THE Cabinet agreed on Wednesday night to move forward with a consultation on the future of children’s centres. Last week it emerged plans are being proposed which could see more than half of the facilities close as the council looks to save £770,000
PURTON’S Craig Miles was part of a record breaking stand in the County Championship this afternoon. The Gloucestershire bowler, along with batting partner Liam Norwell, broke a 91-year-old county record as they put on 137 for the 10th wicket against
Tickets have now gone of sale for the Russian State Ballet and Opera House’s autumn production of the magical Swan Lake. The prestigious ballet company is making a welcome return to Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre on Tuesday, October 28, at 7.30pm. Last
The Dead Rat Orchestra has hopped on board a canal tour and will be mooring up to perform at various venues in Wiltshire this month. The Cut is a 273-mile barge trip beginning at the London Canal Museum and ending at the Arnolfini on August 16.
This weekend a whole host of singers and bands will be rocking by the river as part of a mini music event. The Riverside at Lechlade plays host to the David Seaton Music and Associates Bees Knees Weekend kicking off with the man of many voices Jeff
Festival on the Farm is back celebrating local music and local produce at Purton House, Church End, Purton. The three-day festival starts at 7pm on Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday. Performers include Ben Maggs, pictured, On Deaf Ears
THE six-year-old girl who died in the single vehicle road traffic collision close to Marston Meysey on Saturday has been formally identified. The collision took place on the C124 west of Kempsford – approximately 400m west of The Street, Marston
Week 8 Weight: 13st 10.5lbs (87.3kg) Total weight loss: 21lbs WHEN personal trainer Ronny Terry said he wanted me to try out pilates, I must admit I wasn’t enamoured. I know pilates is really good for you and helps work your core and other
With the UK departure of the Tour de France and the likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins taking to the track for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow starting this weekend, cycling fever is gripping the nation. Cycling is certainly on the up with Sustrans
TEENAGER Ashley Paul McKinnon, who fell from the Wyvern car park, took his own life, an inquest heard. It was found, Ashley, 17, who was living at Radnor Lodge hostel, in Old Town, had committed suicide by leaping to his death from the top level
SCHOOLS in North Wiltshire will benefit from a funding increase following a Government announcement last week. Some schools in some of the least fairly funded local areas in the country will benefit from a £390m cash boost in the biggest step towards
SWINDON: An extractor fan outside Da Vinci’s on Fleet Street caught fire on Monday evening at around 9.15pm. A crew from Swindon and a crew from Royal Wootton Bassett attended the scene to find that the fire had burnt itself out, and carried out
ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT: The Dauntsey Bridge Road is now open again after Network Rail completed its extensive works to electrify the line. The road on the B4069 at the bottom of the Lyneham Banks reopened on July 18 after work began at the site
ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT: Children looking for something to do at the tail end of their summer holidays can pop along to the Methodist Church in Rope Yard for a special Beat the Holiday Blues event. From 10am to 12pm every weekday from August 18 to
STRATTON: Swindon Guide Dogs For The Blind were among the stands which braved the storm at the Stratton Festival on Saturday. Visitors to the stall helped to raise more than £400 for the charity, which will go towards supporting the training of
ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT: The Community Cinema is asking residents to choose the next three films scheduled for October, November and December this year. Residents have until August 10 to vote for their favourites and make their suggestions. Films
TOWN CENTRE: On Monday evening police officers stopped a vehicle as it was leaving a pub because of the way it was being driven. The male driver failed a breath test and was arrested. He was two times over the legal limit for drink driving, and
SWINDON: A washing machine springing a leak called a fire crew from Swindon to a property at Galsworthy Close on Monday evening at 10.15pm. The machine at a flat on the first floor was leaking signifcant amounts of water into the property below
