MARION SAUVEBOIS meets a group putting talents in focus FILMMAKERS have been given a voice and a chance to hone their talents, thanks to a fresh new group of like-minded artists – Swindon Independent Film. SIF was founded in September last
MARION SAUVEBOIS highlights popular sequel WHAT happened to Bobby and Laura and Norman and Sue? In Dreamboats and Miniskirts, the sequel to Dreamboats and Petticoats, all questions will be answered as their story continues. It’s 1963, and
MARION SAUVEBOIS meets a singer who has survived hard times IF Elkie Brooks had ‘jacked it all in’ as she planned to in the 1960s, she would have become a PE or home economics teacher, or perhaps a commander in the Israeli army. Anything would
JOIN The Pantaloons for a fog-filled adventure in Victorian London as their new adaptation of Charles Dickens’s darkly comic masterpiece Bleak House comes to Swindon on Tuesday. When a dead body is discovered in Mr Krook’s Rag-and-Bone shop, a
SWINDON Town goalie Wes Foderingham took part in a Kick it Out workshop to help bring a stop to racism and prejudice. Wes, 24, spoke to Year 6 pupils at Drove Primary School as part of a session with the charity and encouraged them to help give
ASPIRING fashion designer Megan Kamber is looking good – and helping others do the same – in her bid to raise a bumper sum for charity. The 11-year-old has taken up the Tenner Challenge to raise as much cash for charity as she can, from a starting
A liberal dollop of Devonshire’s clotted cream in the form of a Downton Abbey-style comedy is heading for Swindon. Anthos Arts, based in Exeter, has taken the famous William Shakespeare comedy Twelfth Night and set it at the end of the First World
Canadian Tom Stade is used to being under fire on stage. Like all stand-up comics, he quickly deflects the hecklers, but the comedian also knows what it is like to really be under fire from an enemy. Tom travelled to Iraq to entertain the troops
Police say they disrupted the flow of hard drugs from the Midlands to Wiltshire on Tuesday in Swindon during which five people were arrested. Officers from the Wiltshire Police Specialist Crime Department seized a quantity of class A drugs during
A FIRM desire for their pupils to be a success is at the heart of Holy Cross Catholic Primary School. It serves children from the the parishes of Holy Rood, St Peter’s, in West Swindon, St Joseph’s, in Wroughton, and the Sacred Heart, in Royal
SWINDON Town boss Mark Cooper has responded to Phil Parkinson’s criticism of his team by advising Bradford City’s players not to try and kick opponents off the park. The Bantams chief was left unhappy after Tuesday night’s 2-1 defeat at the County
Last Monday, the council adopted its budget for 2015/16 with not one single vote being cast against it. The main headline figure is that there will be no increase in the council tax for the fifth year running. However, because of precepts from
THREE arrests have been made and a cannabis factory uncovered as 60 police officers descended on eight addresses around Swindon in an effort to disrupt drugs networks as part of the force's Operation Harness. With properties in Old Town, Highworth
BARRY LEIGHTON discovers two distinctly different hotels in Wales CARDIFF boasts some fine thoroughfares – not least the Victorian arcades in the city centre that are crammed with independent, quirky shops of a commendably browse-worthy nature.
