Archive

WILTSHIRE Council has received national recognition for in mental health. The council was shortlisted for a National Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) award for health training it has commissioned to a range of county organisations. In shortlisting

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 Age should not be

A 120,000-signature petition calling for exclusion zones around abortion clinics was handed to the Government by a Swindon woman today. Erika Garratt, 35, who has led the Back Off campaign, was at 10 Downing Street to hand over the petition, supported

Counsellor Fiona Caine tackles your dilemmas I have just started a new job and although I like the work, one woman is really getting on my nerves. She’s in her 40s and spends her entire day going on about all the lovers she’s had, or is having

With Amy Martin of Sustrans Do you enjoy riding your bicycle in Swindon, but worry about leaving it anywhere in case it gets stolen? In this week’s Family Fitness we give you all the information you need to know about keeping your bike safe

WORSHIPPERS will gather for special services on Friday to celebrate Women’s World Day of Prayer. The event is an international, interchurch organisation which celebrates the voices of women expressing their hopes and concerns and bringing them

Matt Whittaker, manager of Pets At Home Swindon, writes about microchipping your pet From 2016 it will become compulsory for all dogs in England and Wales to be microchipped. Microchipping is an important part of responsible pet ownership and

Stylist Shan Williams talks about the colours we’ll be wearing this spring/summer The story of fashion is the story of colour. More than any other single factor, colour gives a garment (and the person who wears it) impact – both visually and emotionally

A RETIRED factory worker who spent over 20 years working at the Vickers-Armstrong factory in South Marston is appealing to his former workmates for help in his legal battle after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma - an incurable asbestos-related cancer

The stepbrother of 16-year-old Becky Watts has been charged with her murder, while his girlfriend has been charged with intending to pervert the course of justice. Nathan Matthews, 28, and Shauna Hoare, 21, both of Cotton Mill Lane, Bristol, remain

YOUNGSTERS at Swindon Academy have spent a day learning about ethical trading as they took part in Fairtrade Fortnight. The event, which runs until March 8, aims to raise awareness of the importance of fair trade around the world and the work carried

With Kym Marsh Corrie’s Kym Marsh lived through every parent’s nightmare when her son fell ill with a life-threatening heart condition. In June last year, 19-year-old David had chest pains and was struggling to breathe, so she took him straight

FROM its grand state rooms to the flurry of activities and festivals held on the estate each year, Lydiard Park boasts a packed tours and events calendar. Located on the western edge of Swindon, with the Palladian House, Church and Walled Garden

Warren Shute is a chartered financial planner with Lexington Wealth Management. Contact him on 01793 771093 or warren@lexingtonwealth.co.uk Q I inherited a property about 10 years ago and sold it in late 2013. Because I inherited it I did not declare

STAFF at the Blunsdon House Hotel have handed over £1,000 to help bring a new radiotherapy unit to the Great Western Hospital. The hotel has chosen Brighter Futures, the charitable arm of the Great Western Hospital Foundation Trust, which helps

A TRIO of Swindon entrepreneurs have pedalled their way from the world of business to bikes with the opening of their new cycling coffee shop this week. @ The Hub, in Fleet Street, opened its doors this week offering fair-trade drinks, a cycle

OFSTED inspections should encourage intelligent and creative development of schools rather than conformity to a specific standard, according to the headteacher of one academy. Steve Colledge, principal at the Ridgeway School, in Wroughton, who

THE stepbrother of missing Bristol teenager Becky Watts has been arrested on suspicion of her murder. Nathan Matthews, 28, was held alongside his 21-year-old girlfriend Shauna Phillips by detectives investigating the disappearance of 16-year-old

I write to express my heartfelt thanks to my very dear friends, whose kindness, generosity and beautiful flowers brought tremendous joy into my life as I celebrated my 90th birthday. With my love, caring and friendship, Mary Radcliffe Old Town

I was briefly in hospital recently and a pleasant nurse asked: “Have you any allergies?” I replied: “I’m allergic to the Tory-led coalition”. She quipped, “Tell me about it”. These nurses work 12-hour shifts, so come on Minister Hunt, they deserve

I expect most of your readers, like me, expect their MPs to work solely as our representative and not moonlight at other jobs. I further expect most of your readers feel that an MP’s salary is vastly more than they themselves earn and, with expenses

