EMMA DUNN has a look at recreating the railway world MEMBERS of the Swindon Model Railway Club spend hours creating landscapes to run miniature trains on. The club, which was founded in 1953, encourages the building, operation and display of
Lesser known than the Amazon but just as rich in wildlife, the Brazilian Pantanal is the best place to spot jaguars in the wild. Sarah Marshall goes in search of these elusive big cats As the pink dust clouds settle, a weathered cowboy and his
The 36-year-old told the Sun newspaper her husband Craig darted off to fetch a test after the singer and former prison officer suspected she might be pregnant.
ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT: Visitors to the Memorial Hall on April 14 will be able to listen to a talk on the Great War by Steve Wilkins. The event starts at 7.30pm. The talk will cost £5 for adults and £2.50 for children, and is not recommended for
PURTON: Cricklade Road works have been postponed again as a result of the poor weather. The works on the B4553 between the junction with Tadpole Lane and the junction with Newth’s Lane, which were planned to start on March 17, are now due to take
ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT: Residents can now keep up to date with news from the Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Area Board by following them on Twitter. By following @RWB_C residents can keep up with local events planned in their area.
ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT: A new Petit Nuage knit and crochet club will run every other Thursday at 11.30am. The next meet takes place today at The Angel in the High Street. For more information visit www.facebook.com/events/1374736486132292.
FROM Saturday, Swindon town centre will have a new Clintons store opening in Regent Street. It has been redesigned, removing the previous orange branding and replacing it with the new Clintons name and red logo. It will stock a wide range of new
WOULD-be life savers in Swindon can find out all about first aid from a St John Ambulance expert at a course on Saturday, March 29. In just two hours, the Essential First Aid (EFA) covers all of the basic skills needed to save a life, including
ORGANISATIONS in Swindon are being offered the chance to win an allotment space for the whole year. The competition, run by www.mypatchswindon.co.uk, is for anyone aged 18 or over, or represented by someone 18 or over, who belongs to a supportive organisation
TOWN CENTRE: As a part of its ongoing store improvements, Vodafone, which recently knocked through to the former Jessops store, has been granted planning permission for the display of a fascia sign and projecting sign. The signs will follow the
LAWN: Swindon Council has granted planning permission for the creation of a conservatory at 15 Dunraven Close. The white, PVCu conservatory will stand to the eastern side of the bungalow. Les and Yvonne Crowfoot lodged the application on January
CRICKLADE: Community groups and voluntary organisations wishing to apply for small grants should submit an application to the town council by March 7. All applications should be submitted with a copy of the organisation’s most recent audited accounts
SWINDON: Mental health charity SUNS is inviting the people of Swindon to take part in a sponsored 20-mile walk on Sunday, May 18. Participants will set off at 10am from and return to Barbury Castle in Wroughton. To sign up, visit www.swindonsuns.org
BAYDON: A planning application to put up a canopy and make external alterations to windows and doors at Trainers Cottage in Russley Park has been made. If plans are accepted, the entrance door would be replaced with two windows and a first-floor
TOWN CENTRE: Roadworks in Commercial Road, between Dowling Street and Whitney Street, is scheduled to end tomorrow. Thames Water has had signs in the road since Monday to make motorists aware of the disruption.
TOWN CENTRE: Week-long work outside 188-189 Victoria Road is due to end tomorrow. Since Saturday, Southern Electric has needed to excavate the road to repair a low voltage mains fault.
HIGHWORTH: A skip licence at 3 Stone Cottage in Shrivenham Road ends today. Swindon Council gave permission for a skip to be in place near Highworth Warneford School since Friday, February 14.
TOWN CENTRE: Byron Street will be reopened tomorrow as Swindon Council completes its four-week programme of kerb alterations and footway improvements. The road had been closed as a part of the Regent Circus development since Monday, February 3.
RODBOURNE: Thames Water is scheduled to complete its excavation work in the southbound carriageway of Cheney Manor Road tomorrow and re-open the lane to traffic. Major delays and disruption have been caused by the lane closure, which stopped southbound
People with memory loss and dementia can head along to Purton Library every Thursday from 11.30am to 1pm with their carers. The free session is funded by Wiltshire Council and the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group. For details call 07812 238503.
