Archive

DESPITE being a seasoned professional, Darren Ward still wants to play as many games as possible, having got his move away from the County Ground. The veteran defender has joined Crawley on loan until the end of the season, taking him up to the

SWINDON Wildcats head coach Ryan Aldridge is over the moon that his predecessor has been given the honour of being the GB men’s head coach. The coach of the Okanagan Academy, based in Swindon, was announced on Tuesday and Aldridge believes that

Benedict Cumberbatch and theatre director Sophie Hunter announced in November that they were engaged and now the couple say they are expecting their first baby. Cumberbatch, 38, rose to global popularity with his modern-day portrayal of Britain's

SCANNERS and other equipment used by the employees made redundant at delivery company City Link have been sold on to a rival distribution firm in a seven-figure deal. City Link’s depot at Interface Business Park, Royal Wootton Bassett, closed on

A man who is accused of raping and assaulting a woman in Swindon is to face trial. Antoine Irving, 32, pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and causing actual bodily harm when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court. Irving is said to have carried

APPRENTICES are wanted at Mini’s plant in Swindon as part of a new nationwide push by BMW for more young people to join the firm. Five of the 47 new apprenticeships created by the car manufacturer will be at Mini Plant Swindon, in Bridge End Road

Wiltshire Police have charged a man with robbery following an incident in a Ladbrokes store in Swindon when more than £2,000 was stolen. John David Guthrie, 28, of Harding Street, has been charged with robbery following the incident in Commercial

JONNY May will bring up 100 appearances for Gloucester when the Cherry and Whites host Saracens tomorrow night. Swindon’s May is a product of the Gloucester Academy and made his competitive first-team bow against Newport Gwent Dragons in the Heineken

Whose responsibility is it nowadays to see that the streets within our town centre keep up a certain standard of cleanliness? As someone who accesses town on a regular basis it strikes me that Manchester Road is a main thoroughfare for an awful

In his letter of December 31, Bill Williams describes a Romanian skilled electrician who, a few years ago, came to the UK with his wife and 15 children. According to Mr Williams, the chap now receives benefits of £4,600 a month in benefits and also

Steve Halden says that Britain took a wrong turning in 1973 when we joined the EU. If you are driving along and you take a wrong turning, it is never too late to say that you have made a mistake and change direction. Even if you stay on the

FOR what it’s worth, I would like to associate myself with your letters page contributor, HG Smith, and his contribution on December 24, “Beyond recognition”. The views and sentiments expressed in the letter I well understand. As a postscript,

May I suggest a few New Year resolutions to our political party leaders? Stop unlimited immigration, make it selective regarding our countries needs. Hold a referendum on the European Disunion before the general election. Double our armed forces

I WAS glad to hear that the new Morrisons will soon begin an online shopping service, because online shopping is far better for the environment than having people turn up in their cars. Each van full of shopping is the equivalent of dozens of car

I was very pleased to see the Tory Prime Minister’s plan for their version of austerity after the next election should they win. Not being content with having sacked more than a million public servants over the past few years, the Conservatives

It was with dismay that we recently read that Nigel Farage has been nominated The Times Briton of the Year. We believe there are many more people across the country who are far more deserving of such an award than Farage. How about posthumous

The year of 2014 will be regarded as a monumental year for one very good reason, which is that the British people at last spoke out regarding being led by the US into illegal wars that solely benefit their giant arms corporations. The British people

I remember watching the enthronement of Her Majesty Elizabeth ll (the first TV images that I ever saw) and like most children watching the TV coverage that day I sensed a feeling/atmosphere emanating from those adults around me watching the TV.