Justin Tomlinson, local champion? Ask the residents of Gipsy Lane if this is true. In his leaflet he states his priorities are residents and pensioners. We beg to differ as 36 households continue to suffer at the hands of HGVs and speeding traffic

Cameron casually informs the British public that he has authorised the involvement of UK armed forces in the Ukraine conflict. Like his predecessor Blair, who involved our armed forces in the illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he has totally

Swindon Guide Dogs for the Blind would like to thank everyone who generously donated to our collection at The West Swindon Shopping Centre on Saturday, February 28. Through your generosity we raised an excellent £899 which will support one of our

Come on Morrisons, get your act together. When it opened over Eldene I abandoned all the others because I love the big, clean, well-stocked and friendly shop. Then they decided to stop making people put a £1 in the trolleys which they get back,

There have been a number of letters recently in the SA regarding irresponsible dog owners who allow their pets to annoy other people and who do not clear up any mess left by their dogs. As a responsible dog owner I have to agree with the comments

WE are torn between delight that Wendy Lee successfully chased two thieves in a supermarket car park and rage at what the criminals did. To call the attackers pigs would be a grave disservice to pigs. It is obvious that they carefully chose

I cannot believe the sheer cheek of Axmed Bahjad complaining of double standards in media reports of acts of violence around the world, saying Muslims get bad press and the three young Muslims murdered in the USA got very little coverage. It was

I write in response to Mr Nibbs’s letter, “Islam is not for me”, of February 19. As I initially predicted, he made two errors. First, I did not say Islam was for him. I advised him to study the Holy Quran and then he should use his own mind to reflect

The letter from Mr G Humphreys of February 24, ‘History repeated’, is rather a curate’s egg, with some very good observations concerning the ongoing civil war in Ukraine and the current fragile ceasefire. Mr Humphreys makes an excellent observation

I know that bureaucracy is a necessary part of local government processes but sometimes it really is the ‘stuff of nonsense’, and I suggest the shilly shallying which has led to the delays in building the West Swindon skate park (Adver, March 2) reflects

PUBLIC vigilance is crucial in efforts to recover the bouncy castles stolen in Gorse Hill over the weekend. Fortunately, this is not one of those cases in which a fairly nondescript truck or van is taken. Rather, the vehicle stolen from business

In Britain today we should be trying to build a society where people take more responsibility for their actions. If people have bits of paper or empty crisps packets they don’t need they should take them home. They should not litter the streets

Supporters of the controversial Medical Innovation Bill claim that we don’t yet have a cure for cancer because doctors are afraid to use innovative treatments and practices for fear of being sued. They claim that relaxing the law to allow doctors effectively

London Fashion Week (LFW) drew to a close on Tuesday following a week of catwalk fashionistas displaying the latest designs that will inevitably hit the high street in one form or another in the near future. However, for the approximately 10.8million

Ian Hunt’s latest letter carries the same educational value as his others. This time he cheers on Chris Humphries (for falling for an internet hoax). The reason says Mr Hunt, is our politicians can’t support the racist comments of the French Prime

I have come to the conclusion that if the average working, law abiding Christian in this isle of ours voices his or her opinion to the powers that be, what they really want to change, is like being in the middle of the Sahara desert and shouting at

As is apparent due to media coverage, older drivers, generally over 70, are being subjected to scrutiny as to whether they should be retested, advised to stop driving, not mentally capable etc, which is leading to varying opinions from the general

It is that time of year when election leaflets come through the door and you consider who to vote for. The person who is after your votes explains why he or she is the best one for your vote, and to this end, I have just received the leaflet for

SWINDON Borough Council should be commended for its efforts to minimise the disruption caused by road works. Making utility firms co-ordinate their efforts will surely do much to reduce the chaos and misery which blights too many days for too many

I would like to thank Des Morgan for the clarity he has brought to the Wifi debate. Not for the first time he has brought informed comment to a debate. I’m also very pleased to learn that our local ‘elite’ are not corrupt, just misled. Guy

Councillor Renard, leader of the council, is nothing if not bold in his assertions, especially when attempting to suggest he is making tough decisions on behalf of Swindon residents, and his latest column (Adver, February 26) demonstrates a truth practised