THE seventh annual Mad March Hare will take place on Sunday, March 23 at Lydiard Park Academy. The 5km or 10km routes will take walkers, joggers and runners on a circular route of West Swindon and Lydiard Park. To register or volunteer as a
PROSPECT Hospice is hoping to enlist new box collectors. All the volunteers have to do is collect the contents of boxed filled throughout the year by hospice supporters in the spring and again in the autumn. The scheme earns the hospice more than
SWINDON’S Tesco Extra store has collected almost £13,000 for the supermarket chain’s National Charity Partnership with Diabetes UK. It will be added to the £10m raised nationally through the partnership. Staff at Tesco Swindon Extra held fundraising
GORSE HILL: A jumble sale will be held on Saturday at 11am at St Barnabas Church Hall in Cricklade Road. Admission is 20p. It will be in aid of Swindon IA, the local ostomy and pouch patient support charity. There will be plenty of clothing and
ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT: The area board is looking to hear from those benefitting from the new superfast broadband available in the town. They want to hear views from households, businesses and invdividuals. To get in touch, contact community area
COUNTY: The next Wiltshire Police and Crime Panel meeting takes place today in the Council Chamber at Monkton Park, Chippenham from 2pm. The public meeting will see the Police and Crime Commissioner presenting details of his approach to the monitoring
WILTSHIRE Police are appealing for information regarding an incident which occured in Swindon town centre at noon on Wednesday, January 29. There was an altercation between a 31-year-old local woman and a man in the O2 store in Regent Street. The
A SWINDON man, who says he acted out of frustration when twice throwing a coin at a football match paid the price at a Kent court yesterday. Adam Corcoran, 22, of Cranborne Chase, who is a Bolton Wanderers supporter was fined £255 with £85 costs
THREE men were arrested on suspicion of hare coursing in a field in South Marston on Tuesday night. The Wiltshire Police helicopter was drafted in to search for the group, who had sneaked on to the field to take part in the sport at 8.20pm.
THAMESDOWN Transport is asking for the public’s views on a number of changes currently being planned to take place at the end of May. From May 27, it is proposed that Service 2 from Fleming Way to Covingham and Nythe will run every 12 minutes instead
GLOUCESTERSHIRE Police are appealing for the public’s help to find a missing Wiltshire man. Andrew Thomas, 44, from Box, near Corsham in Wiltshire was last seen at his brother’s address on The Richmonds in Abbeydale on Sunday March 2 and has not
SWINDON: Steven Bell, 41, of Galsworthy Close, Liden, who is charged with raping a woman, has been released on bail by a judge. Bell is accused of carrying out the sex attack on March 31 last year. No charges were put to him during a brief hearing
SWINDON: A teenager who admitted trying to mug two people has been released on bail. Paul Morse pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with intent to rob when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court. The 19-year-old, of Cottington Close, Freshbrook
SWINDON: Sumon Gurung, who was caught with hard drugs in an alleyway in Gorse Hill on December 12, is to face trial by jury after he denied being involved in dealing. Gurung admitted possession of heroin and crack cocaine when he appeared at Swindon
A BRAND ambassador for Jaguar was caught by police doing 90mph in a ‘Supercharged’ XJL model he had promoted for the car giant. Sanjay Anand, 50, was stopped by officers after breaking the 70mph speed limit on the M4. Anand pleaded guilty to
Wiltshire Police has released CCTV stills of the robbery of a Marlborough jewellers after five men were today sentenced for the armed siege. Men entered Deacon & Sons jewellers on the morning of Tuesday, September 17 last year, smashing display
FIVE men have today been sentenced to a total of 22 years and 8 months for their parts in an armed robbery at a Marlborough jewellers last September. Men entered Deacon & Sons jewellers shortly before 9:45am on Tuesday September 17 last year
Jeff Lynne was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by Birmingham City University, and soul singer Laura Mvula received ''Alumni of the Year'' award.
