SWINDON Robins will have three representatives in Saturday's World Cup final after Troy Batchelor helped Australia progress from the Race-Off tonight. The Swindon captain scored 11 from his five rides in Bydgoszcz, meaning he and Australia will
DAVID Howell was left to rue a poor putting performance on day one of the Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio. The Swindon star finished his opening round at the Firestone Country Club one-under-par, but he will know that it could have been so much
CAPTAIN Joe Breet will be looking for his Lechlade side to regain their winning ways when Chipping Sodbury visit the Manor Ground on Saturday. Lechlade make only one change to the side that lost at Biddestone last weekend, with wicketkeeper Sam
UNIONS representing 1.3 million local government workers – GMB, UNISON and Unite – have agreed to escalate their dispute over pay with a campaign running into the autumn. The three unions have agreed that their members will run a co-ordinated strike
SWINDON Robins have agreed a new date for their Elite League match at Coventry. The meeting was originally rained-off earlier this month but has now been re-arranged at Brandon for Monday, August 18 at 7.30pm. The meeting will be shown live
SWINDON Town reached the final of the Salver Cup at the Milk Cup with a 3-0 victory over Dundalk today. The Robins' youngsters got off to a terrific start, with Jack Stanley scoring with a delicate flick, but that early goal cued a torrent of Dundalk
TO celebrate the Adver’s 160th anniversary this year we present a Swindon Roll of Honour comprising 160 headline makers from the history of our town. Here you will find those whose work and achievements have helped raise the standing and profile
TOWN CENTRE: Members of the public will have the opportunity to meet and grill a Great Western Hospital governor at the Central Library on August 6 between 4.15pm and 6.15pm.
GREATFIELD: Performers Steve DeGutis and Worried About Mike will be playing at Riffs Bar from 7pm tomorrow. During the event there will also be an open mic session. For further details, call 01793 778304.
BLUNSDON: Blunsdon has just been announced as the winner of the large village category in the 2014 Best Kept Village Competition for Wiltshire. A presentation event will take place in October and more details will be announced nearer the time.
A FIFTEEN-year-old boy from North Swindon has admitted that he lied to police when he claimed he had been robbed as he walked between Redhouse and Oakhurst on crutches. Earlier this month, there was great concern in the community that an obviously
SWINDON: Researchers at the Great Western Hospital hope to talk to people who have completed cancer treatment within the last 12 months to help develop a questionnaire to assess the psychosocial concerns experienced by survivors. The questionnaire
THOSE who fancy their hand at fishing can make the most of the tuition services offered at Cotswold Wildlife Park. The park is offering one-to-one tuition from friendly, fully qualified angling coaches in a scheme run by the South Cerney Angling
TOWN CENTRE: Volunteers are being sought to collect funds for Swindon and District Samaritans. Those interested in helping out will be asked to collect outside Swindon Supermarine’s ground on matchdays. To find out more about the role, call 01793
TOWN CENTRE: Swindon Council has given permission for Bon Marche, in Regent Street, to put up new signs at the front of the store.
GREENBRIDGE: Swindon Rugby Club is hosting a family picnic at its ground from 2pm on Saturday. Attractions will include a rounders match, a tug of war, face painting and a barbecue at 5pm.
LYDIARD TREGOZE: Runners of all abilities are welcome to take on a course at Lydiard Park at 9am on Saturday. For more information, call 01793 770401.
OLD TOWN: David Bowie tribute act The Bowie Experience will be performing at The Vic from 8pm tomorrow. For ticket information, call 01793 535713 or email thevicswindon@gmail.com
SOUTH MARSTON: Swindon Council is installing signs and posts near the junction of the A420 and Old Vicarage Lane today requiring multiway traffic signals. Motorists will be disrupted for one day only.
SOUTH MARSTON: Swindon Council is installing signs and posts near the junction of the A420 and Old Vicarage Lane today requiring multiway traffic signals. Motorists will be disrupted for one day only.
