The appearance of Labour stalwart Michael Foot at the Swindon Literature Festival has been recalled following his death. The former Labour leader was 96 when he died after a long illness on Wednesday in Hampstead, north London. He was
AFTER 500 phone calls from generous Adver readers, abandoned Staffordshire bull terrier Roxie has found a loving home. The nine-month-old pup is finally getting the love and attention she deserves from Stratton couple Ann and Rob Green and 12-year-old
Former vicar Bert Jones had a dream in 1961 which inspired him to write a poem called The Mind Regained. Now, more than 49 years later, the writer, of Wroughton, has had his work published to raise cash for MIND, the mental health charity based in Swindon
The pressure is mounting as the 19th April rapidly approaches !! I am planning the Swindon Mindful Employer Conference 2010 which takes place at the Swindon Marriott. A lot of people are involved from local business and the media I like to
WHEN people in the south of England in the late 19th century thought the French might try to invade, they started to form rifle corps. The small village of Aldbourne was no exception, and to complement the corps, it also formed a brass band, which this
I WONDER how many residents of Swindon and wider Wiltshire were as shocked as I was to learn that according to the BBC 80 per cent of the ticket allocation for the 2012 Olympics would go to the corporate sector, athletes and their families, Government
IT has been reported that up to 40,000 school children a year are placed on a ‘Hate Register’ by order of the Government. It is also reported that as from September this year all UK schools will be required to keep a register of incidents involving even
WOOTTON Bassett could soon be awash with red every Friday as a scheme to show respect to serving troops gathers pace. The concept of Red Fridays is the brainchild of local businessman Brian Pickering who wanted to do use the town’s role in
The UK’s leading debt charity, the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, says it is concerned about the high rates of insolvency in Wiltshire where almost 10 per cent of the working population are struggling with their finances. The service has looked
IN late July 1945 with British troops scattered all over what was then the Empire, actively engaged in a major shooting war in the Far East and still clearing up after another in Europe, Britain held a General Election. The results from our forces in
SAMUEL Quamina was attacked in his London home by three armed intruders. He defended himself with a knife and one of the intruders was killed. The police charged him with murder but the jury found him not guilty and decided that the force he had used
WITH regards to Beris Cumming’s letter in the Advertiser on December 16, 2009, I also remember the promise of Gordon Brown in September 2008, only in May last year I experienced a heart attack and needed a triple coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).
STAR of screen and stage John Barrowman will be showing off his vocal talent when he stops off in Swindon as part of a 23-date UK tour. The multi-talented entertainer will perform at the Oasis on October 8 and will promote his new solo album
ON Friday, February 26 Mrs Andrea Magill retired as our centre manager. She has been running the Walcot Dome Community Centre for the last 16 years and many people will know of her. Andrea has suffered with ill health for the past year and had decided
IN the last four articles by Anne Snelgrove it seems her interests only lie in small businesses, children, their education, banks etc. I would like to tell her of the plight of pensioners having worked hard all their lives preparing for not a vast fortune
PARENTS will act as the eyes and ears of the community in Swindon thanks to new powers to access information on sex offenders, according to police. Sarah’s Law, which gives parents the right to check whether anyone who has unsupervised access to their
St John Ambulance in Wiltshire is appealing for people to come forward with real-life stories of how first aid has helped them. The first aid charity, which trains hundreds of thousands of people in life saving first aid skills every year, wants to hear
WOOTTON Bassett Community Safety Team is urging residents to report acts of anti social behaviour and vandalism. At a meeting of the Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Area Board of Wiltshire Council, Mark Rippon, Community Safety Officer said the community
WHEN you can’t book a table on a Wednesday evening in February you know a restaurant has found a winning formula. Pizza Express is an old favourite but it doesn’t rest on its laurels. To its consistent standard of popular dishes, it adds a
I love Sunday dinners. And after a long and lovely walk with our dog on Sunday afternoon we ventured into The Royal Oak at Wootton Rivers. It was about 5pm, so we were really glad that this is one of the few pubs around the area to serve food
A NIGHT out at Colleys is a bit like a night at the theatre - it’s all about putting on a show. From the ceremonious welcome and dramatic disrobing of coats to the enthusiastic display of dishes to come, every act of the evening is played for
FOR luxury and attention to detail, you can’t beat Lucknam Park. “Seamless” was the word I was told to keep in mind as I was shown around the hotel and spa . . . and it’s the right one. From the moment you drive up the one-mile avenue of 400 lime and
PLAYING an older man is a challenge that actor Richard Wilbourne is taking in his stride. The 26-year-old is playing Frank Doel in the Western Players’ version of 84 Charing Cross Road, and is relishing every minute of it. “A few years
THEY’RE played all over the world, they’re multi-instrumentalists, they wear sinister clownish make up and their website proclaims them a ‘death oompah band’. They’re the Tiger Lillies. They were formed with the intention of being unlike anything
If you’re anything like me, you probably won’t have to try too hard to contain your excitement when you hear of the arrival of yet another Red Hot Chili Peppers-influenced band. And on the face of it, this is exactly what The Disco PieRats
This week I am going to take a break from spotlighting local venues and talk about a campaign that you should all get behind. Playing Glastonbury Festival is quite an achievement for any up and coming act. Just ask The Alfonz who managed to
POPSTAR Peter Andre will have Swindon’s females swooning in the aisles when he takes to the stage at the Oasis Leisure Centre this weekend. The star, who originally found fame in the 1990s, is performing in the town on Sunday night as part