Re-Roger Lack’s tantrum of February 24, ‘There is no god’. I have no knowledge of the Buddist religion but I am aware, thanks to many Christian sources and pagans, that Christ actually existed. Mohammed too is well sourced. Instead of an

Having read Roger Lack’s letter I would like to add a little of my own interpretation to the mix. In my science fiction Genesis series I created a being that I called the Harvester, which formed soon after the Big Bang. It fed off the energy of

If we are not very careful we will find ourselves sleepwalking into a third world war as Russia views the US-inspired events on its borders in Ukraine as a very serious threat to its sovereignty, as the US-led NATO, which is now the greatest force

I thank Mr D Simpson for his clever letter of February 13 in the SA headlined All due respect. To answer your questions – I have not only read most of the faith books but I also studied some of these holy books and took notes. The Bible: I’ve read

You know that an election is looming when the Conservative Party once again in its leaflets claims the exclusive credit for saving Wroughton’s green fields. In actual fact, Wroughton Parish Council has had a consistent policy since at least 1999

FIRST Great Western, as astounded Swindon Advertiser readers will be aware, has been named Rail Business of the Year at an awards ceremony in London. The news comes mere weeks after a Which? survey of customer satisfaction revealed the company

In my final reply to Ella March’s letter of 24 February, age being no excuse for unfounded insults and ladylike respect for the elderly obviously not on her agenda either. As a works convenor I defended women’s rights on many occasions. No joke

Steve Halden refers to a letter I wrote to the Advertiser on 7 February regarding reform of ‘the Islamic religion’. My copy of that issue has now gone for recycling so I can no longer check who sent the letter, but I can assure Mr Halden that it was

GA Woodward is correct in his analysis of the crisis in Ukraine (February 21). David Cameron is stirring up anti Russian rhetoric in order to hide the effect that his disastrous policies like the bedroom tax are having on the British working class

What does one give as a birthday present to a man who has been spoiled and coddled in ermine all his life, and never, like the rest of his family, queued up for anything? Apparently, mummy has decided to reward her son, Prince Andrew, with a promotion

Recent decisions in the sentencing of violent offenders by the local judiciary suggest that rather than elect a PCC who appears mostly invisible, a more satisfactory approach to reassure voters that the justice system works in their interest, might

Your report ‘Confusion making road crossing safer’, only serves to confirm my long held belief that this council has no interest in the views or welfare of the 500 or more blind people who live in the borough. We have been asking, since the plans

WE strongly urge the Clifton Diocese to listen very carefully to concerns about the splitting of Holy Cross Primary School over two sites. There is, of course, no evidence whatever that the diocese has anything other than the best interests of

Delays are scheduled to end for motorists in Faringdon Road today. Wales & West Utilities has had a lane closed between Farnsby Street and Milton Road since February 25 as gas leak was being traced and repaired. Volta Road, Broadgreen,

Thamesdown Drive was partly blocked after an accident involving two cars this morning. Delays were reported at the B4534 Elstree Way junction because of the accident. Thamesdown Transport tweeted that its number 15 service was being diverted

MARION SAUVEBOIS meets Claire Naylor, who went from believing she had a cold, to thinking her young life was over THE odds were slim to none and yet Claire Naylor became one in a million when her body inexplicably turned on itself, attacking her

A MAN who supplied crack cocaine has asked to be remanded in custody because he is a homeless addict. Alan Harris, 40, pleaded guilty to peddling the class A drug on Thursday, May 29, last year when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court. But before

HAVING once waded through the 1974 Penguin Classics edition of Don Quixote (940 pages, phew!) I found it almost impossible when writing about the Swindon Windfarm Saga to resist conjuring images of Cervantes’ plucky hero vigorously thrusting himself

There are many ways of judging the performance of Swindon’s economy. The obvious criteria – things like employment statistics and retail figures – are all looking positive, and have been for some time. But it’s also important to look at some of

A FRAUDSTER who fleeced an old lady out of £500 in a cash machine scam has been spared a jail term. Abdul Hassan, 26, was part of a gang who targeted the elderly and flustered them so they could pinch their bank cards. And within seconds of

SEVEN people remain in custody in connection with the investigation into the disappearance of teenager Becky Watts following the discovery of body parts yesterday. A 28-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman are being held on suspicion of murdering

6:04pm Holy Cross Primary School football team is stepping onto the pitch in a new kit thanks to the sponsorship of a Swindon supermarket.  See the story and Dave Cox picture in tomorrow's Adver and online