OLD TOWN: The public is invited to meet SEQOL’s team at the Marriott Hotel tomorrow and find out about the social enterprise’s work in Swindon. Managers, directors and frontline staff will be on hand to answer residents’ questions between 8am and
SWINDON: At 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon at the Oasis Leisure Centre there was a fuel leak from an unattended vehicle spilling into the car park. One fire crew from Stratton attended, due to the large numbers of people in the area, to clean up
THE MP for North Wiltshire, James Gray, has welcomed the news that crime rates in the constituency are falling. “We’re making Britain an even safer place to live, work, and raise a family with our action plan to tackle crime,” he said. “Latest
STAFF from Highworth Warneford School helped to raise more than £2,000 for the British Heart Foundation when they cycled from London to Brighton. Last month the team of Wicked Warneford Wonder Bikers, comprised of existing and former staff and
AS the sun beats down on a lazy Sunday afternoon in the green baize of the Wiltshire countryside a troupe of Pakistani devotional singers, strikingly draped in silky orange stage costumes, marches in unison from an open-air arena where they have just
FAMILIES are being invited to mark the end of the second Tour de Swindon with a Grand Finale cycling fun day at Coate Water. The Tour de Swindon has seen a series of more than a dozen free cycling events put on by national charity Sustrans, Swindon
SWINDON: At 5.50pm on Sunday evening at Coate Water five metres of hedgerow set alight. A fire crew from Cricklade attended the scene as they were providing cover during the strikes, and used one hose reel to extinguish the fire.
LYDIARD GREEN: Aspiring performers are welcome to bring their instruments and perform at the Bluegrass Jam being held at Riffs Bar at 8pm tonight. For more details call 01793 778304.
COATE: Runners of all abilities are welcome to take on a circuit at Coate Water Country Park at 6.15pm tonight. Call 01793 490150.
ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT: Wiltshire Council is running a number of consultations to find out what residents’ needs are in the area. Complete the survey at wiltshire.gov.uk/council/ consultations.htm.
ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT: As part of the commemorations to mark the 100 year anniversary of the start of the First World War, St Bartholomew’s Church will be open for prayer and reflection. From 10am to 4pm on August 4 the church will be open and
A 15-YEAR-OLD girl slept with a pizza delivery driver so he would buy her booze to take to a party, a jury was told. One of Tahir Mehmood's former colleagues made the claim at Swindon Crown Court as she gave evidence at the 27-year-old's rape trial
WILTSHIRE Fire & Rescue Service is maintaining a presence at the site of a significant waste fire in Swindon. Firefighters have been at Averies Recycling in Marshgate since Monday evening, when fire broke out in a stack containing 1,000 tonnes
SWINDON... 1947: Lovers of music were presented with a feast when the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra gave its first concert in Swindon at the Central Hall. Charles Groves was the conductor. The concert was organised by the Mayor’s County Fund
CHARITY Meningitis Research Foundation is warning students across Swindon to make sure they get vaccinated before they head off to university. Meningitis and septicaemia can kill in hours and leave many survivors with serious disability. Currently
A CHARITY curry night has served up £560 which will be split between Prospect Hospice and the Goldenhar Family Support Group. The two good causes are mayor Teresa Page’s nominated charities for the year. The funds were raised by an event held
SWINDON: On Saturday morning the fire alarm at Peter Firkins Court was triggered after a resident left a tea towel on top of the hob. A crew from Royal Wootton Bassett attended but there were no causes for concern and a safety inspection was carried
SWINDON: At 10.10pm on Monday fire crews were called to Clanfield where a bonfire seemed to have been left unattended in a public field. The fire was causing concern to residents, so a crew from Swindon used a one hose reel to extinguish the blaze
NORTH SWINDON: North Swindon police officers on patrol in Oakhurst on Sunday came across a strong smell of cannabis. They followed the smell to a back garden, where the culprit was issued with a £90 fixed penalty notice.
