A TEENAGER who threatened to cut off the heads of his girlfriend's relatives while brandishing a samurai sword has walked free from court. Nico Bayes, who also said he would firebomb her house, produced the menacing weapon following an argument
Singer and activist Charlotte Church has performed a Titanic-inspired protest song over oil giant Shell's efforts to drill in the Arctic. Ms Church sang with a string quartet close to the oil company's London headquarters as part of a month-long
AFTER years of campaigning, hope is building the much desired Thamesdown Drive Extension is moving closer to fruition. Earlier this year a task group, made up of councillors and local residents, was set up to look into the issue and it has now
IF you feel like summer has suddenly passed you by and you’re in the mood for a glass less ordinary, here are some wines you can bank on to boost the long weekend... UNDER THE SPANISH SUN A glimmering blonde and a blend of viura and malvasia grapes
(with pictures) [STANDFIRST] Frances Quinn was slated week after week for choosing 'style over substance' in the Bake Off tent two years ago - before going and winning the show. Now back with her debut baking book, she tells Ella Walker that nothing
She is behind the biggest expansion project of the last decade at Lotmead and the success of its cafe and gourmet shop and yet Sue Meaden remains an enigma.Marion Sauvebois cracks the riddle, at last.SUE Meaden is a woman of few words. But when push comes
MORE activities will be featured in this year's Old Town Autumn Fayre than ever.With food outlets, live music from the Bill Bailey Jazz Band, vintage swing boats and traditional games from Hoopla to Beat the Goalie, there will be something for the whole
A GRIEVING mother whose husband died suddenly from a rare heart condition is fundraising in his memory. On November 13, Karla Edwards, 28, from Stratton will hold a fundraising evening at the Haydon Wick Club to raise money for the British Heart
JOHN COOPER, a former director of Swindon firm Cooper’s Metals, has died aged 86 and a thanksgiving service is being planned. A great-grandfather of Rawlingswell Lane, Marlborough, he had lived in the town for more than 50 years. Mr Cooper
A SHOPPING centre 3D masterpiece that depicts the world’s most iconic painting has been completed. The stunning painting, based in the Brunel Shopping Centre is the product of five days hard graft by world-renowned pavement painter Julian Beever
WHAT a complete contrast in the weather we have had in the last week. Last Saturday was a scorcher and many of us planned BBQs in the evening. Then, without warning, it changed - and boy, did it change. In the shop, we had so many customers
READING the Swindon Advertiser is something that we take for granted. Whether we’re scanning through the paper or reading the news online, it is a daily routine that most of us do without a second thought. Myself included until I visited the Swindon
CHEEKY (adjective): impudent or irreverent, typically in an amusing way. It is also a word often associated with social media sensation that is Nando’s. In many ways it is an apt description for the Portuguese themed chicken chain. Nando’s
JANE AUSTEN visited Swindon Register Office this week as a couple tied the knot in a Pride and Prejudice themed ceremony. Newlyweds Uan and Rebecca Harrison, of Freshbrook, said their vows dressed as brooding Mr Darcy and the high-spirited Elizabeth
POLICE are appealing for help in locating a girl who has gone missing from North Wales and has links to Swindon. Melissa Bowles, 14, left the Bala Leisure Centre at around 2pm on Thursday and has not been seen since. Initial police enquiries
THE NEW primary school at Ridgeway Farm will be steered by the trust already responsible for building a new secondary school for the town.After a tendering process, The Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust has been awarded the contract to run the one form
Head Chef Paul Winch, The Royal Oak, Cues Lane, Bishopstone 01793 790460 THIS is a great way to use up a piece of topside from a Sunday lunch or any roasting joint of beef, rather than buying in fresh meat, be it chuck, rump or topside
A GROUP of young dancers from Swindon took centre stage when they performed before an icon at Disneyland Paris.A group of 32 students from the Stagecoach Swindon school made their way to Paris for a performance in front of their families and thousands
PASSENGERS using buses on bank holiday Monday are being warned that Thamesdown Transport will be running a Sunday service. The Sunday service timetable will be in place ahead of a timetable change affecting a number of services from Tuesday.
SOUTH Western Ambulance Service is preparing for what is expected to be a busy bank holiday weekend and is urging drivers to take extra care on the roads. The ambulance service is calling on drivers to remain patient on the roads, as an influx
Following the launch of the Swindon advertiser’s new used car website www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/cars/, we have put together a guide to help you find your perfect used car. Purchasing a second hand car is the most cost effective way of getting
THE strike by First Great Western workers will mean cancellations and disruption to trains over the bank holiday weekend. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union at the company walk out for three days from midnight today in a row over
Fun day celebrates 40 years of Swindon Women’s Aid A fun day at Lydiard Park on Saturday celebrates Swindon Women's Aid's 40th anniversary. The event will run from noon to 4pm, entry is free and it will feature sports, stalls, a dog show, entertainment
HUNDREDS of council workers are still facing the uncertainty of zero-hour contracts, new figures have revealed. In data obtained by the Adver via a Freedom of Information request it was shown that as of August 7 this year, Swindon Borough Council
Fiona Piper, owner of The Little Rose Cottage in Old Town Do you cook a lot yourself? What is your failsafe dish? Yes. My failsafe dish is baked salmon, mash potatoes and roasted vegetables. Where do you like to eat out? How often?