In response to the letter (SA, December 27) about Clive Parade parking, I am having ongoing dealings with Premier Parks Ltd. I admittedly overstayed my time – unbeknown to me you had to pay for it now – by four minutes. Being threatened with a

Once again a member of UKIP has to defend himself against accusations of being a racist. Martyn Heale, the party chairman of UKIP South Thanet, has recently said he deeply regretted his past membership of the far-right party BNP and that he finds

In reply to Basil Jones [Adver, January 3, 2015 ]. The tittle tattle that he refers to regarding my letter about the Romanian family with 15 kids who lied to their landlord that they only had six kids to secure their present accommodation was printed

The public has been distracted from the torture and killing reports of the US and Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan. The reports contain horrifying images. The elites had been covering for a while, but couldn’t do it any longer. So now they have

The church services are behind us, the ceramic poppies are being extracted and the surge of media attention given to all things First World War has faded to a trickle. The centenary of the start of the carnage was enthusiastically embraced by the

Further to my earlier letter I couldn’t help but wonder why Network Rail’s West of England Project Director hadn’t and indeed hasn’t explained all the ramifications which they anticipated during this updating of the main line from Paddington to the

DARREN Ward's has joined Crawley Town on loan, concluding his time at Swindon Town, with his contract at the County Ground set to expire at the end of his temporary switch to the Red Devils. Reports from the local press covering the Mid Sussex

I HAVE often wondered what it would be like having another team just a stone’s throw away from the County Ground as opposed to 30 odd miles away in any one direction. The thought returned to me as I sped through the western suburbs of Birmingham

PETER Kildemand has confirmed that he will not be riding for the Swindon Robins, or any other UK team, in 2015. Alun Rossiter had hoped that they would be able to persuade last season’s number one rider to return to the Abbey Stadium once the draft

JAMIE Cox’s return to the ring is set to be shown live on BoxNation. The 28-year-old southpaw was due to make his comeback at the Swindon Oasis Leisure Centre on January 31. However, following the announcement of Keith Mayo and Paddy Fitzpatrick

A double battering is being forecast tonight as 60mph gale force winds stirred up by a 250mph jet stream strike England, followed by possible snow in the north next week. The very stormy weather has sparked fears that trees could be uprooted and

THE Wiltshire Schools Cross Country Championships, scheduled for Grittleton House School, near Chippenham on Saturday morning, have been postponed. Organisers took the decision to push back the event by seven days due to the forecast of high winds

MAJOR changes to the way regional cricket is structured were agreed last night. The cricket boards of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset outlined proposals for reducing travelling times, match lengths and increasing competitiveness in the

ROUTINE inpatient operations have been postponed at Great Western Hospital for a fourth consecutive day. The move comes as the staff continue to cope with the backlog of an exceptionally busy weekend at the hospital’s A&E department. During

DARREN Ward could be waving goodbye to Swindon for good with his proposed loan move to Crawley taking him up to the end of the season when his contract expires. Town chairman Lee Power revealed last night on BBC Wiltshire that a League One club

It was a great joy to read that two gracious ladies in their 80s have been awarded an MBE for their life-long service to their respective communities. My heartfelt congratulations to Margaret Williams who has dedicated her life of service and devotion

I am trying to trace any descendants of the late Ivy Gwendoline (born Thorne) who married Ronald Thomas Pratt in 1927. Ivy was from Bishopsworth. in Bristol. and later the family lived in Swindon in Wiltshire. There were two sons Anthony Pratt

I recently had my car serviced at a Volvo dealership in Swindon and agreed a price of £299 for a full service. Whilst the car was being serviced, I received a phone call asking me if I would like the wiper blades changed and I agreed to this.

