Archive

  • Town's JPT date confirmed

    NEWPORT County have confirmed the date for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy first round with Town. The game will be played on Tuesday, September 23, with kick-off at 7.45pm.  However the game is subject to change and will be postponed until Tuesday

  • SPEEDWAY LIVE: Swindon Robins v King's Lynn Stars

    9:55pm Robins boss on tonight's excellent performance: “It was a good all-round team performance, I’m really happy with all of the boys and they all gave it 100 per cent,” he said. “The tactical got us as it always

  • Join the Big Drink Debate

    PEOPLE in Wiltshire are being asked to have their say on drinking alcohol and its impact by joining in the Big Drink Debate. Wiltshire Council is developing a fresh approach to improving and managing the delivery of information on healthier use

  • SWIMMING: European gold for Carlin

    JAZZ Carlin continued her golden summer with victory in the women's 800m freestyle at the European Swimming Championships in Berlin tonight. Carlin, 23, clocked a new championship record of 8:15.54 as she romped home victory, ahead of Spain's Mireia

  • Jenna’s putting her whole heart into run

    WITH less than two months to go until the big day, runners around the county are preparing for the British Heart Foundation’s Swindon Half Marathon. One resident taking part is Jenna Stone, who is raising funds for the BHF in memory of her partner

  • Firm’s marathon effort pulls in the cash

    LOCAL Zurich employees have presented a cheque for £55,000 to the company’s charity. The Zurich Cares Dream Team Marathon runners presented the money they raised to the Zurich Community trust outside their offices this week. Members of the team

  • Town praying for Yaser call-up

    SWINDON Town are praying that Yaser Kasim is called up for Iraq’s next friendly with Peru on September 4. With Massimo Luongo and Brad Smith having both been called up to play in friendlies for Australia, Swindon need one more call-up from their

  • Fitness regime is poles apart

    EMMA DUNN finds out about a fun way to get fit PEOPLE who want to get into shape can try their hand at pole dancing, aerial silks and aerial hoop, thanks to Emily’s Pole Fitness. Classes, which take place at BSS House in Cheney Manor Industrial

  • Creating a bit of a buzz

    The summer of 2014 has been downright odd. Compared to recent years there have been no floods, no droughts, no hosepipe bans, no unseasonable cold snaps and no unexpected mini tornadoes scattering roof tiles across the Midlands. In fact, for the

  • Album launch for Erin Bardwell Collective at The Vic

    Launch party for the Erin Bardwell Collective’s new album, Our Time, with the band playing 10 new tunes is from 7.30pm on Saturday, August 30 at The Vic, Old Town, Swindon. SN Dubstation is in support. There is also a surprise guest and later

  • A terribly English getaway

    SEVERAL conversations prior to our stay at the Old Swan and Minster Mill in The Cotswolds informed me that our hotel of choice was ‘the posh one’ in the picturesque village of Minster Lovell. And as we arrived at the 16th century country inn, on

  • Sky Blues to return home

    TOWN'S League One rivlas Coventry will return to the Ricoh Arena after more than a year playing in Northampton, the club have confirmed. The Sky Blues are expected to make their home comeback next month, when they are due to host Gillingham in

  • A great deal to see and do

    STEPHEN WEBB heads to the Kent seaside and finds delightful towns, historic sites and plenty of good grub IT seems whenever I do these travel pieces, food plays a prominent part in what I write. But it can’t be helped this time – because we were

  • All about... My Fear of Heights: Stripped

    You always associate the name Daryl Ball with the folky-Americana of Bateleurs, so it was nice to receive an EP that acts as a musical conduit back to a previous band, Stripped. Although having their hey-day over a decade ago now, occasional reunions

  • Sounds around town with Dave Franklin

    I’m not one for hero worship, not in music at any rate. Musicians are just normal people – gifted, imaginative, talented, some times even genius but human nonetheless. The one exception I do make is for a man born this day in 1952 and who made

  • Album of the week

    SINEAD O’CONNOR I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss Sinead O’Connor enjoyed quite a career renaissance with her outstanding 2012 album, How About I Be Me (And You Be You)? and this follow-up is every bit as good, if not better. One of the greatest female