AFTER illness forced him to cancel his warm-up show, Michael McIntyre will be back to the Arts Centre as promised on Monday to test his latest comedy routine on fans. His previous production, Showtime, was the biggest-selling comedy tour in the
AFTER touring with Carmen and La Traviata, The Russian State Ballet and Opera House is back to the Wyvern Theatre on Tuesday with Rigoletto – a tragic tale of misunderstanding, revenge and sacrifice. Its heart-rending story revolves around the
SWINDON’S harmony group, Ten in a Bar, will enchant audiences with a ‘sizzling’ display of vocal prowess at the Arts Centre until Saturday. Renowned for its unusual arrangements, eccentric sketches and heartfelt singing, the group has fashioned
SWINDON Town striker Miles Storey is expected to extend his stay at Newport County beyond the end of this month later today. Mark Cooper confirmed at this morning’s press conference that the 21-year-old, who signed on loan with Jimmy Dack’s side
NOT all music needs to push forward and storm the barricades; some is content to celebrate a past time, place or attitude. Reginald Road do just that. It’s 1977, punk is reaching escape velocity from its inner city breeding ground but, with no
DAVID Howell got off to a dream start at the Joburg Open with a five-under-par first round this morning. The Broome Manor’s total of 66 was built on a sparkling front nine at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club. Playing the West Course
I RECENTLY found myself in a conversation with a tattooed, rock acolyte being told in no uncertain terms that heavy metal was the only genre of music that mattered and that all else failed to match up to it. Two things, however, immediately undermined
THUNDER – WONDER DAYS FOR a band who said they were packing it in some years ago, Thunder have been remarkably busy. The English hard rockers’ last studio album, Bang!, may have been back in 2008 but it hasn’t stopped the quintet performing live
ROCK maestro Larry Miller was born to entertain from the moment his theatre-loving father christened him after his favourite actor, Laurence Olivier. Larry has been a frequent visitor to Swindon with a loyal following in the town and on Friday,
Realising at an early age that the power of politics affects all our lives, I have come to the well thought out conclusion with foresight and afterthought, that putting people in power with no experience of real working family needs and financial struggles
I am delighted to hear that the Post Office Ltd has listened to the people of Highworth and plan to put their service in The Co-op close to the town centre. I worked very hard with Mark Dempsey (North Swindon Labour Parliamentary Candidate) and
Once again we see the dishonesty endemic in national politics perpetrated by none other than the Prime Minister, with his claim to ‘recognise marriage in the tax system’. Mr Cameron proudly proclaims the launch of a new tax break for couples, but
Walking along The Parade on Saturday morning, I chatted to a supporter/member of UKIP who handed me a 2015 UKIP election leaflet. The title was ‘What a UKIP government will do’ and in bold letters across the middle was ‘Policies for the people’
Twitter goes crazy after Madonna fell off the stage during her performance at the BRIT Awards after a costume malfunction with the singer having trouble with her cape.
I have no doubt many people who read about the outcome of the atrocious case of the young man so savagely beaten, merely for asking the two thugs to be a bit more polite, were left feeling disgusted with the derisory sentencing. When Mr Justice
What is this country coming to? There is no justice for the innocent, those who abide by the law of the land. This is the Queens law... or is it? I really do believe it’s the politicians’ law and there is not one politician with any backbone to
A three strike burglar who has been offending since he was just 13 has been given 'one last chance' by a judge. Michael Cook, 19, was facing the prospect of a three year jail term after he was convicted of a dwelling burglary for the third time
THE news that the council is likely to pick up the Swindon Skips tab will be greeted with the very opposite of shock. Indeed, as revelations go, it is roughly on a par with the sun being hot or ice being cold. Obviously, when it is said that
LOOMING on the horizon for the latest Swindon Town scholars is the date when they will find out if they have made the grade and been offered professional terms. For some it will be joy, for others the end of an association with the club they joined
CLUB hero Charlie Griffin is returning to Chippenham Town for a third spell after agreeing a move back to Hardenhuish Park. The much-travelled Griffin, a prolific scorer during the club's years in the Western League in the late 1990s, could go
SOME operations due to take place at the Great Western Hospital have been cancelled because it cannot cope with the current level of demand. The hospital is currently operating under ‘black alert’, which occurs when there are too many patients
SWINDON’S David Howell is heading to South Africa looking to kick-start his 2015 season. After failing to make the cut at both the Abu Dhabi Championships and the Qatar Masters, Howell carded a top 30 finish in the Dubai Desert Classic, but struggled
STEVIE Whitfield has set his sights on silverware after becoming the latest player to agree a new contract with Swindon Wildcats. On Tuesday it was confirmed that Aaron Nell would also be extending his stay at the Link Centre into the 2015-16 season