Oh what joy! The lifts are out of order again at the Brunel West car park. This is the second time in a month. We did not notice if there was a sign telling us they were out of order when you go in the car park from Farnsby Street. And if you

This week our Government announced that any meat products being sold should display how the animal had been killed (slaughtered) eg hallal, kosher. Well, I thought that we had a ministry dedicated to the welfare of animals and that that ministry

I am sure everyone is delighted that Operation Dasher resulted in a nine per cent decrease in crime in Swindon town centre during a period of 18 days (SA 2 January). Community Beat Manager Paul Bezzant advised: “Swindon town centre continues to be

A decision by Tesco to scrap its plans for a store in Royal Wootton Bassett have been welcomed by North Wiltshire MP James Gray. New Tesco boss Dave Lewis wielded the axe today as he announced 43 store closures even as his shake-up of the supermarket

A woman who plundered more than £40,000 in benefits she wasn't entitled to while making money from a 'massage' business has been jailed. Deborah Mason, 50, who has been to prison in the past for exercising control over a prostitute, was advertising

It seems we had at least one case of someone who travelled from West Africa in “suspected Ebola” isolation in the GWH in Swindon. What isolation facilities do we have here? I thought the London Royal Free was the only one. More to the point

Last year made history as, in a House of Commons vote on Thursday, August 29, PM Cameron’s face said it all, when his coalition government suffered a humiliating defeat when MPs voted 285 to 272 against the US proposal to bomb Syria, which would no

We are now in the throes of the election year and so the letters will start telling us the rights and wrongs of this government. The latest one from Mr Pixton is a clear example. He complains about the NHS and says nothing about the state of

THIS weekend's Swindon & District League and Swindon Sunday League football programme looks likely to be decimated, with a number of council-owned venues already ruling out the chance of matches being staged. Shrewsbury Road , Penhill Recreation

Wiltshire Police officers and staff observed a two-minute silence at 10.30am today to pay their respects to the victims of yesterday's Paris terrorist attack. In the attack 12 people, including two police officers, lost their lives at the Charlie

TOWN chairman Lee Power insists development on the County Ground needs to happen ‘sooner rather than later’. The club were recently taken to court by the council for unpaid rent on the publicly-owned stadium but Power confirmed on BBC Radio Wiltshire

Recent headlines detailing Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing’s attempts to grab control of Eversholt Rail, a British company owning a fleet of 3,500 trains, raises the question; why? Surely not just because he was recently outbid by international

I am sure people would agree about the wonderful Christmas Care shelter organised by Patsy Moloney have done again this year. For so many people to give their precious time over the Christmas period is priceless. Keep up the good work. Shirley

In response to Chris Humphries’ letter of Tuesday, December 23, from the contents of his letter I gather the following people are all loonies (his words not mine): if they wear anoraks; or woolly jumpers; or sport a beard; or wear sandals (especially

Come on ladies, the slog of Christmas and New Year cooking and cleaning is all over until next year. May I brighten the day instantly, rather than have to wait till the summer? I knew a friend in Scotland who was terrified of his wife. We all

This New Year we are asking your readers to make a resolution to be more fun! Action for Children has launched National Children’s Hour, a new campaign to build memorable childhoods for all, and we are encouraging parents in the South West to ask

Which of the parties during the coming election campaign will come up with the policies most friendly to young people? The young generation has had a raw deal in recent years with high unemployment, low wages and sky-high house prices. The

As the temperature has turned from a nip to a pinch over the past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of spending time out in the parks. Frosty fields, rolling mist, the sun shining low through bare branches, and the feeling... that I am being watched

MARION SAUVEBOIS meets a theatre group with a mission to tackle prejudice and injustice UNITED against injustice and by their love of the stage, the Partners truly deserve their name. The theatre company, which stars performers with learning

Thanks to global warming, polar bears could become a nostalgic memory within our lifetime. Sarah Marshall visits Svalbard, a archipelago in the High Arctic whose habitat is at risk, and finds out why this pristine place is worth protecting “When

As the fairly short-lived link between ska and reggae music, Rock Steady often gets overlooked, especially once you move away from its Jamaican homebase. Whilst in the UK the former was revived and reimagined by a host of two-tone revival bands

So that’s it, all done. Twelfth Night has been and gone, the decorations are back in the attic, though you will be picking pine needles out of your socks until May, the Christmas supplies have been depleted, all but the hardly-touched bottle of egg-nog

