A CHARITY in Swindon is now calling fowl – thanks to Zurich. The financial services company has a massive base in the town and each year its charitable arm gets staff out and about in Swindon helping projects in need of assistance. This year they made
A PENSIONER who broke a woman’s cheekbone with a marble kitchen implement has been spared jail, because of his age. Cleophus Ward used the hefty mortar, used with a pestle to grind spices, to hit a care worker who had been living with him at his Gorse
PARENTS and tots in Pinehurst are settling into the new Sure Start Children’s Centre. Mums and dads got stuck into a giant mural for the centre on Saturday as their children played in a wendy house. They also had their faces painted and scoffed hot dogs
MADS Korneliussen and Manuel Hauzinger have both been ruled out of tomorrow's Elite League fixture with Wolverhampton Wolves at Blunsdon. Korneliussen will also miss Friday night's visit to reigning champions Coventry Bees after failing to recover
JAMES Wood reckons nerves will help him in the grand final of Swindon Talent 08. The 13-year-old won through to the Advertiser’s talent search with a dazzling performance of Elton John’s Can You Feel The Love Tonight, at the Purton Carnival. Now, with
WANBOROUGH tennis star Louise Hunt will get a taste of the Olympics next week when she flies out to Beijing for the Paralympic Games. Hunt, who is wheelchair-bound, will not actually be competing but is travelling to China after being invited by the
TWO teenage girls have become the best of friends, after meeting in tragic circumstances. Rebecca Ferguson, 14, and Naomi Smart, 13, struck up their friendship after joining a Swindon group for bereaved children. The Rainbow Club, which began seven
POLICE have moved illegally camped gipsies out of Swindon. The town’s police used powers under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act to force travellers, who had been roaming across Swindon over the weekend, to move out completely. Two separate
MEMBERS of the public are being urged to support a charity which provides vital services for the town’s elderly. Age Concern Swindon is preparing to transfer over many of its services to other organisations by the start of the next financial year because
IT’S full steam ahead for Swindon’s regeneration following the signing of a multi-million pound development agreement. Modus Properties has committed itself to deliver Regent Place, a £215m scheme made up of 32,500sq m of high quality retail
Dear Veronica Brownlow, I have been researching my family history and have found a link between you and I. We could possibly be distant cousins. I found your name on the death registration of your uncle, Albert Richard Watkins. His death is the closest
Since Alastair Darling’s spring budget owners of post 2001 cars and the motor trade have been thrown into confusion over VED. All the Government seem to have to offer the millions of drivers and businesses affected by their actions is a possibility
WHILE irritated by the two-weekly bin collection and my on-going battle with maggots, I do have some sympathy with local councils, especially when MPs criticise them for shortcomings in their waste collection system. We used to have a system that worked
I read with interest a comment in your paper to the sound of ice cream vans. In Park North we have to suffer the loud repetitive sounds of ice cream vans all day long, and I mean all day long. I am sick to death of Just One Cornetto and Popeye The
MR Gardner is no doubt unpopular in Carlisle Avenue with his views, but then so is anyone who tries to argue against the well-entrenched lobby led by the Piper’s Residents’ Association. They have fought very long and very hard (more than 20 years) for
A SWINDON woman has received tens of thousands of pounds in damages after her father died after being exposed to asbestos at work. Julie Clark made the claim against BRB Residuary Limited, the successors of British Rail and British Motor Holdings
WHEN it comes to birthdays most little girls would be crying out for High School Musical goodies or Bratz dolls. But seven-year-old Charlotte Mills wants more than anything to give a gift to Great Ormond Street Hospital for all it’s done for
The star in The Railway Children was not Jenny Agutter, though in 1968 when she first played the role of Roberta Faraday I was far more interested in other things than to take note of “girls”. In the 1970 film version, though distracted by the setting
‘BIG’ Ben Harding hopes to deliver a knock-out blow when he goes toe-to-toe with Preston’s Howard Daley for the second time in his fledgling professional career. The Swindon heavyweight will be one of the star attractions at next month’s “The Professionals
THE West of England Premier League will look into complaints about the final day cancellation at Lydney which effectively saw both Goatacre and Marlborough relegated from the Glos/Wilts Division, writes GARETH MOORHOUSE. With both sides needing a win
PROMOTER Keith Mayo is expecting a sell-out crowd to pack the Oasis Centre on October 17 when professional boxing returns to Swindon for the first time in two decades. Mayo is the first Swindonian since Ricky Porter to hold a promoter’s licence, and
TOP-of-the-bill Jamie Cox knows the spotlight will be trained on him for professional boxing’s big Swindon comeback - and he’s determined to shine like a star. The 22-year-old light welterweight will be the main attraction for the KM Promotions-backed
DAVID Howell believes the light at the end of the tunnel is growing ever brighter following his fourth top-10 finish of 2008. The Swindonian produced some of his best golf of the year to finish tied third at the Johnnie Walker Championship in Scotland
LECHLADE completed the formality of their promotion to the Glos/Wilts Division despite a crushing final day defeat at Winsley. Once again it was a former Zimbabwe international to the fore, as Terrence Duffin hit an unbeaten 84 to guide Winsley to victory
WROUGHTON Wranglers secured promotion to Division One of the Wiltshire League after opponents Buscot Park forfeited the final game of the season. The forfeit handed Wroughton 20 points, which was enough to see them home ahead of rivals Highworth, who
DARREN Beasant was left to reflect on the “one that got away” after Swindon were forced to settle for the runners-up spot in the Glos/Wilts Division. Former Zimbabwe all-rounder Ryan Higgins ensured it was Chippenham who took the title with a staggering
KC FC were big winners, thumping SKS Blyskawica 5-1 away from home, as there were only three fixtures in Division One. Dave Slattery grabbed a double for the visitors, while there were also goals for Heard, Levett and Dick as KC ran away with it. Minety
WESTSIDE boss David Bott believes his side may have finally turned the corner after they came from behind to register their first win of the season, writes ANTHONY MARSHALL. Two goals from Gavin Allen lifted Westside off the foot of the Wiltshire League
SWINDON Supermarine boss Mark Collier is playing down his side’s chances of a play-off push as their fine early season form continued with a gritty 2-1 win at Merthyr Tydfil. The triumph in wretched conditions in Wales sees Marine sat comfortably in
A MUM bravely fought off an attacker who smashed the windows of her home, left her children screaming, then assaulted her with a plank of wood. The Abbey Meads mum-of two, who did not want to be identified in case her attackers seek revenge
FOUR Swindon VIPs have volunteered to be guinea pigs for a special study on complementary therapies. South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove, Swindon Council chief executive Gavin Jones, Swindon Mayor Steve Wakefield and Swindon 105.5 station manager