TWO men who are accused of burgling a home while armed with a metal pole have been remanded in custody by a judge. John Hunter and Carl Thomas are said to have intended to cause grievous bodily harm during an incident in Chandos Close, Grange Park
TWO men who are charged with blackmail and false imprisonment have been remanded in custody by a judge. Francis Njoroge and Francis Essilfie are accused of demanding money from a woman with menaces on Thursday, June 19. Njoroge, 48, and Essilfie
STRATTON: Live music is on the bill on Saturday, July 26, as more than 20 artists, including Benji Clements Band, Faye Rogers Band and Aural Candy, perform across six venues at the Stratton Stroll. The festival is free. Visit www.strattonstmargaret.gov.uk
SWINDON: Healthwatch Swindon is recruiting volunteer board members to plan and steer the development of the organisation. Candidates must be able to commit up to two days a month. To apply or find out more email pete.rowe@healthwatch swindon.org.uk
ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT: You can now buy tickets to the Goldie Locks Summer Charity WIne And Pamper Evening on August 28. From 6pm to 8pm for just £3 visitors to the hair and beauty salon in Gainsborough Avenue can enjoy an evening of wine tasting
AS I write, it’s exactly a week since David Cameron asked me to join the Government as Solicitor General as part of his reshuffle. It’s an honour and privilege to have been appointed to this historic position, records for which date back to the 14th
RESILIENT rats are plaguing Old Town. As you may have read in the Adver the other day, the problem’s so bad that the BBC has devoted an entire episode of a consumer programme to the work of a local pest control firm. Although companies can
JAZZ Carlin is determined to enjoy her ‘home’ Games at Glasgow 2014 after being denied the opportunity to race at London 2012 by illness. The 23-year-old swimmer has had her tonsils removed since bouts of tonsillitis and glandular fever contributed
JOHN Saunders, 60, is the headteacher of Highworth Warneford School, which has just been awarded £1.8m by the Education Funding Agency for a new sports centre. He lives in Aldbourne with wife Denni, a retired medical secretary. The couple have three
THE appointment of dedicated sex outreach worker Sue Lee to support prostitutes in the Broadgreen area makes perfect sense. We have always maintained that the best way of tackling prostitution would be to target the clients without whom there would
RE your article (SA July 7) on Page 8. May I pay a tribute to Stratton Green Baptist Church, now sadly closed. Alas, we must now consider it to be yet another redundant church! According to history this was one of the earliest non-conformist churches
IN his letter (SA July 15) Mr Nibbs, referred to his previous letter, Drowning In Refugees, saying it was all tongue in cheek. Was the sentence in which you accused me of shouting down anyone who opposes my views, and the previous letters you have
WHY is it that members of the gay community have no respect or feelings for the persons of a strong Christian faith when they are knocked back and do not get their own way? In the recent case of refusing to bake a cake in support of gay rights
LAST week government business secretary Vince Cable held a face to face meeting in London at the request of members of an organisation known as 38 degrees, who wanted answers concerning the latest government tinkering with zero hours contracts.
I RESPOND to Martin Webb’s letter, July 16, Smirch Of Rosa Parks. I would suggest to Martin that with his pocket money this week he pops down to the shops and purchases a book entitled Understanding Metaphor and Analogy for Beginners. After
IN your article (SA July 19) you refer to the fact that additional health visitors to be appointed next April will mitigate the impact of the closure of the seven centres. I would point out that these extra posts – and there are l3 of them not
THE relentless instigation of tactics by the Anti-Tobacco Campaign has become ever more ludicrous since huge financial penalties were awarded to groups of ex-smokers in the courts of America. Since this triumph for the anti-tobacco lobby it has
IT is obvious that Ian Hunt, (SA July 14) who I am reliably informed lives in the parish of Stratton St Margaret, and is a former Local Government Officer with Thamesdown/Swindon Borough Council, does not fully understand the workings of the local
AS I go on my daily walk along the lane from my house to the shops to buy your paper, I am faced with a vast increase in fly-tipping, usually garden waste, over the past few months. This is due to the decision of the Conservative council to increase