PROPER pie maker Paul Sykes has dedicated his latest creation to those who died in the Great War and in memory of his soldier grandfather. Paul his team make thousands of pies every week. The poultry and game dealer, who started Paul’s Pies
Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell is to take a break from the ITV soap, just six months after he was cleared of child sex offences. The 49-year-old only recently started filming again and is set to appear in the show for about six weeks from late
SWINDON... 1947: A blizzard hit the town with wind piling up the snow in drifts18ft high in places. Vehicles were abandoned at the roadside and roads were blocked. 1957: Five Swindon and District Road Club members successfully competed in the
THE forthcoming new stage of the Kimmerfields development is something we should all welcome. It makes perfect sense architecturally, commercially and in terms of evolution. When the area around Fleming Way took its current shape more than
HAVING just spent a year working on the 2014/15 Council budget that will start this April, there has barely been time to draw breath before getting down to the challenge for 2015/16. If we thought that finding £14m savings last year was tough,
Let’s get back to the three Rs in basic economic education – roads, rail and rivers. British roads are in a shambles and unsafe. The railways are falling apart because of bad weather. Rivers are flooding because we cannot afford to dredge
Swindon Guide Dogs for the Blind is looking for organisations, businesses, youth groups to sign up for The Swindon Phoenix Rotary Club’s dragon boat event, which is being held at Coate Water Country Park on Sunday, June 29. It will be part of our
As a parent of a 14-year-old who is about to choose his options for GCSEs, I want to sing the praises of an exciting thing that’s happening right here in Swindon. A new university technical college is being built within the grounds of the former
I read the letter in Tuesday’s edition that Ted Davis is concerned that the floodlights at Broome Manor Golf Club are on when he drives into Swindon from Devizes. He seems concerned for the residents in the Croft and Wichelstowe area, as he can see
I read with interest in the Daily Mail that councils are planning to charge families for services such as rat catching to bring in more revenue. Manchester wants to bill residents £25, Portsmouth £43 while Newcastle will charge £30. I have a problem
In December 2013 I wrote concern of the latest vehicle squashing under the Whitehouse Bridge and said I despaired of the council’s spokesman: he did not know what to do to remedy the situation. I repeated what I said before: dangle some heavy metal
I have recently read a 1984 article by Arthur Scargill in which he says hundreds of thousands of construction workers were on the dole and people were asking why. Homes badly needed to be built, there were long queues on the NHS and medical staff
Prince Harry didn't quite reign supreme in Tatler magazine's 100 "most invited" list of wanted party guests. Harry and his girlfriend Cressida Bonas were beaten by Matthew and Brooke Barzun, the US ambassador to the UK and his wife.
Nigel Farage made his speech at his party’s conference in Torquay. Here are his words, which contain more honesty and truth than anything I have read from any politician since the last General Election. In referring to the political class who have
REAL ESTATE Atlas It’s been a long three years since American indie favourites released their last album but thankfully the wait is over and Atlas shows the band back on blazing form. Known for their breezy, melodic rock, their clear-headed third
David Collins claims “we are the only productive nation in the EU apart from themselves”. (Letters, March 1). Then how is it that most of our liners seem to be built in Italy and the French still have their own car industry, to name but two examples
I was, to say the least, very concerned about the situation whereby a Somerset teacher had taped up the mouths of some of the children at the school during a lesson. I can understand the dismay of the parents in many ways but when I was very young
I don’t really like to name drop. I was saying as much to Fiona Bruce when we were over at Liam Neeson’s place only the other day waiting for Noam Chomsky to turn up. So without naming names, suffice to say that through my musical travels and via
Making It Art 2014, is at the Wyvern from 10.30am tomorrow. It begins with an Opportunities Fair in the foyer with groups offering activities accessible to people with disabilities. The Big Wyvern Show, at 1pm, is about identity and making the
SINGING legend Tom Jones will headline the Larmer Tree Festival in July. The festival takes place over five days in the magical Larmer Tree gardens, a stunning Victorian park near Salisbury on the Wiltshire/Dorset border, from July 16. More
THE agonising effects of war trauma will be highlighted in Woyzeck at the Arts Centre on Wednesday, March 12. Woyzeck is a startling depiction of a lowly soldier plagued by visions of the apocalypse and plunged into homicidal lunacy by the world
EMMA DUNN has a chat with stars of Blood Brothers MAUREEN Nolan will be keeping up the family tradition when she appears in Blood Brothers at the Wyvern Theatre. Written by Willy Russell, the legendary musical tells the captivating and moving
ONE of the most cheekily original and innovative forces in modern dance will be at the Wyvern Theatre on Saturday. BalletBoyz, led by former Royal Ballet lead dancers Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, will be in Swindon on March 8 at 7.30pm.
Bad Words tells the story of a spelling bee loser sets out to exact revenge by finding a loophole and attempting to win as an adult.
