A SPECIAL community singalong is being held in Stratton on Thursday.Stratton St Margaret’s popular Community Christmas Carols returns for another year, and everyone is invited.A parish council spokesman said: "Wrap up warm, wear your Christmas jumpers
A BIRTHDAY girl’s bubble burst after a highly-anticipated prosecco festival fell flat. Wenna Smith was celebrating her 34th birthday with friends – but left the event after just 45 minutes. Pal Lucy Tracey, 35, of Wroughton, whose group had
THE biggest story in the Adver 37 years ago was the biggest story in the world. “John Lennon is Shot Dead,” blared our front page headline on Tuesday, December 9, 1980. The story was wire copy which described the killer, later identified as
CHRISTMAS supplements filled with festive articles and enticing adverts packed with gift ideas are nothing new.One of the earliest in the Adver archives dates back 60 years and has a cover image of a snowy St Andrew’s Church in Wanborough, easily recognisable
A MAN drove his Skoda Fabia at more than 100mph on the M4 because he thought his daughter had developed meningitis, magistrates in Swindon were told on Tuesday.Motorway police in a stationary patrol car between junctions 15 and 16 spotted Steven Davies
A 23-year-old man is wanted by police after stealing money from his employer and a charity box. Owen Allen is 5 foot 9, of slim build, with brown hair and blue eyes. The suspect has stolen a lot of money from his employer and from a Comic Relief
SWINDON’S police and crime commissioner has received an MBE for outstanding achievement and service to the community. Angus Macpherson was presented with his MBE by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace yesterday. The award
PEPPA Pig has been blamed for giving people “unrealistic” expectations of GPs. Writing in the BMJ Christmas issue, Sheffield GP Dr Catherine Bell warned that the children’s television show “raises patient expectation and encourages inappropriate
THERE hasn't been any snowfall in Swindon today but that hasn't stopped lots of you from sending us more pictures, or posting them on the Swindon Camera Club Facebook page. Don't expect to see much snow around tomorrow as rain is forecast from
BLIND people are avoiding the Regent Circus crossing for fear of being run down by cars, a former charity chairman said.The new “shared space” road layout was installed in 2014 as part of the redevelopment of the former Swindon College site. A traffic
As 2017 draws to a close, national estate agents Leaders has described it as a busy and positive year for both the sales and lettings markets.Allison Thompson, managing director at Leaders, says there have been ups and downs in both the sales and lettings
BOSSES at the Great Western Railway have been slammed for not giving passengers enough warning when delays are expected. Transport Focus, the watchdog for transport passengers and road users in the UK, has raised a number of concerns following
PEOPLE would have to opt-out of being an organ donor, under new plans announced today. A consultation on the proposals has been launched by health secretary Jeremy Hunt.And a Swindon heart transplant patient has backed the plans, saying: “If you’re not
Consumer spending is poised to fall this Christmas for the first time in five years, according to an index. Households’ expenditure fell by 0.9 per cent annually in November, despite shopping bonanzas such as Black Friday, according to Visa’s UK
PLENTY of people have been criticising the council for planning to put up parking charges in the town centre. Perhaps we’re being too hasty. Perhaps the experts in charge know things we don’t. Yes, that’ll be it. To ordinary people like us,
... but what’s in a name, asks MICHELLE TOMPKINS, when it comes to fine food? VNVIS? That’s a funny name for a restaurant, I thought to myself one night on my way home from work. Why would anyone call their business Vnvis? It doesn’t exactly roll
A PHYSIOTHERAPIST who almost toppled over an immobile patient while attaching her to an electric hoist has been suspended from the profession.Marin Stinca made numerous blunders treating six patients while working at the Great Western NHS Foundation Trust
WITH an ageing and rising population in Swindon, care for the elderly is increasingly on the agenda.And with a rising demand across the country for carers, Swindon is no exception.However, leading regional care provider First City Nursing and Care is
STEPHEN DAVY-OSBORNE and chums check out the supermarkets’ best festive offeringsTHEY are a Christmas staple sure to get any party into the festive spirit. But serve up a soggy-bottomed mince pie to your guests, and chances are you will be off their Christmas
THIS week’s object is an eye-catching example of British pop art and an item that has a strange circular connection to Wiltshire and Swindon Museum.The print, by celebrated pop artist Nick Monro, is part of a significant recent gift to the museum. An
Shareen Campbell, 61, chairs Swindon City of Sanctuary, an independent local part of a national movement welcoming and supporting people fleeing violence and persecution. Her recent innovations include the first of a regular series of guided walks,
From feel-good gluggers to classics and fine wines, Sam Wylie-Harris reveals her pick of the best whites and reds for toasting the holidays. Christmas is all about coming together, and wining and dining is one of the highlights of the holidays.
