PUPILS at Commonweal School can boast they are some of the artiest in the region, after their school was given a prestigious award for the third time in a row. The school in Old Town has been given the Artsmark Gold award for the third consecutive
COUNCIL staff will be left deskless during a planned relocation, their union fears. An estimated 900 people – about half of Swindon Council’s workforce – are to be relocated to a town centre civic campus in a £500,000-plus efficiency-boosting project
TOWN centre police say they have just scratched the surface after four people were issued with interim ASBOs for alleged street drinking. On Monday, Martin Morgan, 27, Kevin Wolton, 30, Andrew Dunn, 45, and David Coutts, 40, were each handed the
ON Sunday the Swindon Society marks 40 years of chronicling “that.” For a definition of “that,” here’s society secretary Diane Everett: “I thought when I was a youngster that I would never be interested, but as you get older your values and your
A PRIZE-winning town crier has another award to shout about. Owen Collier, who serves Royal Wootton Bassett, was judged the best dressed town crier at the Newton Abbott Town Criers’ Championship on Saturday. He was presented with a cup for his achievement
THREE fundraising fitness fanatics made a relay Channel swim in memory of a boy who died of cancer. Simon Harris 47, brother Matt, 40, and Nick Hague, 42, braved the waters of the English Channel to swim the 23- mile distance between Dover and the rocks
A CAR dealership has moved on to the site of a former motor company under investigation by the police. And its boss stresses that potential customers can have complete trust in his business. Blackworth Car Sales has been bucking the national
Andy Hamilton, Wyvern Theatre, Swindon ANDY Hamilton is perhaps not the most obvious stand-up comedy star in the country, but there is no doubting his credentials. He is one of Britain’s leading comedy writers – Drop The Dead Donkey and the brilliant
A DIABETIC retinopathy programme for Swindon and North Wiltshire is to be taken over by Virgin Care. The service, called 1st Retinal Screen, has been providing a service to diabetes patients in the area for eight years. Mike Nelson, from 1st Retinal
A HERITAGE trust which hopes to take over and run Swindon’s most important heritage building, is renewing and redoubling its campaign from new, modern premises. The Mechanics’ Institution Trust, first established in 1995, has moved its operation to
Staff from the West Swindon Asda supermarket have organised a Big Litter Pick at Lydiard Park this morning. The event, which is part of the Asda Community Life programme, under the pillar of greener life, also aims to involve the public and is from
PREGNANT women in Swindon are being given a helping hand in a bid to stop smoking before giving birth. Stopping smoking is no easier for pregnant women than for anyone else, but smoking during pregnancy means the baby shares chemicals from smoke that
ANGUS Macpherson, who is running as the Conservative nominee for the position of Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire, has become the first candidate to commit to Victim Support’s PCC manifesto. Victim Support has liaised with PCC candidates
FOUR people alleged to be among a gang of street drinkers who cause trouble in the town centre were given anti-social behaviour orders at Swindon Magistrates’ Court yesterday. Martin Morgan, 27, Kevin Wolton, 30, Andrew Dunn, 45, and David Coutts
Have your say on the development of sports in the town through the Swindon Sports Forum. It is for sports clubs of any size and is run by a committee of dedicated volunteers with varied backgrounds and from local sports clubs who want to see sport succeed
A HERBAL medicine practitioner groped a shocked female patient and asked if he could kiss her as he carried out an acupuncture treatment at a clinic. Hong Wei Dong, 51, touched the victim’s chest and performed a sex act as she lay on a bed in a
JOBSEEKERS in Swindon aged up to 25 have an opportunity to join the next Prince’s Trust Team Programme, which starts next week. Youth development charity Inner Flame delivers the Team Programme in partnership with The Prince’s Trust and Swindon College
A new free health walk is coming to Wroughton. The group will meet every Thursday at 10am at the Ellendune Centre, starting on October 18. The walks will last for about 40 minutes and will be led by a trained volunteer. The walk is part of Challenge
A NEW initiative to get people on their bikes has steam rolled its way to Swindon. Following the success of this concept in Bristol and Brighton, Swindon Travel Choices has organised a group cycle to work project or ‘cycle trains’. Instead of striking
ASPIRING dancers took advantage of an open day at one of the town’s most established performing arts schools. Tanwood School for Performing Arts flung its doors open to the public on Saturday for a day that featured free dance classes and an opportunity
A man whose father is suffering from heart failure is encouraging people to sign up for the British Heart Foundation’s Wiltshire Bike Ride on September 23. David Harper, 23, from Swindon, is taking part in the bike ride, supported by Santander, to support
A man is to face trial accused of stealing a bag containing bank cards and a set of headphones from a room at a house. Aaron Maynard, 26, of Hornbeam Court, Pinehurst, is said to have taken the items from a room at the property on Cheney Manor Road on