WORKERS at Swindon's John Lewis at Home are celebrating after the firm announced employees would receive a bonus of 15 per cent of their salary - the equivalent to nearly 8 weeks’ pay. Swindon branch manager Alison Gilbert said: “We are pleased
The Radio 1 presenter was honoured for a career in broadcasting and music that has seen him progress from running a mobile disco to launching a record label and becoming an in-demand producer.
A new study conducted by the UK's leading married dating site IllicitEncounters.com has revealed the male professions that women find the most attractive, and those more likely to find success when it comes to looking for romance online. The study
The Ultimate online international music competition is offering talented musicians from all over the globe an incredible opportunity to bag a management deal from one of the music industry’s top gurus in Hollywood. The 48 Music Project is a unique
THE Adver’s 160 Appeal in aid of Prospect Hospice has received a £4,000 boost from a band of committed fundraisers and model employees. Staff at independent manufacturer Wilson Tool, in South Marston, donated the money to the charity yesterday,
THE next stage of the £350 million Kimmerfields development was fully revealed yesterday with hopes high it will result in a major boost for the town. Following the completion of the Whalebridge car park last year, the second phase will see Fleming
5:33pm Tesco in the town centre reportedly closed for a short time following an accident earlier this afternoon in which a two-year-old boy lost part of his finger. Pain relief was administered at the scene and he was taken
Ian McDiarmid claims the script for 37 Days drew them to their latest TV project, a two-part docu-drama which tells the story of the final 37-day countdown to the First World War
ASH Edenborough struck twice as Swindon Supermarine came from a goal behind to beat Taunton Town 4-1 at the Webbs Wood Stadium. The Somerset outfit took the lead in the opening minute in their Southern League Division One South and West match through
PADDY Fitzpatrick says being involved in one of the biggest British sporting events of all time does little to excite him and claims Froch-Groves II could happen in his Rodbourne Road gym for all he cares. London’s Wembley Stadium was confirmed
SWINDON-based cruiserweight Tariq Quaddas will take on debutant Cristian Gomez next Friday night. The 23-year-old, orginally from Peterborough, has linked up with manager and promoter Keith Mayo and will make his first outing in his new stable
STRANGE old things perceptions aren’t they? Here we are in the final few furlongs of the season, with an outside chance of the play-offs. Yet for some this campaign is rather drifting along. Peterborough’s defeat at Sheffield United leaves us two
GEORGE Barker has admitted that the Swindon Town dressing room has gone a little quiet in recent weeks but it’s nothing to do with fatigue, according to the forward. Barker, who has made five appearances for Town since joining from Brighton in
MARK Cox will be walking into the unknown when he begins his UK Open campaign in Minehead tomorrow. The Swindon player has been drawn against Shaun Narain in round one, avoiding the preliminary round, but goes into the game without knowing a thing
SWINDON Tigersharks Head Coach Lesley Leffers was left pleasantly surprised by quality performances of her youth squad and hopes it continues into another weekend of competition. Leffers was disappointed at the Wiltshire ASA County Youth Championships
BRITISH Touring Car Championship newcomer Simon Belcher says he and his Handy Motorsport squad are making “considerable” progress after their latest pre-season test outing at Oulton Park on Tuesday. Providing the Swindon racer with his first meaningful
TIME is running out for residents to give their views to Swindon Council on a proposed strategy to manage the risk of local flooding in the town. The ten-week public consultation about the Local Flood Risk Manage-ment Strategy ends on Monday.
