Archive

  • COMMONWEALTH GAMES: A tough year takes its toll on Tilly

    TILLY Gray won’t be beating herself up about her performances at Glasgow 2014, admitting a year of instability was always going to take its toll. The 22-year-old has had three changes of coach this past season – upheavals from Loughborough to Swansea

  • COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Carlin grabs freestyle gold

    SWINDON'S Jazz Carlin has taken Commonwealth gold in the 800m freestyle this evening. The former Tigershark enjoyed a close battle with Australian Lauren Boyle until the final 100 metres but stormed away to take the title. Carlin's time of

  • Eid this advice

    AS the month of Ramadan draws to a close, Muslims in the local area will be preparing to celebrate Eid. For Muslims with diabetes, Eid can feel like a daunting prospect, but having the condition doesn’t mean traditional festive foods are forbidden

  • GREAT WAR CENTENARY: From one superpower to another

    Broome Manor man's unique memorabilia reveals how the Kaiser lost his rag... A RETIRED railway worker and businessman has a remarkable piece of World War One memorabilia. On August 10, 1914, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany hand wrote a telegram

  • GREAT WAR CENTENARY: Making our boys feel better

    It may house a health hydro today, but the Milton Road baths were turned over to the Red Cross for the first year of the war... THE Health Hydro in Milton Road is one of the Swindon area’s best-known landmarks. Its website notes: “It boasts

  • GREAT WAR CENTENARY: Business (not) as usual

    Although many workers went off to war, the Works and other firms found ways to maintain production...  THE Railway Works was at the forefront of Swindon’s war from first to last. Its hooter had long regulated the working lives of some 10,000 Swindonians

  • GREAT WAR CENTENARY: Letters from the battlefront

    THERE are no better words to describe the reality of life in the trenches than those of the men who were there. Here we print some of the letters sent by two who perished and excerpts from the unpublished autobiography of a third who survived into

  • Town youngsters beaten in opening Milk Cup match

    SWINDON Town lost their opening fixture of the Milk Cup 4-2 to Premier League outfit Southampton this afternoon. The Saints took the lead after eight minutes but Town rallied and equalised just after the quarter-hour mark when Will Christopher's

  • GREAT WAR CENTENARY: Five years that changed a town

    World War One began 100 years ago today and those who were lucky enough to return from conflict came home to a place very different to the one they left behind... Pre-1914... MUCH of the Swindon which went to war in 1914 would scarcely be recognisable

  • Fewer children lighting up

    SMOKING rates among children have hit an all-time low according to the latest figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). Regular smoking among 11- to 15-year-olds has fallen to a record low level of three per cent compared

  • It’s just sheer poppy-cockle

    WHAT a silly non-article you printed in the SA, “flowers may be pretty poisonous”. Of course the corn cockle is poisonous, but so are many other common garden plants and many are always deadly, such as yew, laburnum, foxgloves, monkshood, castor

  • Animal testing is essential

    ANIMAL experimentation in the UK is a deeply divisive issue, but the public discussion is not well served by misleading statements. The National Anti-Vivisection Society mentions the “government pledge to reduce animal use” (Letters July 18) but

  • Helping prostitutes

    I’M delighted to hear Swindon has now got a sex outreach worker who will try to tackle our problem of prostitution. I know nobody wants street walkers parading their wares in their neighbourhood but I do think we need to spare a thought for the

  • Where’s the cash, Anne?

    WE see Anne Snelgrove on your front page marching to save the children’s centres in Swindon, but where is the extra money to come from? It is Labour Party policy to try to balance the books, so some big cuts have to be made somewhere in government

  • Coate park tidy

    COATE: A volunteers day is being held at Coate Water Country Park between 10am and 2pm on Wednesday. eople of all ages are welcome to come and tend to the grounds. For more call 01793 490150 or email swindonrangers@swindon.gov.uk.

  • Plotholders meet

    NYTHE: A general meeting of the Allotment Group will be held tonight at Swindon Rugby Club. From 7pm, members of the group and those wishing to help raise funds to bring about the project are welcome along to hear an update.

  • Aid festival call

    OLD TOWN: Organisers of the Old Town Festival are appealing for volunteers to join their committee. Those interesting in helping organise next year’s festivities can find out more at www.oldtownfestival.co.uk.

  • Help at the museum

    TOWN CENTRE: Volunteers are being sought to help run the Museum of Computing and organise its events. Anyone interested can visit www.museum-of-computing.org.uk.

  • Giggles at Meca

    TOWN CENTRE: Comedians Joe Wilson, Shelby Bond and Geoff Boyz will be performing at the Chuckles Comedy Club being held at Meca from 7pm on Thursday. For ticket information, call 01793 251111.

  • Runners wanted

    COATE: Runners of all abilities are welcome to take on a course being held at Coate Water Country Park at 6.15pm on Wednesday. For more information about the Swindon Shin Splints event, call them on 01793 490150.