AFTER a chilly start temperatures in Swindon are expected to reach a peak of 8° today. During the day there will be cloudy spells but there is no rain forecast. The Met Office estimates that the sun will set at 5.51pm. Temperatures are

FUNDRAISERS from Cancer Research UK will be putting on their ‘war paint’ and calling on Wiltshire’s women to join the fight against cancer by signing up for Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life in Swindon. On Friday campaigners officially launch

A GROUNDBREAKING cancer treatment is launching at Great Western Hospital this month after fundraising to introduce it topped £100,000. GWH will be the first NHS hospital in the south west to provide the intra-operative radiotherapy to those with

DISTRACTION thieves who targeted a Swindon pensioner got more than they bargained for when she gave chase. Wendy Lee managed to recover her stolen debit cards after chasing two thieves across a supermarket car park. The 69-year-old, of Shrivenham

STFC Community Trust’s recent Twilight Mini Football Tournament was a great success. The competition, held in partnership with the council, recently at Oakfield Youth Centre saw a number of teams taking part. The sides were drawn from the Twlight

THE leader of Swindon Council has rejected a request to keep children’s centres earmarked for closure open until the election. Anne Snelgrove, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for South Swindon, has written to David Renard (Con, Haydon Wick) asking

SWINDON Town’s latest defeat encapsulated everything frustrating about watching them this season. They played with great intentions to pass and move from all angles, but it collapsed far too often. There was no snap in the passing, the dribbling

A CONTROVERSIAL 350-home housing development in North Swindon could be given the go-ahead next week after being recommended for approval by council planners. Last year, an application for houses, a school and shop at Abbey Farm, just off Lady Lane

SANCTUARY Extra Care’s centre in Wroughton helped an event supporting Dementia UK yesterday. Tenants at Harry Garrett Court, in Willow Walk, took part in the Time for a Cuppa event, a national campaign raising funds for the charity’s work, which

A NON party political video designed to encourage politicians to act more like “human beings” and do more to win the trust of voters was filmed in Swindon yesterday. Please, Politician, a film produced by Swindon Independent Film (SIF) and the

A WILTSHIRE police officer is being investigated following an allegation of sexual assault relating to Sunday’s illegal rave. Around 300 revellers from all over the country descended on Swindon for an illegal rave in the early hours of Sunday at

SWINDON College Old Boys’ title hopes took a severe blow at the weekend when they suffered a narrow 12-8 defeat at home to Reading Abbey. Mark Lea’s side slipped to only their second loss of the season, both coming at the hands of the unbeaten

ROYAL Wootton Bassett extended their winning run to an 11th game but it was far from plain sailing at Wallingford. An early try gave the home side the lead in Oxfordshire and Bassett actually failed to register a point in the first half before

SUPERMARINE Ladies were shut out in their final game of the season at second-in-the-league Bath Ladies. Despite valiant first-half effort from Marine, the home side proved too strong as they ran out 34-0 winners. The visitors actually dominated

EXTREME sports enthusiasts are preparing to step into the skatepark as the Urban Riders Games hit Swindon – featuring the best of the town’s skateboarders, scooter and BMX riders. The event, organised by ATBShop Skateware-house on the Hawksworth

A SEASON ticket for rail travel between Swindon and London Paddington has increased in price by more than any other route since privatisation, new figures reveal. On average, the Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA) estimates commuters spend

PEOPLE who have suffered brain injuries are being rehabilitated through a two-month flower arranging course. Each Tuesday a group of 10 people have been developing their skills by taking part in the sessions at Headway House, in Upper Stratton.

YOUNGSTERS at Lethbridge Primary School scored the scoop of the century when they spent the week investigating and reporting on a suspected alien invasion last week. Two Year 5 classes at the Old Town primary school got a taste of what it was like

A STRATTON man has been banned from the nation’s bookies after putting a steel chair through a gaming machine in a fit of rage caused by his losses. Tyrone O’Neill, 26, of Swindon Road, was sentenced on two criminal damage charges and a community

MARK Cooper fronted up after Swindon Town’s disappointing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Gillingham. Cody McDonald scored twice to sandwich a Jake Hessenthaler header that saw Town sunk at home for the second time in three games. Town were sloppy