  • Join Shrek and Donkey for a magical theatrical experience

    BASED on the award-winning DreamWorks animation film, Shrek the Musical is this year’s must-see show for all the family and it will be at the Bristol Hippodrome until September 7. Join the unlikely hero Shrek and his loyal steed Donkey as they

  • Mousical is fun for youngsters

    EVERYONE’S favourite little star, Angelina Ballerina, pirouettes on to the Wyvern stage next week in her brand-new musical. Angelina Ballerina The Mousical is a magical show packed full of singing and dancing, and it will be in Swindon on August

  • In the swing with golfing super star

    Golf star Tony Jacklin chats to EMMA DUNN about his new show THE most successful European Ryder Cup captain of all time will be sharing his fondest memories with the audience at the Wyvern Theatre on September 11. An Evening with Tony Jacklin will

  • Enjoy a night of country stars

    THE audience will be taken back in time when The Country Superstars Experience comes to the Wyvern Theatre. Hosted by Europe’s number one Dolly Parton tribute act, Sarah Jayne, accompanied by award winning vocal impersonator Andy Crust, the show

  • Get help to buy your new home

    HOUSEHUNTERS considering a new home at Taylor Wimpey’s Greenfields on the Ridgeway Farm development could be eligible for the Help To Buy scheme. The housebuilder will hold an information session for those wanting to find out more about the scheme

  • Poppy Cat visits

    TOWN CENTRE: Children’s favourite Poppy Cat will visit The Brunel Shopping Centre between 11am and 3.30pm today for a fun free activity. Visit www.thebrunel. co.uk, or www.facebook.com/ thebrunelswindon.

  • Help Samaritans

    TOWN CENTRE: Volunteers are being sought to help run the Swindon Samaritans shop, in Curtis Street. Call 01793 537373.

  • Meet the council

    COVINGHAM: The parish council’s next meeting is taking place at Covingham Park Primary School at 7.30pm on September 8.

  • Tenants can lend a hand

    SWINDON: Volunteers are being sought for a Swindon Council group which reviews its housing service. The tenant scrutiny panel provides an independent view of the council’s housing department’s performance, and wants to welcome more tenants to its

  • Pop in to pop-up

    OLD TOWN: The next Vintage to the Core pop-up shop event, in aid of local charity Empower, will take place on October 4 and October 5 at The Core, in Devizes Road. From 11am to 4pm on both days visitors will be able to come along and browse a range

  • Quiz on bus pass times

    COUNTY: A consultation has been launched about possible changes to the Wiltshire Bus Pass scheme. People are being asked to decide whether they would like passes to be restricted for use only after 9am from Monday to Friday, or only after 9.30am.

  • Invite to a dance class

    DANCE classes for adults, young people and children restart after the summer break at Swindon Dance on Monday, September 8. New classes for September include Monday Sasla nights for adults aged 16 plus, Saturday Movers for young dancers aged three

  • Don’t miss 999 show

    IT IS now just three weeks to until this year's Emergency Services Show, and the organising committee is busy finalising the programme of events. The show is being held at Hullavington airfield, near Chippenham, just off J17 of the M4, on Sunday

  • 101. Film fans’ treat

    HIGHWORTH: Swindon Film Society has announced that it will be screening Sunshine On Leith at St Michael’s Hall at 7.45pm on Friday, September 26. Call 01793 330639 or visit www.swindonfilm.org.uk.

  • Bin fire call outs

    PENHILL: Police and fire services were called to two separate bin fires in Burbage Road on Monday at 6pm. The fire service is investigatin and are treating them both as deliberate. Anyone with information should call police on 101.

  • Fun at Link free for all

    WEST SWINDON: The Link Centre will be welcoming everyone for a day of free activites when it hosts its second annual open day on August 30. From 10am to 5pm activities, including ice skating, swimming and fitness, will be free along with training

  • Women off to a flying start in cancer charity trek

    A GROUP of past and present women of the Royal Air Force have joined together to take part in a relay across Britain to raise money for two charities. WRAFS on Tour, a group of around 600 former and serving WRAFS, started the challenge on June

  • Car blaze arson fears

    CHISELDON: A car was destroyed by fire in what is believed to be an arson attack opposite the farm shop in Chiseldon on Tuesday at 4am. The car is thought to have been a Subaru. Anyone with information on the incident should call police on 101.