WALCOT: Eastern Avenue and Burford Avenue will be reopened tomorrow. Swindon Council has had stretches of each road closed since Tuesday for resurfacing and drain alterations.
PINEHURST: Swindon Council is scheduled to reopen The Circle tomorrow. The authority has had the closure in place between Beech Avenue and Laburnum Road since January 9 while the highway was improved in line with the shopping development there.
STRATTON: The landscaping works at Clive Parade end tomorrow. Swindon Council has installed bollards, street furniture, kerbs, turfing and planting trees since May 27. Lane closures are now scheduled to finish.
STRATTON: Kingsdown Road will be closed between Kingsdown Crematorium and Vickers roundabout for six days from tomorrow. Swindon Council is carrying out winter damage repair works until next Wednesday, August 6. Delays are likely.
SWINDON... 1947: Scoutmaster KA Gore, of 14th Swindon (Pinehurst) Troop, was presented with a wallet, a fountain pen and a pencil at a social evening. The presentation was made by the parents in appreciation of his taking 22 of the boys on holiday
SARAH Ellison has been elected chairman of governors at Churchfields Academy in Salcombe Grove. She said she was delighted to be able to work alongside the academy’s team to build on its strong reputation. Sarah, who works as a business manager
ALL servicemen past and present are invited to take part in a dedication service for a new peace memorial at the corner of Grange Drive and Ermin Street. On August 3, the Stratton St Margaret Parish Council is holding the service, which starts
AlLONG with many residents, for the past week I have been enjoying the Commonwealth Games. It was so great see Jazz Carlin, a Swindon-born and educated athlete, win a gold medal. Before she moved to Wales, Jazz used the Link swimming pool and was
SWINDON: The Brunel Centre will be welcoming some special visitors today as Peppa Pig and George visit the centre for a story time session. They will be appearing at intervals between 11am and 3.30pm. For more information visit www.brunel.co.uk
WROUGHTON: Wroughton parish council has a casual vacancy for a new councillor following the death of former councillor Mike Hinder. Any person willing to fill this vacancy should apply to the clerk for an application form to be returned before
EAST SWINDON: A special meeting of the east locality will be held tomorrow at 4pm in committee room 2 of the Civic Offices. The meeting will include a public question time for any residents who wish to attend and a consideration of the locality
THE Swindon Night Shelter is held in St Mary’s Church Hall on Friday evenings, and is struggling for volunteers to go on the rota to feed the homeless guests, provide a listening ear and care for those who sleep overnight. The guests leave after
TIME is running out for home-hunters hoping to secure one of the final properties available at Jubilee Park in Royal Wootton Bassett. Eager purchasers are acting quickly to take their pick of the plots on sale, and now just six new homes remain
THE Smiley Cats Club is back at STEAM this summer, taking place on Wednesdays and Thursdays until August 28 between 9.30am and 1pm. The theme this summer is Summer Magic. At Smiley Cats, children aged five and over get to do face painting, arts
First Great Western has this morning hit back at claims it is removing Quiet Carriages from all its trains. A First Great Western spokesman said: "There will be a quiet carriage on all our High Speed Trains for the foreseeable future. Claims that
OLD TOWN: The third annual Old Town Yard Sale will be held August 31 between noon and 4pm. Houses on Ashford Road, Brunswick Street, Hythe Road, Kent Road, Lansdown Road, Folkestone Road, Maidstone Road, Pembroke Street, Stafford Street and Savernake
STRATTON: Following the success of a previous charity night The Crown Inn will host another Great British Classics Night on Wednesday, August 20. The evening, which will feature traditional meals including fish ‘n’ chips, liver ‘n’ onions, pie
TOWN CENTRE: A temporary 30mph limit is scheduled on Great Western Way, Paddington Drive and Mead Way leading to and from The Meads roundabout from next Wednesday for work to be carried out for a new McDonalds restaurant in Ashworth Road. It is
WROUGHTON: Horse owners may soon be able to stable their animals at Wharf Farm in Wroughton – the owners have been granted planning permission to use the land and premises as a commercial livery yard. Up to 11 equines can be stabled, the land used