ONE of Swindon’s busiest roads is to be partly closed for about three weeks later this year to enable contractors to remove a footbridge. Swindon Council plans to close Ermin Street for about 50 metres either side of the railway bridge adjacent to the
CEREBRAL palsy patient Corey Cummings is back at school this week after spending the majority of his summer holidays with both legs in plaster. Corey, six, of Coate Water , and his family and friends have spent the past few months raising money
SUPERMARINE Ladies went try crazy as they overwhelmed an Army side 79-3 at the weekend. With the game reduced to 12-a-side due to a lack of players, Marine quickly took control and set up camp in the Army half for much of the match. Up front
POLICE are appealing for information after a man tried to grab a young girl while she was out playing with her friends. The nine-year-old was out on Friday evening in East Wichel when a man believed to be in his late 20s tried to grab her from
PLANS to convert an unused warehouse into a temporary home for indoor bowls in Swindon have been tipped for approval – despite concerns from ward councillor Des Moffatt that it would be against planning policy. Swindon Oasis Indoor Bowls Club was
A HAIRSTYLIST has shown he is a cut above the rest by setting a world record in memory of Tami Brown. Chris Miller, of Miller and Holland Hairdressing, has raised more than £3,400 and set a record by cutting 51 people’s hair in as many hours in
AS I hung upside down with the blood rushing to my head, the last thing I wanted to do was let go. I was clinging on to a looped piece of fabric, which was tied to the ceiling, with fellow reporter Katie Bond attempting a similar feat close by.
TAKING on just one marathon would be enough of a challenge for most people, but a pair of police officers will be tackling three in three days to raise funds for charity. PC Adam Leakey, 29, and PC Jon Hewlett, 35, based at Gablecross police station
REALITY TV stars and performance artists inspired by Africa are part of an exciting new season at Swindon Dance. Cerebro, who were semi-finalists on Sky TV’s Got to Dance, will perform their electrifying routines at the school on Saturday night
SHE may have only just started as headteacher, but it is not the first time Violet McLaren has been in the classrooms of Lethbridge Primary School. Miss McLaren, who started at the school on September 1, has taken over from Ray Norman following
HOUSEHOLDERS in a normally-quiet village are in shock after police busted a cannabis factory and arrested two people on Friday. Wiltshire Police executed a search warrant in Lydiard Millicent on Friday, and found that half of the loft area of the
SUPERMARINE midfielder Rob Dean insists his side must improve after crashing out of the FA Cup First Qualifying Round with a defeat to AFC Totton. Marine went down 6-0 to the Southern Premier side on Saturday, and Dean is desperate to see a response
DRIVERS are bracing themselves for traffic chaos from today after one of the main roads in Old Town was closed yesterday. Barriers were put in place yesterday afternoon in Victoria Road at the junction with Stanley Street, for work to repair a
SWINDON Robins boss Alun Rossiter is convinced the race for top spot in the Elite League is not over despite his side’s 49-41 defeat at title rivals Poole last night. A masterful ride from Piotr Pawlicki in heat 14 and a timely 5-1 for Pirates
FEDERICO Bessone has called for unity as Swindon Town look to quickly forget their week from hell and get back to winning ways at Carlisle on Saturday. Bessone, a deadline day capture from Swansea, has only been with the Robins for 10 days but
BRINKWORTH Cats produced the performance of the day on the opening weekend of the North Wilts Youth League, seeing off Highworth Town Juniors H 17-1 in Under 15 Division 1. Brinkworth were boosted by six goals from Hugo Vivash, while Jake Covey
BEVERSBROOK chief Lee Ashby was left ‘gutted’ after his side were dumped out of the Corsham Print Senior KO Cup by defending champions Southbrook. The match was evenly poised at 1-1 at half-time with Lavel King equalising for Beversbrook just after
COLESHILL United went goal crazy in North Berks League Division Two, putting 11 past Marcham without reply. Shane Blake and Richard Evans grabbed four each, Jamie Hopgood claimed two and Mark Simpkins also registered in the rout. Elsewhere
SWINDON Spectrum threw away a one-goal half-time lead and missed two penalties to slip to defeat to Lower Stratton in the Swindon & District League Premier Division on Saturday. Spectrum had raced into the ascendancy when Mark Whyburd fired
SWINDON Town will be making an appearance in Parliament today as the club’s community work in Zambia is used as an example for others to follow. Football in the Community Trust manager Jon Holloway will address an audience of politicians, including
SWINDON Spitfires retained pole position in the South West Women’s League with a slender 1-0 win at third-placed St Nicholas. The first half saw little in the way of clear-cut chances for either team. Each side’s best opportunity in front of
TROY Batchelor was not the first heat leader to find the going tough against a star-studded Poole side last night. Swindon’s charismatic Aussie took on the combined might of Chris Holder, Darcy Ward and Krzysztof Kasprzak at Wimborne Road, and