WITH death-defying stunts and breathtaking acrobatics, Cirque Berserk is constantly pushing the boundaries of the possible. The show launched five years ago in a bid to take circus acts to the next level. Since then, Cirque Berserk, which has

The common expression “catch-22” sums up perfectly the Council’s dilemma when it comes to repairing and maintaining roads. If we do nothing we are condemned for inaction, if we try to fix the roads – as we were doing in December – we are criticised

A prized pig owned by the Princess Royal was killed by a wild boar that got into its pen. The attack happened a day after a boar caused the crash which Royal Wootton Bassett man Raymond Green on the M4, not far from Princess Anne's home. The

5:42pm Wiltshire new £5m air ambulance - a Canadian-built Bell 429 - goes into service tomorrow, it has just been announced. To keep the air ambulance flying costs £2.5 million a year, £6,850 per day, which

ORGANISERS of the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials have revealed that this year’s cross country course will run in the reverse direction to the 2014 event. Course designer Giuseppe Della Chiesa made his debut designing the iconic course

EMMA DUNN meets star Jimmy Osmond THE word gruff wouldn’t normally be associated with squeaky clean Jimmy Osmond. But the 51-year-old, best known as Little Jimmy Osmond who sang Long-Haired Lover From Liverpool, is looking forward to taking

AFTER a sell-out European tour, the Johnny Cash Roadshow will roll into Oxford’s New Theatre on January 14 for a night to remember. A celebration of the legend’s eventful life and musical genius, the production takes the audience from the 1950s

KEEN divers will once again take the plunge into the chilly depths of the River Thames this weekend in aid of the RNLI. Every year, the Swindon branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club take a chilly two-mile swim from Inglesham to St John’s Lock in

FUNDRAISER Amberley Jamieson is paying tribute to her father by hosting a charity ball on Friday evening. Amberley, 18, is holding the event at Lydiard House Conference Centre, at Lydiard Park, to raise money for SILA, a charity that supports those

THE STAGE couldn’t be more perfectly set for Swindon Town midfielder Massimo Luongo to make a memorable homecoming this month. The Australian star has never run out in his national team’s green and gold shirt on home soil, with each of his five

SWINDON Council has been given £75,000 from the Government to implement a scheme which could reduce the cost for developers looking to build on brownfield sites. Swindon is one of only four authorities in the country to be given the cash which

“I JUST wanted to be left alone. Left alone to die,” said Joan Thorpe, whose weight ballooned as a teenager in response to the bullies who hounded her. Now the 58-year-old from Park North – who swelled to more than 38 stone when she was in her

A PURTON man could face jail after allegedly shooting a neighbour with an air rifle while taking pot shots out of a block of flats last weekend. Sean Davis, 24, of Palomino Place, was arrested on Saturday after police were called to reports that

TOP of the league. Sorry, I still enjoy typing those words even five days later. But the draw at Fleetwood was significant for more than just the result. It also showed how the pressure is starting to manifest itself. The expectation

TRIBUTES have been paid to dedicated Swindon campaigner Anne Lubin who died over the festive period. Anne, 91, died at Great Western Hospital on December 27 after suffering a period of ill-health. She grew up in the East End of London and married

LITTLE Lillie Christie is facing another year in need of donated blood while doctors continue their search for a diagnosis. The four-year-old, from Freshbrook, needs blood transfusions every five weeks to help her body cope with the dramatic drop

PROGRESS in determining the evolution of two prominent sites in Rodbourne will be made next week as development briefs go before councillors. Swindon Council planning committee will be asked to approve a public consultation of the draft briefs

INTERNATIONAL aces Massimo Luongo and Yaser Kasim will strut their stuff in front of a global audience when the Asian Cup gets underway tomorrow – but the Town midfielders aren’t thinking about putting themselves in the shop window. Luongo is hoping

