and 41,986 days. One commemorates our Queen’s celebration on Tuesday, June 5, and the other that of her great great grandmother, Victoria
DESPITE being best known as Boycie in Only Fools and Horses, John Challis chose the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon, rather than the streets of Peckham, to begin a look back at a life in acting. The year is 1966 and the cast are more interested in England
PHIL Smith has confirmed that he is set to leave Swindon Town after his current deal expires this summer. The goalkeeper joined the Robins from Crawley in July 2006 and went on to make 132 appearances in all competitions for the Wiltshire club
A very precise ritual for the lighting of the Flame is followed at every Games. It is lit from the sun’s rays at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, in a traditional ceremony among the ruins of the home of the Ancient Games. After a short relay around Greece
Q: Will the Flame always be visible? A: No, the Torch Relay will travel in two different ways – convoy mode, when it will be inside a vehicle and not visible, and torchbearer mode, when it will be carried by the Olympic torchbearers and on public display
Royal Wootton Bassett 12.32am, May 23 HAND prints from residents in Royal Wootton Bassett will be lining the route when the flame passes through the town. The community has been printing copies of their hands to mark the occasion, which will also
Chiseldon 11.57am, May 23 EXCITEMENT is building for pupils at Chiseldon Primary School, who will celebrate the Olympic Torch Parade with a special picnic at Chiseldon House Hotel. Youngsters will tuck into home-made ice cream from the hotel as they
AFTER touring Bristol early in the morning on May 23, the torch is scheduled to arrive in Wiltshire – Chippenham to be exact – at 9.46am, and celebrations to commemorate the historic day will ensure it lives in the memories of residents.
THOUSANDS of people across the county will be lining the streets in less than a fortnight as the Olympic Torch passes through Wiltshire. The flame will be making its way through towns and villages, including Trowbridge and Bradford on Avon on May 22
EAT AT: RIO SWINDON, 188-189 Victoria Road, Swindon, SN1 3DF. Tel: 01793 490151. www.rioswindon.co.uk Open: Tue-Thur 6pm to 11pm, Fri 6pm until late, Sat 11am until late, Sun 11am to 11pm, closed Mon
This week, it’s the turn of Ivan Tetti, chef at Fratellos, the woodburning restaurant, in Swindon Tel: 01793 574444 When did you first take an interest in cooking, and when did you decide you wanted to become a chef? My grandparents had a pizzaria
TONY Stockwell brings a show called An Evening of Mediumship to the Wyvern Theatre on Wednesday. Tony, who says he can communicate with the dead and bring messages from beyond the grave, has been working as a medium for more than 20 years. He was born
If it’s culture and history you’re looking for... why not try Yorkshire? BARRY LEIGHTON discovered plenty to do on a recent trip up north While enjoying the wholesome country air and spectacular scenery one day, William Slingsby took a cool slug from
ONE of the talents behind the eyewateringly sweary London Underground song is heading for Swindon. Dr Adam Kay found viral video fame in the mid-2000s as a member of musical duo Amateur Transplants, alongside fellow medic Suman Biswas. Their song about
Andy Gibson, trumpeter in the touring theatre show Bugle Boy, is back in town this weekend playing with Swindon’s Kentwood Show Choir in their annual showcase. Founder and musical director of the choir, Sheila Harrod, said she was delighted to have Andy
THE latest of the Library Talks at Bowood Hotel, near Calne, brings BBC news presenter Nicholas Owen to the area next Wednesday to talk about his memoir Days Like This. The book covers Nick’s half century working in the media and answers questions such
MUSICAL stand-up and actress Isy Suttie brings her latest live solo show to the Arts Centre on Saturday. Called Pearl and Dave, the show is described by Isy as “a one-woman musical cyber love story”. Perhaps best known for her role as Dobby in Peep
Exploding into Swindon next week is a new clubbing party, Eruption, featuring BBC Radio1 Xtra’s DJ Young Lion and SBTV’s Melody Kane at The Venue, Havelock Square on Friday May 25 from 10pm to 4am. The party is aimed at the 18-30-year-olds. Tickets
Riffstock is back for its 10th year with more than 20 bands, a barbecue, children’s workshop, real ale, arts and crafts stalls. The mini festival, hosted by Andy Petts and Tiggy York, pictured, takes place at Riffs Bar, Greatfield near Hook from Friday
Swindon is alive with The Sound Of Music, as R & J Musicals undertake one of the first amateur productions of the famous musical, following its professional run starring Connie Fisher and Jason Donovan. Ray Dance and Judith Sharp, pictured, are taking
This may not be the busiest week for music but it is certainly one that pound for pound (can we still say pound and not be fined by the grey-suited autocrats of Brussels?) carries a lot of clout. So we will start as we mean to go on with a band all the
HEARING how a steamship was restored captivated the audience during the lunchtime session of the Swindon Festival of Literature yesterday. Archaeologist and maritime explorer Meriel Larken spoke about the Yavari, which features in her book The Ship,
HE HAS survived bomb attacks, been fired upon in Iraq and reported on drug cartels in Mexico – and last night John Simpson arrived in Swindon fresh out of hospital. The world affairs editor of the BBC underwent an operation for kidney stones just hours
THE Three Degrees are well-known for their soulful voices, beautiful gowns, and fabulous stage shows – and they are bringing it all to Swindon next month. The group, who have been continuously touring for more than 40 years, will be performing a cabaret