  • Alzheimers fun day plea

    HAYDON END: The Gig to Remember is putting on The Garden Party to Remember at the Orchid Care home on August 23. From 11am to 3.30pm there will be a family fun day in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK. The organisers are looking for support providing

  • Double standards over homosexuality

    HG SMITH raises an important point regarding homosexuals and Christianity. The modern state, it appears, has its own new religion: political correctness, which it imposes with a fervour that might have gained the admiration of Cromwell himself.

  • Wi-Fi rumbles on

    IN a moment of casual irony the leader of Swindon Council now seeks to demonstrate a clear difference between the role of UK Broadband and the failed Digital City Wi-Fi Project. The irony, of course, is that many people who made this very point

  • Rail passengers face weekend of disruption due to line works

    FiIRST Great Western is encouraging customers travelling between Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3 to check journey times and routes prior to travelling, as improvements works take place across the Great Western Main Line. Over the weekend

  • Butterfly World gets rare pigs

    STUDLEY Grange Butterfly World near Wroughton has some cute new arrivals as part of its continued support of rare breeds. The centre has just been given a family of British Saddleback Pigs. The sow and 10 piglets, which are just a week old,

  • Open mic at Vic

    OLD TOWN: Musicans of all abilities are welcome to play at The Vic’s open mic night running from 8pm tomorrow. Call 01793 535713 or email thevicswindon@gmail.com for more details.

  • Kids for Stick Man fun day

    STANTON: A children’s workshop called The Stick Man at Stanton is being held at Stanton Park today. They will learn about Julia Donaldson’s book The Stick Man and then make their own figures, from 10-11.30am and 1-2.30pm. Book on 01793 490150 or

  • COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Gray comes fifth in 200m fly heat

    SWINDON swimmer Tilly Gray has come fifth in her 200m butterfly heat at the Commonwealth Games. The former Commonweal School student recorded a time of 2:14.68 and did not reach the final of the event. Swindon-born Hannah Miley, however, did

  • Big move to major new sports facility kicks off

    ROYAL Wootton Bassett Sports Association (WBSA) is in the process of relocating from its current site at Rylands Way to a new location opposite Ballards Ash Sports Ground. The move will see an expansion from a seven-acre site to a 23-acre site

  • Chance to join parish council

    RESIDENTS can now apply to join the parish council in Wroughton and help change the community for the better. The applicant who fills the vacancy on the Wroughton Parish Council will be able to play a role in local democracy and take part in improving

  • Quiz councillor

    SWINDON: Cabinet member for corporate and leisure services Keith Williams will be the subject of tonight’s scrutiny committee meeting with a question and answer session. The meeting will begin at 6pm in committee room 6 of the Civic Offices, and

  • Win movie prizes

    SHAW RIDGE: Young movie fans can win film-related prizes and tickets in a special competition organised by Cineworld. On August 9 the cinema is holding a colouring competition to mark the release of the Disney animated film Planes: Fire And Rescue

  • Help keep homes safer

    ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT: The Neighbourhood Watch is looking for volunteers. Neighbourhood & Home Watch is a voluntary network where neighbours work with the police to build safe communities. Volunteers are needed in St Ives, Jubilee Park

  • Vandals on the line

    NORTH SWINDON: Fencing by the works around the Swindon and Cricklade Railway has been damaged by vandals who trespassed onto the tracks. Neighbourhood police are reminding people a fine of up to £1,000 can be issued for trespassing on the line

  • Lock up warning

    NORTH SWINDON: Two bikes have been stolen from an unsecured garage at St Andrew’s Ridge. They are a 2005 Kona Kikapu deluxe sand/white and a 2010 ladies GT Avalanche 3.0 in red and white. The theft occurred between Wednesday evening and Thursday

  • Accused to stay in jail

    SWINDON: A man who is accused of burgling a house last month has been remanded in custody by a judge. Daniel Melhado is said to have stolen a laptop and clothing from the property at the bottom of Victoria Road on Wednesday, June 25. No charge

  • Six alleged drug dealers released on bail

    SIX people who are accused of conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine in Swindon have been released on bail by a judge. The defendants, three from Swindon and three from Birmingham, are said to have been involved in the trade in drugs between May

  • End of the line for Next store

    ONE of the town centre’s best loved clothing outlets has shut up shop for the final time. The Next store in Regent Street – known as Branch 851 – held its last trading day on Saturday after a final day of packing up and clearing out on Sunday.

  • Driver arrested following fatal crash on A303.