CHRISTMAS left a sour taste in the mouth of delivery driver Christopher Jones, who discovered his 14 years with City Link were up as the rest of the nation tucked into their turkey leftovers. The Coventry-based company, which has a depot at Interface

GREAT Western Hospital insists it is prioritising patients who need care the most, as research shows its accident and emergency department is falling well short of waiting time targets. NHS England sets a benchmark that 95 per cent of patients

WILTSHIRE’S new industry-leading air ambulance is hoped to be in service within the next week. The new £5m Bell 429 is one of the most advanced light twin helicopters ever developed and is the first of its kind to operate as an air ambulance in

THE future is bright for British ice hockey according to new head coach Peter Russell. The former Wildcats chief guided the GB under 20 side to gold at the World Champiopnships in Estonia last month and is hoping to use that knowledge to unearth

COMMONWEAL School welcomed Great Britain wheelchair basketball star Judith Hamer earlier this week. The Paralympic star was on hand to provide inspiration to young people ahead of an upcoming wheelchair basketball satellite club forming at the

PROPERTY has been recovered following a series of car break-ins around the Shaw area over recent weeks and police are appealing for any victims to come forward. Over the last few months the number of vehicle burglaries have risen sharply, with

IF you’re fond of toilet humour then you could do worse than head along to Christ Church Community Centre’s first birthday charity event. On January 17, to mark the first anniversary of the opening of the community centre in Old Town, a special

Espirit Gymnastics head coach Deb Hows has seen her charges continue to make waves on the international stage over the last year. Laura Halford starred as she won two individual bronze medals and team silver with Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth

SCHOOLS have had to increase spending on services to support students affected by mental health issues and self harm. In figures obtained by the BBC, there was a 20 per cent rise in the number of 10 to 19 year olds admitted to hospitals across

RESIDENTS have until the rest of the month to recycle their real Christmas trees with Wiltshire Council. They can place their trees on the kerbside alongside their garden waste bins or at their normal collection points and they will be taken away

LUKE Watkins will step up to eight rounds for the first time in his professional career on Friday, February 13. The Swindon cruiserweight makes his first outing of the year at the Swindon Oasis Leisure Centre where he will be looking to make it

A 32-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of Monday on suspicion of systematically raiding seven businesses – including a charity shop – almost three months ago. Overnight on October 15 and 16 last year, shops along the length of Highworth

HOPEFULLY, it’s not too late to wish all Swindon Town fans a Happy New Year! The Christmas period allowed us some time to momentarily reflect on the activities and achievements of the previous year, but we now embark upon an exciting few months

YOUNGSTERS at South Marston Primary School have been using their creative skills this week to solve the mystery of how a giant egg made its way onto the roof. Pupils found the egg when they returned to school following the festive break, and teachers

CRICKLADE snapper Damien Davis may be relatively new to the world of photography, but he is already celebrating success after being shortlisted for the Daily Telegraph Outdoor Photographer of the Year 2014. Damien, 38, of Manor Orchard, who juggles

ALMOST 1,000 vehicles were stopped as part of Operation Drink – the campaign to cut down on drink-driving during the festive period – with 54 arrested by the roadside, five after a collision. The month-long operation in December also saw reports

TRIBUTES have been paid to a Royal Wootton Bassett man who was killed on Monday after the car he was driving hit a wild boar on the M4. Raymond Green, 47, was described as ‘the best father I could ever ask for’ by his son on social media yesterday

COMEDIAN Robin Ince will be spreading some Blooming Buzzing Confusion at Swindon Arts Centre at 8pm on Tuesday, January 20. In a fast follow up to In (and out of) His Mind, Robin continues to prod into our brains with a sharpened pencil to try

FLICKY HARRISON looks ahead to the first in Swindon’s Recital Series Love in all its guises will take centre stage at the first Swindon Recital Series of the year. It will be an all-Swindon performance as the founder of the recital series,