WITH more than 70 years of Highworth Town support under their belts, you might have thought Fred and Cath Harman would take Saturday’s FA Vase clash with a pinch of salt. But you would be wrong. They don’t hold back in saying the visit of Yorkshire
BEING made redundant was just the opportunity Stuart Newland needed to set up his own business. Now, his company, Fenturi Ltd, a specialist business supplying games and simulations for corporate organisations, is one of 170 businesses which Outset
DOZENS of children and their parents descended on St Barnabas Churc to learn more about Christianity, while having a bit of fun. The Gorse Hill Church held a Messy Church event on Saturday morning for families to take part in art and craft activities
FROM the Grammy winning pioneers of dusty desert blues and a trio of evergreen hip hop heroes to a group hailed as Britain’s finest live outfit with the exception of The Who. The first raft of acts that will perform at Wiltshire’s largest annual
A FULL-time carer who punched his disabled wife in the face after she put soap in his mouth will return to the family home now that she is receiving professional help. Brian Lilliott snapped and lost his temper with 73-year-old Caroline on January
Changes are to be implemented to the taxi driver licensing system in Swindon after an external report raised concerns about the risk of child sex abuse. While no direct or immediate risk to passengers was identified, many drivers who are responsible
AFTER 11 years of bringing the elderly community together, Toothill Lunch Club is no more. Yesterday diners and volunteers turned out for one last meal of bangers and mash at Toothill Community Centre. For more than a decade, the project, funded
THE prospect of Swindon taxpayers being left to pick up the £2m bill for clearing the former Swindon Skips site is close to becoming a reality. However, efforts are being made by the council to obtain its own licence and officers are looking at
FIREFIGHTERS returned to the picket lines yesterday as part of their ongoing pension dispute with the Government. The 24-hour national action, which came to an end at 7am today, is against plans to raise the retirement age from 55 to 60 and increase
WHEN a father agrees to miss two of his beloved Swindon Town matches for the first time in six years to watch his son play, you know it’s a big deal. Courier driver TJ Bohane happens to be Highworth Town’s star striker and not-so-secret weapon
THE father of a Swindon man jailed for fraud in the Philippines is applying for a pardon from the Pope to bring him home after six years of imprisonment. Kevin Taylor, 49, originally from Swindon, has been detained along with partner Charlene at
A CONSTRUCTION company has been hit with fines of more than £24,000 after HMRC brought them to court for a ‘blatant and deliberate disregard’ for tax payments. AJR Construction and Civils Ltd, of Marlborough Road, along with director and sole owner
A MUM-of-four who played a crucial role in a multi-million pound international counterfeiting operation was jailed for 15 months. Jocelyn Hunter took advantage of lax UK border controls to import bogus goods from China – namely top quality fake
SWINDON Town chairman Lee Power has been left delighted by the uptake on season tickets for next season. Fans have until Saturday to take advantage of the price freeze and, with the prospect of Championship football at the County Ground next year
‘Nicky Ajose is bound to score the winner’. As we prepare for Saturday’s trek to Crewe, the natural optimism of Town fans abounds once again. Before CW2 6EB has been punched into a satnav or a single train boarded, there is already a certainty
SWINDON required a last minute strike to make it five wins from six matches when they beat Firebrands A 3-2. The visitors once again started slowly as they gifted Firebrands an early lead. Alex Hynes had few options from the back and Firebrands
A BREAKFAST and after-school club has been rated as ‘good’ by inspectors after a recent visit. The Big Adventure Club, at Shaw Ridge, which is one of 11 clubs owned by the company and is based at Shaw Ridge Primary School, was awarded the grade
SWINDON College says students need to remember the skills they are learning as apprentices, despite having to contend with low wages. It comes in response to a report from the National Union of Students which suggested that apprentices are often
LATE-night drinking looks dead and buried in Old Town’s Godwin Court retail district, with plans for a restaurant at former nightclub The Spot. The Spot closed in September 2013, with general manager John Edmonds citing slow trading as the reason
THOUSANDS of students from across Swindon descended on Dorcan Academy yesterday to take part in their annual higher education fair. More than 1,600 youngsters visited the school in St Paul’s Drive to meet representatives from 24 higher education
A MAN needed an operation on his leg after his motorbike was in collision with a lorry. Mark Menville, 24, of Penhill, broke a leg and dislocated an ankle when he collided with the Midcounties Co-operative delivery lorry, which was on its way to
SEVEN years ago, Claire Naylor’s body inexplicably began shutting down. And were it not for research breakthroughs into Goodpasture’s syndrome, the auto-immune disease which attacked her kidneys, she might not have survived. Determined to raise