  • Bus was stoned

    CHENEY MANOR: Police were called to the roundabout at Cheney Manor Road and Vicarage Road at 7.30pm on Tuesday after reports that a group of six youths aged 14 to 16 were throwing stones at a bus. One of the windows was smashed. Anyone with information

  • Hunt on for next of kin

    LIDEN: The Coroner's Office for Wiltshire and Swindon is appealing for the public’s help in locating the next of kin of a man who died last week. Dennis John Hewitt, 76, of Matley Moor, Liden, died at his home address on August 13. His cause of

  • Coaches have profited from chaos on railways

    NATIONAL Express has seen a seven per cent year-on-year jump in bookings on coach serbices this weeked following the announce-ment that engineering works are set to cause disruption to trains. Trains running on the First Great Western Line between

  • Smith joins Luongo in Socceroos reckoning

    LOAN ace Brad Smith has joined Swindon Town teammate Massimo Luongo in being called up for Australia's squad for games with Belgium and Saudi Arabia next month. Liverpool defender Smith, who is on a season-long loan at the County Ground, has played

  • Pre-school reverses its damning report

    SECURITY at a pre-school where a child was reported missing is no longer a concern, according to Ofsted officers who in May ajudged Haydon Meadow pre-school inadequate. The Haydon Centre organisation had contested the original report and claimed

  • Sex workers in spotlight

    STRIDES are being taken to tackle the problem of prostitution in Broadgreen after it emerged the number of sex workers in Swindon has risen by half in the last year and a half. The number of women involved in the trade has spiralled from 25 in

  • Chugging 2,500 miles from A to B by JCB

    ROYAL Wootton Bassett provided a welcome break for Esmor Davies who stopped off in the town as part of his John O’Groats to Land’s End journey. The 68-year-old Welshman set off on the gruelling 2,500 mile journey in a JCB digger last month to raise

  • The fantastic life of El Fantastico

    A SWINDON railway worker described by Time magazine as a better writer than Hemingway finally has a biography. Ralph Bates was born in a terraced house in Morse Street on November 3, 1899 and died aged 101 in Manhattan on November 26, 2000.

  • ‘We are not rogue operators,’ says boss of fire-hit firm

    The fire at Averies Recycling has been raging for more than a month. So far, Lee Averies, the director of the company, has said little about it. Now, he gives an exclusive interview to the Adver How did the fire start? Neither we nor the fire

  • Join the Big Drink Debate

    PEOPLE in Wiltshire are being asked to have their say on drinking alcohol and its impact by joining in the Big Drink Debate. Wiltshire Council is developing a fresh approach to improving and managing the delivery of information on healthier use

  • Groves 'wouldn't want to face Garvey'

    GARVEY Kelly has been given a ringing endorsement from his manager George Groves as he prepares to turn professional this autumn. The Swindon welterweight is set to make his bow in the paid ranks in October with the backing of world super-middleweight

  • America calling for Young

    KELVIN Young will travel to America today hoping to land himself a world title shot. The IBO super-middleweight inter-continental champion is heading to the Chicago to be at ringside to see Donovan George and Dyah Davis battle it out for the vacant

  • Getting back to the garden

    THE TOWN Gardens Bowl will reverberate with a reggae beat once more as the Reggae Garden Festival returns for its fourth year after its humble beginnings as a send-off party. On September 6 giants of the reggae scene across the UK will come to

  • Regent Circus development is bought for £40m

    REGENT Circus has been bought for more than £40m by the same investment company which owns The Parade shopping centre. UK Commercial Property Trust Limited (UKCPT), a Guernsey investment company launched in September 2006, has exchanged contracts

  • Tired police urged to join new survey

    IN less than 10 minutes Wiltshire Police officers will be given tailored feedback on how to turn around their shift and sleep patterns as a part of a force-wide fatigue survey. Wiltshire Police Federation, the staff association which represents

  • Dancer beats the odds to succeed

    DANCER Hannah Sumner is leaping to new heights after securing a place with the Northern Ballet School. Hannah will start training at the school,which is an international centre of excellence, next month after also being offered scholarships at