ELDERLY pensioner Doris Turner has been told she will have to move out of her flat because she can no longer store her wheelchair in the hall. The 91-year-old owns her flat in an apartment block managed by housing company Green Square Group, but
PUPILS will follow in the footsteps of music legends when they take to the stage in front of more than 10,000 spectators at Wembley Arena next week. Choir members at Southfield Junior School in Highworth will perform at the Voice in a Million charity
CELEBRATIONS to mark International Women’s Day will be bigger than ever this year, after the organising group grew in size seven-fold. The event, previously held at the Broadgreen Centre until last year when it moved to the Central Library, promises
RESIDENTS in Wanborough want their local Neighbourhood Watch scheme rejuvenated to help combat petty crime in the area. About five years ago the area co-ordinator for Wanborough retired from his post and was not replaced, leaving the local community
ROYAL Wootton Bassett Light Operatic Society has won a South West District achievement award. The group was presented with the award by the vice president of the National Operatic and Drama Association at a ceremony in St Mellion, Cornwall, over
THERE seems to be a rule that mediums – people who say they can communicate with the dead – must conform to one of two stereotypes. The first is a flamboyant TV personality prone to histrionics, bad hair and ‘possession’; and the second is an elderly
WOOTTON Bassett finally secured their return to Davis Wood Hockey League Central Division 2 with a 17-0 hammering of bottom side Marlborough B. The table-toppers have dominated the division from the outset, winning all of their games to put themselves
BEN Heap took the honours in front of another packed house at the Meca as he beat Luke Hambidge to claim Swindon Fightclub’s international middleweight title at the weekend. The man from Spartans Gym in Chippenham came out on top against Luke Hambidge
DENNIS Smith is hopeful of going further than he ever has before as he prepares to begin his campaign at the first PDC major of the year tomorrow. Smith takes on Mark Hylton in round one of the UK Open at Butlins in Minehead, having played in the
CHRIS Aubrey knows he needs to take his sport more seriously if he is to maintain his position as one of darts’ rising stars. The Swindon player has been one of the most consistent performers on the PDC Youth Tour in recent years which attracted
MINETY put in a barnstorming second-half performance to turn a 12-point deficit into an emphatic 24-12 win over rivals Trowbridge 2nds at the weekend. Weeks of rain had produced a slippery playing surface but, with a superior lineout and scrum
RYAN Aldridge has already started thinking about the Wildcats roster for next season and is keen to keep the bulk of his current side together. The men from the Link Centre currently sit safely inside the English Premier League play-off zone but
LOREN Bleaken ended her indoor campaign on a high with a silver medal at the England Athletics Indoor Championships in Sheffield. The 18-year-old former Hardenhuish School student was runner-up in the under 20 women’s 400m clocking a season’s best
SKIPPER Troy Batchelor admitted he has decisions to make regarding his schedule for 2014 following his call-up to the Grand Prix series - but reassured Robins fans he remains fully committed to the club. The Australian made the leap up into the
SWINDON is set to become one of the leading towns in the UK for renewable energy as plans due to go before the planning committee next week could see a big increase in solar power and hydrogen power. The proposal will see the relaxation of planning
PENSIONER Ray Butt has warned fellow computer users to take extra care after being caught up in a new phone scam. Ray, 72, of Lydiard Millicent, found his computer completely scrambled by hackers after receiving a call from what he thought were
THE proposed art museum in Swindon took a huge step forward yesterday after the council secured vital funding to move the project forward. The Arts Council confirmed that it was giving £95,000 towards the project which will eventually allow the
A NEW health report says more than one in ten people in Swindon suffer from depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. Now a charity is calling for better working between mental health services after the report, for Swindon Council’
A MUSIC marathon has been organised in aid of Prospect Hospice and the Adver’s 160 Appeal by Sarah Heads, whose father was cared for by the hospice in 2007. Sarah, 38, of Redcliffe Street in Rodbourne, is seeking entertainers, musicians and raffle
A DAMNING report into the current state of St Luke’s School has been published by Ofsted, which has ruled the school to be requiring improvement across the board. The school, which teaches children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
PREPARATIONS are well underway for this year’s Old Town Festival, but your help is needed to ensure the event is a success. This year’s festival takes place from June 27 to July 5 and the festivities traditionally kick off with a parade around
A 13-YEAR-OLD thug was reprimanded by police after he shot a young girl in the face with a BB gun while out playing with his friends. The girl suffered facial injuries, with the pellet striking her near her right eye, and was left shocked by the
YOUNGSTERS at Commonweal School have been doing their bit to raise money for the plight of banana farmers during Fairtrade Fortnight. Until Sunday The Fairtrade Foundation is running a special campaign around banana farmers like Columbian Albeiro
THE man behind the make-up which created Professor Wotnot was remembered in a funeral service attended by legions of friends and family in Cricklade yesterday. Patrick Austen, who died at the age of 59 on February 19, was the subject of touching
A MOTHER and daughter are appealing to the generosity of the people of Swindon as they attempt to raise £5,800 to take part in a daunting 400km bike ride across Cuba and help beat cancer. Michelle Bentham and Faye O’Donoghue, of Greenbridge, will
Emily Watson kept her German accent up between takes on The Book Thief because she was worried she would lose it.