SWINDON College, in conjunction with Wiltshire FA, is offering a new route into football for students who enjoy playing the game, whether it’s socially or in competition. The process starts with Just Play, an FA initiative sponsored by Mars, for students
LAWYERS will be swapping their suits for sweatbands as they attempt to run 10km for a condition dubbed the Swindon disease. Two lawyers from legal firm Thrings, which has an office in Swindon and specialises in asbestos-related compensation
A LOCAL charity raised £865 at a fundraising dinner. Biplob, in Wood Street, hosted the dinner in aid of Swindon Counselling Service, on April 30, as part of the charity’s 25th anniversary celebrations. It was attended by a number of local dignitaries
THE annual meeting of Swindon Council is to take place at the Civic Offices tomorrow at 2.30pm. The meeting will see the full council choose the new mayor, Coun Mick Bray (Con, Lydiard and Freshbrook), who has been the deputy major for the last year,
A FILM about Swindon which received the Queen’s royal seal of approval will be screened at various venues this summer. Scores of residents starred in the showreel, called A Portrait of Swindon, which celebrates the borough’s rich heritage, culture, commerce
A LAW firm is holding free drop-in clinics throughout Action for Brain Injury Week. Withy King, in Newport Street, is organising the clinics for individuals or their families living with the effects of brain injury. Sessions are from 9am to 5pm throughout
A PLANNING inquiry will be held over proposals to refurbish the Locarno after the developer said he was ‘fed up with waiting’ for Swindon Council to make a decision on the application. Developer Steve Rosier applied five months ago to gain another three
LADIES from the Upper Stratton Women’s Institute have donated £12,000 to the Great Western Hospital after a fall in membership forced them to disband. The group, who range in age from 67 to 84, decided to call it a day earlier this year and have donated
SWINDON fire station will be throwing open its doors to the public on Wednesday as part of the Olympic torch festivities. Between 11am and 2pm, people can visit the Drove Road site and meet their local firefighters and fire engines and specialist
TALENTED gymnasts, fencers and wheelchair basketballers are just some of the people who will be lighting up Wharf Green when the Olympic Flame arrives in the town centre. The town will be transformed into a blaze of fun and sporting festivities
LONG-TIME Old Town resident, Vivienne Jones, planted a tree in her own street yesterday to start a community project to green-up the area. Mrs Jones, 85, a grandmother-of-one, who has lived in the same house in Prospect Hill for most of her life, performed
TRIBUTES continue to pour in for former Swindon Robins speedway rider Lee Richard-son, who died on Sunday. Friday night will be steeped in emotion as Swindon Robins travel to Lakeside in the Elite League, the side Richardson was the captain of. The
A MAN is being questioned by detectives over a blaze which gutted a derelict house in Deburgh Street last night. Firefighters were called after the alarm was raised at 9.45pm yesterday to the incident at the terraced property in Even Swindon
A TEENAGE thug who left a man needing steel plates in his jaw with just one punch was jailed for 14 months yesterday. George Bettles, who, a court heard, had been acting like a ‘gangster’, launched the attack as he stood outside a pizzeria in the early
LOVING father and caring grandad Ray Hoare killed himself with a hunting crossbow because of worries over his health, a breakdown in his domestic life and mounting money fears, an inquest heard yesterday. Mr Hoare, 59, lived at Box Hedge in Wanborough
CHIEF sports writer SAM MORSHEAD fires some quickfire questions at former Swindon and England boss Glenn Hoddle... Q: Glenn, when you arrived at Swindon in 1991, what was the overwhelming feeling? A: When I went there, there was a sense
GREAT Western Hospital has hit out at the GMB after they blared loud music on to the hospital site during their latest strike action yesterday. The union represents Carillion workers in the housekeeping department at the hospital who are part of an ongoing
GLENN Hoddle still rates promotion to the Premier League with Swindon Town as one of the best of his many considerable achievements. The former Robins manager, who guided Town to the top flight through the Division One play-offs in 1993, won
“I WITNESSED my wife trying to hang herself. “As a result of that she was sectioned and spent the best part of 15 weeks in hospital. “The closest person to me needed me and was on 15-minute observation, and while I was visiting her I was looking at
THE past 12 months have helped Raffa De Vita mature at a rapid rate, by the forward’s own admission. De Vita, a summer signing from Livingston, has been surprised by the amount of gametime handed to him by manager Paolo Di Canio during his first season
PAOLO Di Canio intends to make his Swindon side 80 per cent British after learning his lessons in the transfer market last year. Town’s Italian manager recruited an international pick and mix of players in June, July and August ahead of his
WALCOT ABC host their final show of the season at the Supermarine Sports and Social Club this Friday. The central Swindon gym hope to put on 15 or 16 contests, competing against clubs from Bristol, Cheltenham, Tiverton, Guildford, Birmingham
HODSON rider Tom McEwen scored a Novice Regional Final victory at the two-day British Eventing competition at Aston-le-Walls in Northamptonshire. The event leads on to the British Novice Championships at the Festival of British Eventing at