  • Watkins to raise money for his local community

    LUKE Watkins and Paddy Fitzpatrick are planning to raise funds for a local community project ahead of their September 20 professional debut. The new scheme called ‘Duke’s Giveback’ is looking to raise as much money as possible for a local project

  • Williams gives thanks to backroom staff

    HAVING got his first goal in a year Andy Williams was keen to give thanks to the people that helped him get back on the pitch after his dark period out injured. As he ran off to celebrate his equaliser just before half-time at Priestfield on Tuesday

  • Branco knows it’s a team game at Town

    THE unlikely hero of Swindon Town’s Tuesday night last-gasp draw with Gillingham, Raphael Branco, is prepared to sacrifice personal glory for the good of the team. It was the Brazilian defender’s cross-come-shot Gills’ goalkeeper Stephen Bywater

  • Williams: 'We believe'

    ANDY Williams does not think Swindon Town’s confidence will be knocked by only picking up one point from their last two games. Town dominated Tuesday night’s draw against Gillingham and Saturday’s loss with Crawley in terms of possession and attempts

  • Row erupts over a rise in large classes

    A ROW has broken out over school class sizes in Swindon, after it emerged the number of Key Stage 1 classes with more than 30 pupils has more than doubled in the past four years. Government figures show that since 2010, the number of large classes

  • He hit me says stab case man

    A MAN accused of stabbing a former bouncer outside a pub has told a jury he came off worse in the incident. Lee Turner said he needed four plates and 16 pins in two breaks to his jaw and numerous stitches after he was repeatedly punched in the

  • Grave signs get tough

    SAFETY measures have now been put in place to prevent Common-wealth War Graves signs being damaged at Radnor Street Cemetery. Twice in the two months since the signs were erected to commemorate the soldiers interred in the cemetery, they have been

  • Mixed feelings over new plans for derelict site

    DERELICT Townsend House in Old Town could be given a new lease of life after more than eight years as one of several buildings to be revitalised with a £2.23m grant. Neighbours have been concerned about the site in Bath Road being used as a rubbish

  • Train firm gives residents a break

    NETWORK Rail has paid for weekend breaks for residents living close to the Swindon to Kemble redoubling works who are affected by constant noise and vibrations. Sleepless nights and damage to roads will soon end in Purton as disruption from the

  • Help keep villagers in touch

    SOUTH Marston is facing a communications breakdown at a time when an unprecedented period of development is on the horizon. The parish council’s clerk and village website editor are both moving on from their roles in the near future, while the

  • Petition in call for review into postnatal depression care

    THE family of Emma Cadywould is using her fighting spirit as inspiration to continue in their pursuit for change in care and treatment for postnatal depression. Emma, of Saxon Orchard, Watchfield, was struck by a train near South Marston on December

  • Exhibition tells story of railway’s role in conflict

    ARCHIVES have been sifted, lists have been typed and the Steam museum has finally launched its exhibition to mark the centenary of the start of World War One. A Railway At War was launched by the museum’s assistant curators Elaine Arthurs and Felicity

  • Artists open their doors

    PAINTER David Robin-son is just one of the artists who will be opening his doors to the public when Swindon Open Studios returns. Next month more than 50 local artists will be displaying their work, in a town-wide exhibition of sculptures, paintings

  • Bright young things have real fun

    A STEADY stream of children and families filtered through to the Community Hall at Christ Church to help raise money for the Great Western Hospital. Brighter Futures is the GWH’s charity, which helps to fund treatments not available on the NHS

  • Belcher is aiming to shine north of the border

    SIMON Belcher will be looking to make a big impact on his first visit to the Knockhill Circuit this weekend in the British Touring Car Championship. The Swindon driver and his Handy Motorsport team are confident of making significant strides at

  • Rosco hopes for home joy

    SWINDON Robins team manager Alun Rossiter is planning to make the most of their home advantage in the final few weeks of the campaign to reach the Elite League play-offs. The Blunsdon side welcome leaders Kings Lynn Stars to the Abbey Stadium tonight

  • NCIS named most watched TV drama in the world

    The show boasted over 57 million worldwide viewers in 2013. The award follows on from the CBS network's staggering dominance in the drama category - it's won eight out of nine years with CSI, CSI: Miami and The Mentalist.