Pineapple upside-down cake with rum, anyone? Marcus Wareing talks to Ella Walker about his latest ventures and future plans. There's a difference between 'tampering' with classic recipes and 'improving' them, so says 2-Michelin starred chef, Marcus
On a chilly winter morning, after a night sleeping on the cold streets, or waking up in temporary accommodation with an empty cupboard, the offer of a cooked breakfast and a friendly smile can be a lifeline.When you are cold and hungry, lacking your own
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Review Jack and the Beanstalk Salisbury Playhouse, until January 7 THE vivacity of Jack and the Beanstalk, at Salisbury Playhouse, immediately captivates people of all ages. Ella, one of my two young assistant reviewers, praised the beautifully
A CAT was rescued by firefighters two days after he became trapped in a Royal Wootton Bassett ceiling. The rescue came after RSPCA inspectors were unable to tease the cat out from its kitchen ceiling hiding place. The black-and-white moggy
BREXIT offers an opportunity to clampdown on the “harrowing” trade of puppy smuggling, says North Swindon MP.Justin Tomlinson has backed a campaign by the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, Dog’s Trust, to highlight the plight of smuggled puppies imported
A WALCOT man who admitted taking part in the supply of hard drugs has been warned he is facing a jail term.Daniel Conway pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court.The 24-year-old admitted his
A MAN who launched a violent road rage attack on a pensioner has been jailed for 16 months. James Zalavolgyi-Carr and his partner were 'like a pack of wild cats' when they set about a 69-year-old motorist in the morning attack. After hearing
SNOW and ice have forced Swindon Shopmobility to close today. The scheme gives those with limited mobility the chance to borrow scooters, power chairs and manual wheelchairs. In a statement posted on social media Swindon Borough Council, which runs the
VOLUNTEER 4x4 drivers have helped nurses reach some of Wiltshire’s sickest people. Drivers from volunteer force Wessex 4x4 Response drove palliative care nurses through the snow to homes around the county. Two 4x4 “responders” helped transport
A SWINDON partygoer who took a friend’s car keys from a party without asking and drove off in the car with three friends to find more alcohol has been banned from driving for two years. Jacob Thomas Salter, 24, of Sycamore Grove, appeared before
Two men who stole from B&M Bargains last week are wanted by police. The thieves went into the shop at Transfer Bridges on Monday, December 4, at around 5pm and took groceries, children's clothes, and other items before leaving without paying
THIEVES stole Christmas presents and computers worth £5,000. They snatched the gifts and laptops from a white Ford Transit van parked on Walcot Road. Police are appealing for information following the theft, which took place on Monday, November 27, between
BATTLING the blistering winds and churning seas of the Southern Ocean would be a test of endurance for the toughest of sailors.But Mark Neilson faced 80ft swells and 60mph winds on a 5,000-mile race from South Africa to Western Australia with just four
MIRROR Mirror on the wall, who has the funniest, barmiest, wittiest panto of them all?Why, Bath of course! This year, it is fair to say the merry band at the Theatre Royal have cobbled together one cracking re-imagining of Snow White, packed with zingers
A NEW dad who had been kept awake for weeks after the birth of his baby may have fallen asleep at the wheel of his car when it veered off an overpass and plunged onto the road below. Nationwide Building Society risk manager Dimitrios Doxiandis,
Graham Carter - the voice of age and experience AS a journalist there haven’t been many times in my life when I have been lost for words, but last week was one of those times. My wife and I went on a short break to Krakow - our first ever trip
Fears that the traditional Christmas card is heading for extinction in the age of social media may have no basis in truth, according to one Wiltshire charity. The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust says sales of their popular fund-raising Christmas cards
Most bus routes are running this morning, although wintry weather has left drivers unable to drop passengers off at certain stops. Thamesdown :: Service 5, Service 11 to Oakhurst and Services 15 and 15A will use Stop A at the Orbital Shopping
Few images sum up the Christmas spirit more than the sight of a pile of brightly coloured, beautifully wrapped Christmas presents, in a pile beneath a tree. The spectacle is likely to thrill youngsters, and tantalise them too. How many of us
SWINDON Robins team manager Alun Rossiter believes David Bellego can get even better after tying down the Frenchman for another year in 2018. Bellego made the step up to the SGB Premiership for the first time during the 2017 season and instantly
DAVID Bellego says it feels like a homecoming after signing up to ride for Swindon Robins again in 2018. Bellego was a key member of the Robins side that were crowned SGB Premiership champions this year and team manager Alun Rossiter has moved
RAMSBURY Tennis Club have won Wiltshire LTA’s Club of the Year award. The county’s tennis association announced the local heroes who have been honoured as part of the British Tennis Awards. The winners received their prizes at Wiltshire LTA
SWINDON Town fans could find themselves with an early Christmas present at Friday night’s League Two clash with Colchester United at the County Ground. Relish Broadband, one of the club’s official partners for the 2017-18 season, are giving away
BAKERS Arms took over at the top of the Swindon & District League Premier Division table as they edged out Ashton Keynes in their top-three battle at Sevenfields Rec. With previous leaders Tawny Own seeing their match against Swindon Spitfires
IT WAS all change at the top of the Wiltshire Senior League Premier Division again on Saturday as Melksham Town Reserves regained pole position on a weather-affected afternoon. Melksham roared back into goalscoring form as they smashed eight past