NORTH SWINDON: An 18-year-old man from North Swindon who crashed a car in Redhouse is appearing in court next week charged with drink driving. The teenager was driving a vehicle full of his friends when the incident happened. Officers initially
PROGRESS toward completion of the Kimmerfields development is always to be welcomed. The redevelopment of the town centre has long been overdue, both for economic and aesthetic reasons. Indeed, these two issues are intertwined, as shoppers
TALIS Kimberley’s warning that burning shale gas “tips us further into climate change” is, if anything, understating the dangers of exploiting unconventional oil and gas. A 2011 peer-reviewed study of the climate impact of shale gas concluded that
I AM sure that many people will think it odd that Chief Constable, Pat Geenty’s call for a National Register of missing persons is needed (Adver July 29), having assumed that such a system already existed. Des Morgan, Caraway Drive, Swindon
I HOPE all the ‘good riddance to Scotland’ brigade watched the tumultuous cheer from Glasgow as the English team entered the arena at the Commonwealth Games from their Scots cousins. Salmond must have choked on his expenses account, at considerable
WE'RE writing in response to an article in your newspaper regarding a planning application being submitted for a supported housing unit for autistic adults in Okebourne Park. As ward councillors for the area, we have been and will continue to work
I ATTENDED the exhibition about the Eastern Villages recently. As with every new large development next to an existing town, there are going to be concerns whether the infrastructure already in place will be able to cope with the increase in people
WILTSHIRE Council leaders have announced another £300,000 is being made available to support community led youth activities in the area. The funding is additional to a £270,000 budget for youth activities already being devolved across Community
A GROUP of youngsters from Nyland Campus visited Waterland to mark the end of a one year SkillForce programme. The children have been working with the educational charity to improve their teamwork, communication and problem solving skills.
URGENT warnings have been sent to GPs across Swindon to watch for signs of the Ebola virus. It comes after an infected man in Liberia was allowed to fly from the disease-affected West African country to the major international travel hub of Lagos
KOALAS Opportunity Group has improved and been rated good by Ofsted one year after being found to be inadequate by the watchdog. Following a July 3 inspection, the Middleleaze group, which supports children with special educational needs and disabilities
CHILDREN can enjoy fun-packed activities at STEAM – Museum of the Great Western Railway – for just £1 during the summer holidays. From climbing aboard famous locomotives, driving the train simulator, and being a signalman for the day, to following
EMMA DUNN meets a group of youngsters who are taking aim with the junior rifle club YOUNG people who are interested in getting into shooting can take aim with Wroughton Junior Rifle Club. The club, based at Wroughton Scout Hall in Weirside
STARLIGHT Children’s Foundation is entertaining sick children at the Great Western Hospital with a fun summer show on August 7. The charity is bringing its new pantomime, Robinson Crusoe, to the children’s unit, for young patients to take a break
RESIDENTS living in the town centre have an opportunity to discuss the issues that affect them, including the new Regents Circus development and the road and pavement design around it, at a meeting on Thursday, August 7. The event, in Committee
A SIXTH man has admitted his role in a nine month conspiracy to supply cocaine in Swindon. Ben Blackmore pleaded guilty, but will have to wait until after the trials of other defendants before he is sentenced. The 24-year-old, of Naunton Road
WILTSHIRE Fire & Rescue Service has issued safety advice for anyone planning a camping trip. Station manager Damien Bence, from the community safety department, said: “In particular, we would remind everyone to never bring a lit barbecue inside
Park life with Swindon Ranger David Boase Having spent many evenings over the past few weeks sitting in my garden, dodging thunder storms and spotting wildlife, I have to say that I have developed a new found love for one of Britain’s cutest and
Jim Reynolds, singer and guitarist, is heading for Swindon’s Beehive pub on Prospect Hill, Old Town, on Sunday August 3, to play blues, ragtime, music hall and folk at a free gig. For more details call 01793 523187.
