BATTLELINES were drawn as a wife competed against and beat her new husband in a race to bag a £1.5 million investment deal for Swindon. Julie Brand– who manages the Debenhams store in the town centre – could not resist a moment of triumph over husband
A MUDDY seven-mile circuit in the Brecon Beacons lies in wait for volunteers of the Swindon Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre. The organisation, now based in West Swindon, is hoping to attract three teams of 12 people for the MS Challenge on
A MAN who called the police after he thought he had stabbed an acquaintance over a £10 debt has asked a judge to jail him so he could take advantage of the prison education system. George Durbin dialled 999 after he thought he had plunged a knife into
A West London man was acting under duress from loan sharks when he tried to commit a £13,800 fraud at a bank in Swindon, a court has been told. Dean Fitzgerald, 30, had a false passport to back up his attempt to cash a stolen cheque but staff at the
Among the more unusual collectable items to recently appear on a well known internet auction site was a coat hanger. Not any old coat hanger but one imprinted with the name of W Clappen – Tailor & Outfitter, Tram Centre & Wood St Swindon. William
POLICE have appealed for information about two men in connection with a theft from a Swindon shop. The pair are thought to have stolen a £40 wiring harness for a car stereo amplifier from Discount Auto Parts, in Cricklade Road, Gorse Hill. The theft
A SCOUT group’s Christmas efforts have raised more than £1,000. Throughout December, young people from the 1st Wroughton Scouts group delivered over 6,500 cards around the village to make £1,100 through special stamps. The annual scheme allowed locals
THE mother of hammer attack victim Henry Webster says the family will not appeal against a court ruling which found Ridgeway School was not negligent prior to the incident which left him brain damaged. Speaking yesterday as judge Mr Justice
SWINDON author Rosa Matheson will be holding a talk on women and the Great Western Railway later this month. Mrs Matheson is the author of several books about the GWR and the Swindon Works and her latest talk will describe the roles of women in a mainly
POLICE officers in the Rodbourne area of Swindon are appealing for information and offering security advice following a recent series of garage break-ins in the area. Between February 19 and 23 there were 10 reports of garage break-ins in
FORMER Labour leader Michael Foot has died at the age of 96. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "a man of deep principle and passionate idealism" who fought all his life for his beliefs and for the Labour Party. Mr Foot died shortly
PARENTS have started up their own toddler group with the help of their school. Mums and dads from Ferndale Community Primary School, in Wiltshire Avenue, Rodbourne, raised the need for a group in the area and worked with the school to set up the project
A BMX bike belonging to a teenage boy was stolen after he saved up money by delivering thousands of leaflets all over Swindon. Jack Stinson, 15, of Queens Drive, briefly left the striking white bike outside Subway near the Co-op supermarket in Old Town
THE Great Western Hospital has been awarded a certificate of commitment in its first step towards gaining international recognition from Unicef’s Baby Friendly Initiative. The Baby Friendly Initiative set up by Unicef and the World Health Organisation
TWO years after the death of Sophie Drury, her family and friends will complete a gruelling mountain triathlon in her memory. Sophie, who lived at Castle Eaton, near Swindon, lost her decade-long battle with ovarian cancer on April 5, 2008 at Wroughton
A SWINDON GP has exposed flaws in communication between hospitals and doctors surgeries after 98 per cent of outpatient letters arrived at his surgery late. The delays could have affected up to 39,200 patients ranging from diabetics to those being treated
COUNCILLOR Des Moffatt’s shedding of such insincere crocodile tears within his recent SA letter extolling what Labour will do to get the school children of Penhill a relevant bus service is clearly aimed to be an Oscar winning performance in getting residents
POLICE are concerned over the safety and welfare of a 15-year-old girl. Lauren Davidson, who has a medical condition, was last seen at an address in Gorse Hill, at 10.30pm on Monday. She is described as white, of slight build, approximately 5ft 4in
DANNY Wilson and Billy Paynter have been put on the shortlists for League One manager and player of the month. The pair, who were also nominated for the same awards for January, have been recognised for another phenomenal run of form which
THE prosecution of Miss Kate Harding for not reporting her find of a rare French coin under the Treasure Act 1996 is a miscarriage of justice. There is no obligation on a finder of a single coin to report it to the coroner or finds officer for the area
A WAR of words has erupted over a Roman burial ground that stands in the way of a barrier being built to stop the “horrendous” noise off the A419. The row comes after campaigners in Merlin Way, Covingham, won a hard-fought battle for a fence to block
AS UKIP is about to publish our Environment Policy which deals with the reality of climate change and not the fallacy created by the IPCC and EU vested interest groups, we read about the tragic consequences of falsely claiming the world is about to self
THE President of the Republic of Korea wishes to send a letter of appreciation to all veterans who served in the Korean War between June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953. If you are eligible to receive such a letter please contact Bert Davey, Secretary, Swindon