AUSTRALIA is set to be bewitched by the powers of a Swindon superfan next month, as a Harry Potter enthusiast appears on a national documentary.Tina Davies, 56, of Hanson Close, Shaw featured on BBC 3 documentary Tom Felton: Meet the Superfans which was
A FAILED asylum seeker who had thousands of pounds worth of cannabis to sell on the streets of Swindon has walked free from court.Saman Madmodnam had more than a kilogram of the drug, much of it packaged in single deals, as well as scales and packing.But
RETAILER and fast food workers were among those who volunteered to take part in a litter pick around a popular Swindon footpath.On Wednesday afternoon (AUG 26), members of Haydon Wick Parish Council teamed up with the management group of the Orbital Shopping
AN AWARD-WINNING business is expanding into Swindon. Little Pickles Markets offer people the chance to sell their unwanted baby goods at organised sales and have been congratulated by ex-Dragon, Theo Paphitis, as a winner of his Small Business
POLICE in Wiltshire are urging residents to protect themselves from falling victim to sextortion and to consider the consequences of sharing intimate photographs and videos of themselves. Sextortion, which is also known as webcam blackmail, refers
POLICE are appealing for the public's help in identifying a woman they would like to speak to in connection with a fraud at a mobile phone shop. It is believed a woman used the personal details of another woman - a 47-year-old from Swindon - to purchase
SOCIAL media-savvy shoppers could be in with the chance of winning £100 to spend in Swindon’s top shopping destinations, thanks to the inSwindon BID Company. Shoppers making use of the special summer holiday shuttle service between Swindon Designer
Town’s successful start to the season continued last weekend as the two guys who are making the headlines worked together to seal the points at Roots Hall. Nathan Byrne’s progression at Swindon Town has been a real success story for the current
PETER Kildemand has admitted that he wished he was returning to Swindon under better circumstances after being confirmed as Darcy Ward’s replacement for the rest of the season. Ward returned to the UK yesterday to be at a hospital in Dorset, close
THE CHALKBOARD WITH former Southampton boss Nigel Adkins now in the Bramall Lane hotseat, Sheffield United have thrown off the shackles in their quest for promotion. Once again tipped as one of the teams to beat in League One, the Blades have
BRAMALL Lane boss Nigel Adkins expects Swindon Town to be challenging for promotion from League One once again and says that his Sheffield United side are relishing pitting their wits against Mark Cooper’s men this weekend. The Blades were blunted
SWINDON know they have to concentrate on their own result as they sit precariously above the drop zone in the Glos/Wilts Division. Despite being 21 points clear of second-from-bottom Tewkesbury, the restructuring of the West of England League leaves
PURTON will be playing for their Wiltshire Division futures this weekend, but skipper Aaron Lee says they are in the best position going into their crunch match with Marshfield. Lee’s side sit in sixth place in the league table, three places and
FAIRFORD Town manager Gareth Davies is hoping the arrival of Sam Mepham will help kick-start their campaign. The holding midfielder arrives at Cinder Lane after spending the early part of the summer at Royal Wootton Bassett Town. And after
NYLE Clinton made an impressive debut over 5,000m at the British Milers’ Club Grand Prix in Solihull. The 20-year-old Swindon Harrier, from Middleleaze, has been concentrating on 1,500m and the steeplechase this season but looked like he was heading
IT BROKE records, captivated audiences across the country and served up a cast-iron candidate for one of the most thrilling encounters ever seen at the County Ground – Town’s last clash with Sheffield United was one for the ages. Just four days
HIGHWORTH Town manager John Fisher is determined to keep their perfect start to the campaign going - even if it means having to go to Ramsgate next month. The Worthians head to Combined Counties Football League Premier Division outfit Farnham Town
SWINDON Supermarine manager Dave Webb says the return of Ashley Edenborough is a statement of what the club are trying to do this season. As the Webb’s Wood Stadium side head to Sholing this evening for their FA Cup preliminary round tie, the hot-shot
SWINDON Robins put a nightmare week off the track behind them to secure all three points in an impressive victory over Leicester Lions at the Abbey Stadium last night. It was the first meeting for Swindon since number one Darcy Ward’s horror crash
MISCONDUCT hearings for two officers at the heart of an investigation into the mishandling of sexual abuse allegations will be heard in private next month. A nine-month Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation was launched last September