Do Italians really have the best way of life? Sarah Marshall learns to live like a local on a lemon farm in sunny Southern Italy Using the same care and attention a jeweller might employ to handle precious stones, 68-year-old farmer Peppino Nunziata
Maybe this is the calm before the storm; I guess a week sandwiched between two great local music festivals, the recent Stratton Stroll and the imminent Swindon Shuffle is going to be a bit light on gigs. So it’s all about quality and not quantity
SLOW CLUB Complete Surrender Although hailed as Britain’s answer to the White Stripes following their formation in 2006, Sheffield-duo Slow Club’s first two albums showcased a more obvious penchant for twee indie-folk than garage-rock. Their third
SHUFFLE co-founder Rich Craven was sitting in the Vic back in 2006 when the idea for a Swindon music festival popped into his head. “I’d been chatting with my friend (and fellow Shuffle founder) Phil Dyson about arranging a fundraising gig for
DAVE FRANKLIN looks ahead to a fantastic five-day festival So, it’s that time of the year again. The biggest music event of the local calendar, The Swindon Shuffle, is back for its eighth year so let’s see what you have to look forward to over
5:28pm And that concludes today's LIVE FEED. We'll return in the morning. The site, as always, will be updated with any major breaking news and sport throughout the evening. 5:23pm
BARRY LEIGHTON looks at one of the best festivals around IT was only a back-garden – OK, a very big back garden – but no one who played there that day in July 1976 could possibly have imagined they were inadvertently launching a tradition (sorry
A DOG barged into a Highworth home and savagely killed the family’s dog before owner Julie Davies’s eyes, 10 minutes before her granddaughter arrived. Julie said a far more serious tragedy could have taken place if her nine-month-old granddaughter
A GIANT poppy mural is part of the Brunel Shopping Centre’s new display commemorating the centenary of the First World War. The poppy field scene has been painted by Niki Tritton, from Swindon Artists’ Forum, and is forming part of a memory wall
DAVID Howell is looking for a place in the top eight at this week’s Bridgestone Invitational to secure a place at the US PGA Championships. The Broome Manor star tees off this afternoon (2.40pm BST) alongside American Brian Harman after a week
AARON Nell has hailed Floyd Taylor as one of the best young players in the country after he signed a new deal to remain with Swindon Wildcats. The 19-year-old forward has come up through the ranks at the Link Centre over the last eight years and
TROY Batchelor has admitted the fitness of former world champion Chris Holder could hold the key to Australia’s chances of making Saturday’s World Cup final. The Swindon Robins skipper was part of the Aussie side which failed to make it through
SWINDON Town manager Mark Cooper feels that his side need to show their potency in front of goal as the new season draws closer. The County Ground side have enjoyed a great deal of possession during their pre-season friendlies but without the creativity
A family doctor who filmed himself sexually abusing female patients with his James Bond-style wristwatch has had his sentence cut from 12 to 10 years on appeal. Dr Davinder Jeet Bains’s original sentence was quashed by Lord Thomas, Lord Chief Justice
DOING her homework paid off for schoolgirl Chloe Cockshull this month, as her culinary concoction fit for an astronaut made the final five in a national contest. The 14-year-old Nova Hreod Academy pupil, with help from her teacher Kerry Camm, came
WILTSHIRE Police will receive a share of more than £300,000 of Home Office funding to help pay for the merger of forensics services across the South West. Every force in the country is being granted a slice of a £50m Innovation Fund pot from central
A MASKED 14-year-old boy who robbed a youngster of his mobile phone in a subway has avoided a custodial sentence. The lad put a scarf over his face and grabbed the BlackBerry handset from his young victim’s pocket after repeatedly punching him
RICHARD Farnan has promised Tariq Quaddus will hurt Chris Hobbs after the Southampton boxer took to social media to claim the Swindon fighter has ‘signed his death certificate’. The super-middleweight appears to be on a collision course with the