Matt Whittaker, manager of Pets At Home Swindon, writes about setting up a chinchilla house When thinking of getting a small furry pet, most people will think of hamsters or gerbils. Chinchillas however, make great pets for older children and
I SHOULD like to thank you for your article in your On This Day column dated July 12 1947, by which you instantly energised a terrific wave of nostalgia by referring to the Fruit Pickers of Headlands Grammar School. The trip, I recall, was organised
HOMEOWNERS in Purton are being asked to be more vigilant following a spate of burglaries in the village. Between June 20 and July 15 there have been three burglaries and one attempted burglary. This is in comparison to eight burglaries in the
JOHN CARTER takes his children to the New Forest THE day of reckoning had arrived and it seemed the weather gods had answered my prayers. Deep in the heart of the New Forest, we were about to tackle a ropes course. Fortunately for someone
Stylist Shan Williams gives her secret tips for summer holiday packing and looking cool by the pool For most events in life a little planning can go a long way and that goes for your holiday packing too. The last thing you want as you anticipate
QUADRENNIAL football tournaments rarely yield much joy for England. By Euro 2016 it will be 50 years of hurt. Ironically it is World Cup glory for Germany in the centenary of World War One. I enjoyed all three of England’s debacles and Costa Rica
WITH sadness in my heart I write these words .The public has been inundated with details in the newspapers and on television about the civilian aircraft shot down in Ukraine . Young children, families of all colour and creeds and nationalities,
THE Roman historian Tacitus wrote “The worst crimes were dared by a few, willed by more, and tolerated by all.” There is genocide in Gaza. It’s happening in our times, before our eyes. We are witnessing the harsh treatment toward the Palestinian
I ENTIRLEY endorse the position taken by Councillor Grant to the Full Council meeting on 17 July as outlined in his letter (SA July 16), on the outsourcing of golf courses in Highworth and Broome Manor to a private contractor. Wroughton Parish
One child runs away from home every five minutes in the UK. But just listening to children can help, writes Lisa Salmon Most parents like to think they can talk to their children. But it’s all too easy to avoid the really tough conversations.
ROAD resurfacing! Money for Swindon! There must be an election coming. I think recent letters, columns and articles in the SA contained some inaccuracies and differing aspects confirm this view. For example Councillor Renard in his column indicated
Warren Shute is a chartered financial planner with Lexington Wealth Management. Contact him on 01793 771093 orwarren@lexingtonwealth.co.uk Q I have stubbornly held on to my Cash ISA’s expecting an increase in interest rates hoping they would
Ronny Terry is a Swindon-based personal trainer. He has previously worked as Performance Analyst with Swindon Town FC and on obesity initiatives with the NHS. Tweet your questions to @SWITCHFITUK or visit www.switchfituk.co.uk What is a healthy
EMMA DUNN speaks to Sam Downe, who lost his 35-year-old wife Isabel to bowel cancer WHEN Isabel Downe started suffering from a bloated stomach, cramps and iron deficiency, she put it down to her pregnancy. Isabel, who was 33 at the time, and
THE inquest into the death of teenager Ashley Mckinnon will be held today. Ashley was just 17 when he fell from the Wyvern Car Park on February 13 this year. Since Ashley's death, a bench dedicated to his memory has been erected in Queens Park
5:33pm That's your lot from the LIVE NEWS feed today. We'll be back in the morning. Any major breaking news will appear on the site throughout the evening. 5:32pm
SWINDON Town have confirmed the signing of defender Josh Lelan from Derby County on a month-long youth loan. Lelan, 19, has yet to make an appearance for his parent club, though he did spend some time out on loan at Gateshead last season, making
SWINDON: Two men who are accused of burgling a home while armed with a metal pole have been remanded in custody by a judge. John Hunter and Carl Thomas are said to have intended to cause grievous bodily harm during an incident in Chandos Close, Grange
SWINDON: Two men who are charged with blackmail and false imprisonment have been remanded in custody by a judge. Francis Njoroge and Francis Essilfie are accused of demanding money from a woman with menaces on Thursday, June 19. Njoroge, 48, and Essilfie