A MAN who was slashed in the head with a sharp weapon has told of his terror during the unprovoked gang attack. Darren Hobbs, from Wroughton, was out with a friend when the incident unfolded in the early hours of Sunday, February 21. Mr Hobbs, 27, was
DOES the council fail to recognise that we are in the middle of a deep recession? Under normal circumstances I would say that it was good news that the old college site is to be redeveloped. Maybe, by the time it is completed the recession will be over
CONGRATULATION to all of the worthy winners at the recent Wiltshire Business Awards. It’s ironic that this event, which is supposed to celebrate all that is good about Wiltshire business, was held across the county border in Gloucestershire. How does
RE: ‘Politics, not class war are what’s needed’, (SA, Feb 27, Charles Linfield). Two points: (If I may). “Eton today (states Charles Linfield) offers a world class education to boys of all backgrounds.” Trip! Eton claims
The Swindon Mindful Employer Network is hosting its 2010 conference next month, with a host of accomplished and influential business speakers. The event, Promoting Healthier Businesses, will demonstrate to employers how looking after staff
A BISHOP from Kenya stepped into the Adver offices as part of a visit to the town. The Rt Rev Julius Kalu, the Bishop of Mombasa, was taken around the Victoria Road offices with the Rev Simon Stevenette, the vicar of Christ Church, Old Town. Mr Kalu
IN the latest part of EFB Fredriks' history of the relationship between Swindon Town and the community of Swindon, the author assesses the mismanagement of the club as the 20th century developed. PRIOR to the scandal of Brian Hillier’s illegal
SWINDON girls are filming the moral fairytale The Brownie Story to mark the centenary of the Girl Guiding UK movement. The Third Stratton St Margaret Brownies not only acted in front of the camera but took the controls of camera and the clapperboard
POLICE have increased patrols in a play area in Swindon after being told of large groups of youths gathering there and drinking alcohol. The Castle View Road play area in Chiseldon has become a target for gangs of people and reports to the police suggest
SHOPPERS have described a £1.5m revamp at a town centre store as the start needed to bring Swindon into the 21st century. However, many said the refit at Debenhams, in The Parade, in Fleming Way, planned for later this month, did not go far enough and
BACK in 1970, Kenneth Williams was the indisputable star of the radio show Stop Messing About. Fast forward 40 years to Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre and not much has changed – Kenneth Williams, aka Robin Sebastian, is still the undoubted star of Stop Messing
A SCHEME allowing parents to check if someone has a history of child sex offences will be introduced in Wiltshire this summer, the Home Office said today. The programme, known as Sarah’s Law, gives a parent the right to check whether anyone with regular
THIN Lizzy tribute Limehouse Lizzy paid a truly mesmerising tribute to Phil Lynott on Friday at Swindon’s 12 Bar venue. The set was awash with electrifying gusto with twin guitars - a Thin Lizzy trademark well known to us all. The power of this band
MORE THAN 90 per cent of children are set to start at the secondary school of their choice in September. Of 2,160 applications submitted on time this year for Swindon schools, the council has offered 92 per cent their first choice preference
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man was viciously attacked in a Swindon pub last month. The man was drinking with friends in the Rush Bar, in Fleet Street, on February 13, when another male came up and headbutted him and punched
SWINDON-BASED schoolgirl Abi Porter has realised a dream in being selected for the England Under 16 squad to travel to Holland for the Four Nations tournament next month. Porter, who attended Prior Park Prep School in Cricklade and is currently a pupil
IN Dorset and Wilts 1 North, Cricklade overcame Swindon 2nds 26-12 in atrocious conditions on Saturday. Simon Howse gave Cricklade the initiative with an early score before Swindon fought back to level matters. Dave Cox scored twice
SWINDON are just two games away from Twickenham after the Greenbridge Road side overcame Milton Keynes 21-15 in the final of the Southern Counties Intermediate Knockout Cup at the weekend. Neil Loader’s side dominated their guests throughout the contest
FARINGDON Town suffered defeat in the quarter-finals of the Berks and Bucks Intermediate Cup at the weekend. Peter Soane gave Faringdon the lead early in the second half against Hellenic League Division One East side Wokingham and Emmbrook. But Wokingham
PURTON boss Stef Kuczynski praised his side’s “fantastic result” as they thrashed local rivals Wroughton 5-0 in the Wiltshire League Premier Division, writes PAUL TITCHENER. Two Ryan Child goals - including a fantastic 20-yard strike - and further efforts
DANNY Wilson believes he may have to be patient in his attempts to bolster Swindon’s squad with loanees, but reckons the signs are promising for at least one fresh face at the County Ground. The manager has made no secret of his desire to recruit
A MOTHER and her teenage daughter have praised the Swindon Foodbank charity for saving their lives. The pair, who do not want to be named, had been living at a refuge in Swindon when they asked the local organisation for help. The woman, in her 40s,
TOWN manager Danny Wilson insists there is no need for concern, despite contract negotiations with top scorer Billy Paynter being put on hold until the end of the campaign. The 22-goal striker’s current deal runs out in July, meaning he could