OLIVIA Flack set a new personal best at the British Gas ASA National Championships yesterday. The 12-year-old Swindon Dolphin clocked a time of 1:03.96 seconds in the 100m freestyle in Sheffield. However, despite her new PB, Flack was unable
SWINDON’S Pete Townsend took the top honours at the Avon SCC match at Portman and Scotland Road on the River Avon on Saturday. Townsend claimed a roach catch weighing 10lb 10oz, taken on pole-fished hemp, to finish first. Bob Davies, also from
ANDY Williams cannot wait for the new season to begin after spending eight months on the sidelines through injury. The Swindon Town striker is back to full fitness following a cruciate ligament injury and, having played a large role during pre-season
MICHAEL Smith is hoping that there will be plenty more goals in him once the season gets underway. The former Charlton striker has netted five times for Swindon Town this summer, the latest coming in the 2-1 friendly loss to Leeds United on Tuesday
WHEN Christa Tremblin took her boyfriend to a baseball game, little did she know he would propose to her in front of thousands. But that is exactly what 25-year-old Darren Brown did to his childhood sweetheart after months of secretive planning
PLANS for a new shared space crossing at Ridgeway Farm mimicking the one in place at Regent Circus should be reconsidered according to residents. The new pedestrain crossing at the Ridgeway Farm village centre would be located next to the new primary
SWINDON woman Mariola Martin has been named as the victim of the tragic road accident when an articulated lorry slammed into the back of her car. Mariola, 53, was born in Poland but relocated to Swindon, where she has lived since she was a teenager
BEAR hunting was the main theme of the day yesterday when Lydiard Park launched a series of story walks. Every Wednesday during the summer holidays youngsters and their parents can enjoy a story-themed activity session in the park with rhymes and
ADVER picture editor Stuart Harrison’s holiday got off to a dramatic start when his plane made an emergency landing. His flight to Madeira was forced to land in Portugal – hours after he tweeted a picture of the plane as a joke in case it went
YOUNGSTERS inspired by the Commonwealth Games tried their hand at netball yesterday. Pinehurst Netball Club was the latest sports team from Swindon to run a taster session as part of an 11-day sports programme in Wharf Green, coinciding with the
STRATTON’S tube orchestra challenge extraordinaire Shaun Buswell begins another musical challenge in Edinburgh tomorrow at the world-famous Festival Fringe. Shaun started his original Tube Orchestra Challenge on January 1, 2012, when he attempted
Suffering a cardiac arrest has tested Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson in a myriad of ways – challenging his memory, confidence and resilient personality. The traumatic event, which erased two weeks from his memory, also prompted
A PETITION has been launched to save a children’s centre that is under-threat as Swindon Council reviews the town’s services. Under proposals being considered, Butterflies Child-ren’s Centre, based in Hugo Drive, would be turned into a family hub
THE next stage of the Kimmerfield development was given the go-ahead this week when an application to close parts of Fleming Way to traffic was approved. A major part of the redevelopment involves relocating the bus station along Fleming Way which
A FORMER major in the Pakistani army is desperate to clear his name after finding himself on the international list of wanted criminals at Interpol. Syed Hamid Raza Shah, 48, of Lilian Close, moved to Swindon in 2012 after fleeing from his native
A DRINK driver who led police on a late night chase around Old Town after moving his Range Rover from a disabled parking bay has been jailed. Lewis Page, who was more than twice the limit, had only just got his licence back after completing an
A FORMER pub landlord is returning to perform with his old band, which has reformed especially for the occasion. Twenty-five years ago, Dave Young’s band The Chaos Brothers supported punk icons 999 at Level 3 in Commercial Road. So when the guitarist