SHOPKEEPERS in Old Town have said they are unable to protect their property from vandals due to stringent planning rules. The owners of both Harrison’s News and Earles newsagents, on Newport Street, want to install shutters on the outside of their shops
READERS young and old will be poring over their favourite fiction today as they celebrate the wonderful world of books. They will mark World Book Day in libraries across Swindon which last year loaned more than a million books. Fionuala
A shop in Swindon has been fined more than £3,000 for selling a knife set to a child. Buyology Limited, which traded from the old Wickes stores in the Transfer Bridge Industrial Estate, was in court after the store sold a two piece knife set to a 15-
WHEN Jamie Graham was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2007, he and his wife Vicky, had no idea what kind of help was available to them. But they quickly found the Forget-Me-Not Centre, run by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
HOUSING minister John Healey has said the completion of the Wichelstowe development could be a good push for Swindon to get a city status. The development, which will include up to 4,500 new homes, three primary schools and a country park, was stalled
POLICE who were concerned over the welfare of a 15-year-old girl have found her safe and well. Lauren Davidson, who has a medical condition, was last seen at an address in Gorse Hill at 10.30pm on Monday. But she was found at a nearby property by police
SOMMELIERS and chefs worked together at Swindon College in a bid to win a tasty prize. Three teams were competing in the regional heat of the Champagne Jacquart Rising Stars Trophy – with a grand prize of an all-expenses paid trip to France for the winning
A GOVERNMENT minister has dismissed calls to investigate sky-high rail fares from Swindon – and advised travellers to book their tickets in advance instead. Lord Adonis, the transport secretary, admitted that fares were “high” for passengers who had
TWO men were rushed to hospital late last night after a fight involving weapons. The incident happened on the Cambria Bridge Road shortly after 11pm. Emergency services were alerted to the scene and two men were taken to the Great Western Hospital where
SWINDON Robins Pit Crew is inviting speedway fans to attend a pre-season party on Sunday, March 7 at the Jovial Monk pub, St Andrew’s Ridge. This will be the first chance for supporters to meet and greet members of the 2010 team and grill Ronnie Russell
Pizzeria Amici, 22 Silver Street, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1JZ. (01225) 863661 Whether you’re a visitor taking in Bradford on Avon on the tourist trail or just popping down into town for a night out, Amici fits the bill. Perfect
SWINDON Town are set to embark on the first phase of the County Ground redevelopment. Chief executive Nick Watkins said the club is at a “critically important” stage. The board of directors met earlier this week where they identified
Seven members of a Swindon fitness centre have taken up four huge challenges to be completed all in one day in aid of Sport Relief. The magnificent seven will be running the equivalent of two marathons, rowing the distance of the Channel on a rowing
TOWN chief executive Nick Watkins has promised fans the club will not be plunged back into debt as the wheels begin to turn on the County Ground redevelopment. A project management firm has been identified for the phased development, with a financial
LOCAL pool player Key Grout has the chance to win a place on the England Ladies pool team tomorrow. Grout, who lives in Swindon, will compete against 63 other players at Great Yarmouth for a place in the national side. She has already
AS I sit here writing this on a beautiful spring afternoon, it’s hard to imagine that only a week ago I was taking part in a training session in a couple of inches of snow. Our preparation for the Stockport game was hampered a little by the
SWINDON'S Jodie Symes, 15, will compete at the Connie Gough National Championship at the Stadium Snooker Club in Birmingham this weekend. The Connie Gough National Championship is the fifth of six WLBSA ranking events this season. Symes
NICK Watkins believes Town’s chiefs are learning from their previous mistakes, after announcing matchday ticket prices for the 2010/11 season. Swindon have revealed the cost of seats in each stand for next year, taking into consideration whether their
MONEY seized during a police operation has been handed back to its owner on the orders of a judge. Sniffer dogs and a number of partner agencies had swooped on locations around the Chelworth Park Industrial Estate near Cricklade finding cash and suspected
ALAN McLoughlin believes he owes his former teammates a big debt of gratitude - after he was voted by Swindon Advertiser readers as one of Town’s two greatest midfielders. The 42-year-old slots into a central berth alongside former England
FORMER Swindon Harrier Toby Ulm became the third-fastest British male ever in the 500m at a recent meet in New York. Ulm, pictured left, who attends Georgetown University in Washington, D.C, was competing in the Big East Conference Championships
Local tennis star Samuel Hutt recently made the quarter-finals of the prestigious AEGON Winter Grand Prix Masters in the 16 and under category. In the last eight he lost to Scott Clayton 6-4, 6-1. Hutt, 15, from Swindon was invited to play at the pinnacle
WESTLECOT produced an awesome performance in the opening round of the Wessex League play-offs. They only qualified for the last 16 and play-offs as a wild card entrant but demolished former winners Bristol, the Central Region champions, by
A HIGHLY successful weekend was enjoyed by Westlecot men’s indoor bowls section. They recorded victories in two national championship area finals at Cotswold and a thumping Wessex League play-offs win, all against opponents from the City and County of
SWINDON Town are set to embark on the first phase of the County Ground redevelopment. Chief executive Nick Watkins said the club is at a “critically important” stage. The board of directors met earlier this week where they identified
WALCOT boxer Mark Reynolds made a dream start to his senior ABA campaign with a first round victory at the Broad Plain Boys’ Club in Bristol. The popular heavyweight overpowered Nathan Madge from the Forest of Dean for a comfortable early win
A TRIO of junior boxers from Penhill Amateur Boxing Club recently had success against Downend Amateur Boxing Club in Bristol. Jake Knowles was first up in a 42kg bout against Billy Hearle. While Knowles fought admirably, he was very unlucky to lose