SAFETY concerns were raised two weeks ago with the owner of Averies Recycling, the waste plant near Greenbridge, which went up in smoke on Monday evening. Firefighters will remain at the site of the fire in Marshgate for some days to come as they
A HUGE crowd of concerned parents protested against Swindon Council’s proposals to close seven of the town’s 12 children’s centres. Yesterday’s action followed the council’s announcement last week that it is reviewing the services with the aim
WATCHING the coverage of the Open to see if Rory McIlroy could claim the Claret Jug, and for fleeting glances of David Howell, I was reassumed back into the silver-toungued charms of Peter Alliss’s commentary. Aliss is a man so wonderfully at home
SWINDON will be showered with art this weekend when more than 170 pieces are left in places around the town for people to take home for free. Free Art Friday – a global movement kicked off by street artist ‘My Dog Sighs’ more than 10 years ago
JOE Hughes says that he is fighting fit again after illness thwarted his chance at a shot at the Southern Area light-welterweight title. The 23-year-old was due to face John Wayne Hibbert last weekend but a virus forced him to withdraw. However
CRICKLADE’S Laura Halford may not have the chance to savour tonight’s Opening Ceremony but the rhythmic gymnast is still enjoying soaking up the atmosphere at the Commonwealth Games. The Welsh teenager is currently staying in the Athletes’ Village
TILLY Gray feels that her surprise chance to compete in the 100m butterfly at the Commonwealth Games fits in perfectly with her rigorous preparation for the meeting in Glasgow. Originally selected by England to take part solely in the 200m fly,
FAIRFORD Town will be the first team to get their hands on the FA Cup this season as the world famous trophy is heading for Cinder Lane. The extra-preliminary round tie between the Hellenic League Division One West side and Knaphill, of the Combined
YASER Kasim has admitted his frustration at missing several days of pre-season with a foot injury, as he bids to get into a “rhythm” for the start of the new campaign. The Swindon Town midfielder did not feature in either of the trips to Petersfield
LOUIS Thompson has stressed that his “heart is with Swindon” amid speculation regarding his future at the County Ground. Both the midfielder and his brother Nathan are being monitored by a host of clubs in the Championship and League One, but Louis
THE best friend of a 15-year-old girl who claims she was raped by a pizza delivery driver has told a court he also pestered her for sex. Giving evidence at the trial of Tahir Mehmood the girl, who was 16 at the time, told how in the days after
HUNDREDS of residents packed Lotmead Business Village yesterday afternoon to view proposals for 2,600 homes at a public exhibition. Ainscough Strategic Land has not yet submitted a planning application for the land to the south of the A420 earmarked
INSPIRED by his brother’s work mentoring teenagers from difficult backgrounds across town, Ashley Waldron will do his part for disaffected youngsters at his very first fundraiser, The Big Swindon Event, on Saturday. Unable to commit enough time
LOCAL charity Empower will be expanding its fundraising onto a whole new level when it opens its pop-up shop next month. The organisation – which supports various projects in the Gambia – has long held monthly fashion shows and bargain nights,
A FARMER has been fined more than £1,000 after being found guilty of causing a collision on the A420 by dumping mud in the road. During the morning rush hour on October 16 last year, a motorcyclist lost control of his vehicle after skidding on
SEX workers in Swindon will no longer be slapped with a fine and sent on their way due to new initiatives launched this month to support prostitutes in the Broadgreen area. A dedicated sex outreach worker has now been employed through a grant from
A STRATEGY has been developed by the council to help manage flood risk in Swindon and is set to be approved later this year. It involves identifying the main areas at risk from flooding coming from surface water, streams and ditches. The plan
POLE dancer Alice Lavery may go to work in her underwear, but she still expects the utmost respect from her customers. “Just because I work in my underwear does not mean people can treat me like a piece of meat,” she said. The 23-year-old,
HALFWAY between Land’s End and Highworth, it suddenly dawned on Dr John Bestwick that he had bitten off more than he could chew, but this realisation did not stop him from completing a 300-mile cycle ride in support of Gloucester House. Accompanied