    WILTSHIRE Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic collision on the A303 at Mere. The incident took place at approximately 12.54pm yesterday at the A303 Mere Bypass on the eastbound carriageway. The collision involved

  • LIVE NEWS: 28/07/14

    5:32pm That's it from the LIVE NEWS feed today. We'll return in the morning and the site will be updated with breaking news and sport throughout th evening.  5:06pm

  • Rewind...July 28-August 2 1980: Agincourt all over again

    A BITTER Anglo-French row, accusations about Dunkirk and a threat by a school vice-principal to shoot a reporter – it’s not often an education story is quite so juicy. This week in 1980, however, it was all happening at Goddard Independent School

  • NHS to foot op bills to get lad walking

    CEREBRAL palsy sufferer Robbie Davies could soon take his very first steps following news that the costly operation he has been waiting to receive for more than three years will finally be available on the NHS. In 2011, the Davies family launched

  • Stead is full of praise for boss Rossiter

    ROBINS asset Simon Stead praised Alun Rossiter’s motivational skills after Great Britain’s World Cup Event One success on Saturday. Swindon team boss Rossiter’s most controversial selection was arguably that of Stead, but the Leicester man repaid

  • Town embraces its first free art attack

    ART lovers had a free-for-all in the sunshine around the town as Swindon’s first Free Art Friday was launched over the weekend. Free Art Friday – a global movement kicked off by street artist My Dog Sighs more than 10 years ago in Portsmouth –

  • Wakeskater makes waves by beating world record

    GOLD-medallist wakeskater James Harrington realised a childhood dream when he beat the world record for the highest number of stunts performed in a minute on the board last month. The 20-year-old from Haydon Wick, who only discovered wakeskating

  • WOMAD delivers a weekend with global appeal

    “WE are Hungarian, of Serbian and Croatian descent, we are going to play a Macedonian song in a Turkish style on Chinese instruments….this could be world music.” It certainly ticks a lot of boxes. Eastern European maestros SoNDoRGO are addressing

  • Slimming World group weighs in to support Race for Life

    DOZENS turned out for Slimming World’s take on the Race for Life and walked, ran, or sprinted their way around Coate Water for charity. The weight-loss organisation, which focuses on encouraging healthy eating without weighing and measuring, this

  • Batch insists it's not over yet

    ALUN Rossiter may have won the battle, but Swindon captain Troy Batchelor is still confident of winning the World Cup against his Robins team manager. Rossiter steered Great Britain to victory in Event One on Saturday night as Batchelor’s Australia

  • Lelan happy to be a Town man

    JOSH Lelan is the latest Swindon Town loanee to have been drawn to the Wiltshire club by the Robins’ style of play. Lelan has joined Town on an initial loan deal until August 23 and made his pre-season friendly debut in the 1-1 draw at Bromley

  • Waste fire is still burning a week on

    FIREFIGHTERS are still dealing with the blaze at Averies Recycling a week after it first broke out, with investigations into its cause continuing. Crews have been at the Marshgate site since the fire began last Monday. They have been working with

  • Events pay tribute to fallen heroes

    TODAY the Swindon Advertiser commemorates the centenary of the First World War and honours all those whose lives were touch by it. Britain didn’t declare war on Germany until August 4, 1914, but July 28 is universally acknowledged as its starting

  • Hundreds head to Lydiard Park for fundraiser

    HUNDREDS flooded Lydiard Park this weekend after Ashley Waldron’s brother inspired him to hold an event and raise awareness of a mentoring project for disaffected youngsters. Unlike his brother Craig, Ashley cannot commit enough time to help mentor

  • Town’s GPs get the thumbs up in poll

    RESIDENTS have rated Swindon’s GP services as among the top third across the country in the latest survey from NHS England. More than 3,000 people took part in the survey and questionnaires about their experiences in doctor’s surgeries across the

  • Pop-up vintage shop is now here to stay

    INDEPENDENT shops are vital to the high street, according to Swindon’s vintage clothes and homewares store Carry on Vintage. The shop in the Brunel Centre is celebrating its upcoming first anniversary of trading, aptly just at the tail-end of July

  • Shop to turn vintage stereos gift into charity cash

    ECHOES of Swindon’s proud history as a maker of high-class stereos are being heard at Holmes Music. The shop in Faringdon Road has recently taken delivery of several music centres, the youngest of which seems to date back about 45 years. Now

  • Cooper wants quick additions to squad after Bromley draw

    MARK Cooper said there was “plenty to work on” after watching his side draw 1-1 with Bromley on Saturday. The Robins were in control of the clash at the Fortress Stadium in the first half but fell apart in the second and were only spared embarassment

  • SOUTHERN LEAGUE: Gray matters for Webb

    SWINDON Supermarine manager Dave Webb is hoping to sign up striker Bradley Gray today. The striker has been back at the Webb’s Wood Stadium side over the last couple of weeks after spending the early part of the summer at Hungerford Town. Gray

  • Smith arrival signals end of Pekkarinen at Cats

    KENTON Smith’s arrival at Swindon Wildcats has signalled the end of Aku Pekkarinen’s time at the Link Centre. The 34-year-old Canadian has agreed terms to join Ryan Aldridge’s EPL side for the upcoming campaign and completes Cats’ list of imported

  • COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Halford keen to build on medal treble

    LAURA Halford hardly expected one medal from the Commonwealth Games let alone three – but she insists she must capitalise on her surprise success as quickly as possible. Halford enjoyed three glorious days in the rhythmic gymnastics arena at the