Archive

  • ‘Don’t close Nationwide’

    HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition calling for the Old Town branch of Nationwide to be kept open. The names were collected within one week, and campaign leader, trader David Blaylock, is planning to hand over the petition to the building

  • Swindon Wildcats tame Telford Tigers with 10-4 win

    THE perfectionist in Ryan Aldridge could not resist ruing the two third-period goals his team conceded in their 10-4 win over Telford at the Link Centre last night. Wildcats broke their four-match losing streak with a commanding victory over the English

  • Last Vulcan threatened by VAT rise

    AN HISTORIC military aircraft, which was Britain’s last line of defence in the Cold War, has been hit by an unexpected VAT tax bombshell from Brussels. The Vulcan, the last all-British designed and built military aircraft, was on around-the-clock

  • Bid to cut Britain’s sick note culture

    WORKERS signed off sick for more than two weeks could be offered counselling under government plans to reduce Britain’s sick note culture. And a Swindon counselling service said it could be a positive move as, due to redundancies and other effects of

  • Marion draws on new artistic skill

    KEEN PAINTER Marion Wilkinson picked up a paint brush for the first time when she broke her leg two years ago and now she has her own exhibition. Marion, 72, from Cherry Orchard, Highworth, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last April but she

  • Punk legends are buzz of the town

    PUNK legends Buzzcocks will be mashing it up at the MECA later this year. The group, who shot to fame in the late 70s and enjoyed success with the widely covered Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve), will take to the stage on

  • Sharpen skills

    ASPIRING writers can sharpen their skills on a practical day course for beginners and improvers. Feature Writing for Beginners will be held at New College on March 11. It is designed to build confidence and develop writing style. To enrol, contact New

  • Soldier's marathon effort for charity

    HE MAY be serving in Afghanistan but that hasn’t stopped soldier Lee Brown from raising money for charity, Lee, who is a Warrant Officer (Class 2) and based in Helmand, has been spending his spare time organising a half marathon at Camp Bastion and it

  • Let them make cake

    The latest craze among young ones this half term is baking, decorating and tucking in to cup cakes. At the Steam railway museum in Rodbourne on Tuesday, more than 400 children were right on track with some creative ways of decorating their cakes. The

  • Concert helps to boost charities

    MUSICIANS, actors and school pupils pulled off a special concert to raise money for two forces charities. The Wroughton Silver Band, the Ellendune Entertainers and students from the Ridgeway School in Wroughton entertained an appreciative crowd at the

  • Letter from MJ Warner

    GORDON Brown’s decision 12 years ago to scrap the fuel duty escalator, the six per cent above inflation tax, put on by Ken Clarke in his 1994 budget and intended to run until 2002, George Osborne before the election promised a stabiliser, when the price

  • Letter from Steve Thompson

    THERE has been a lot of criticism over the years of public art in your letters pages, even from people who I thought knew better. They complain about the Great Boldinis statue that was in the town centre, but which is now brightening up St Mark’s recreation

  • Letter from Andrew Barton

    I WOULD like to say a huge thank you to all the children, teachers and organisers involved in the Voice in a Million Concert at the O2 Arena. I was honoured to be asked to take part in this fantastic event and share my adoption story. Around 7,500 vocalists

  • Busker strikes a chord

    A YOUNG busker has won through to the next round of a national music competition. Swindon-born Emma Lauran, 16, who now lives in Exeter, performed one of her own songs to win through on the Live and Unsigned when she attended auditions at the Plymouth

  • Letter from Kathryn Rees

    Re A Burn's letter SA, Feb 17 YOU ask in your letter about how we are 'all created for a purpose' and if so what purpose are suicide bombers and Hitler created for - as a church going Christian I shall endeavour a response. I believe that God did indeed

  • Get wriggling

    Wriggle that tummy in aid of charity at an evening of belly dance called a Hafla. The Swindon Shimmyers is hosting the night on Saturday March 19 from 7pm to 11pm in the Stratton Community Centre, Grange Drive, Swindon. The belly dancing and shared

  • Letter from Steve Dayman

    CASES of meningitis peak in February and we'd like to remind your readers to be extra vigilant to the disease's signs and symptoms during the coming weeks. Traditionally there are more cases of meningitis during the cold winter months and people of all

  • Get your verse spoken aloud

    All aspiring poets are encouraged to pop along to the next Pulsar performance poetry evening. The live microphone event takes place at The Goddard Arms, Clyffe Pypard, near Swindon, on Thursday March 17 at 8pm. David Pike editor of Pulsar poetry magazine

  • Letter from D M Colcomb

    IT is most surprising to see some Wiltshire Secondary Schools going for academy status without examining carefully the support infrastructure they will swap for Wiltshire Local Authority. In last month's Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee report

  • People told to send their litter packing

    WALKING, talking cigarettes took to the town centre yesterday in a bid to educate shoppers on the importance of picking up litter. Swindon Council’s environmental enforcement team kickstarted the Litter Education Week, which runs until Friday, at the

  • Playtime just became a whole lot more fun

    LUCKY children at Bridlewood Primary School are enjoying play time more than ever before thanks to innovative new equipment. The school now has a playground full of brightly-coloured SNUG play kit, which has transformed the usual asphalt area into a

  • Buy a bed and help save a life

    THE Who’s John Rabbit Bundrick is performing in aid of a rehabilitation centre. The musician will be playing with his new band Night Parade in aid of Buy A Bed... Save A Life, an organisation set up with the Gloucester House Addictions Rehabilitation

  • Any ideas on £700k spend

    RESIDENTS are running out of time to have their say on how £700,000 is to be spent. The cash, gained by the council thanks to section 106 agreements with developers, could be used for any projects in the northern development sector – covering the Haydon

  • Man's settlement over exposure to asbestos

    A PINEHURST man has reached a settlement with his former employers after being exposed to asbestos. William White, 72, a former employee of Plessey, based at Cheney Manor Industrial Estate, settled the claim at £70,000. His solicitor, Brigitte Chandler

  • Luke Skywalker's exhibition is huge success

    SINCE the weekend thousands of people have flocked to a showpiece Warwickshire car museum. There they have marvelled over a special exhibition of props, weapons and costumes from some of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made. Tens and perhaps even hundreds

  • Mike Buss in new cash plea for marathon challenge

    SUPER runner Mike Buss is making a desperate appeal for £2,500 so he can complete a 3,200-mile charity trek after two major sponsors have pulled out. His run for Help for Heroes, which has been dubbed ‘The Run Beyond the Impossible’, will involve Mike

  • Or the Whale

    We seem to be getting spoilt for choice these days in Swindon with the variety of bands that come to our parish. Forget the current fads for earnest, streetwise rappers or Radio One dictated fashionista bands, for me some of the best acts passing

  • A palace for kings, queens, prisoners and the public

    THE prominent Tower of London and its surrounding stone ramparts loomed into view as we emerged from the underpass which connects to Tower Hill underground station. To think Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, ie The Tower of London, is standing

  • The Horse & Groom Inn, Charlton near Malmesbury

    IN these challenging economic times, any country pub which finds itself fully booked on a Thursday night is a lucky one indeed. But at the Horse & Groom in Charlton, I reckon the busy order book owes less to luck and more to exceptional customer service

  • Sounds Around Town with Dave Franklin

    This week is definitely an example of quality over quantity. There may not be the same amount of options laid before you than there have been of late, but there are still some pretty big names to choose from in the week ahead, bands from as far a-field

  • Letter from K M Tolley

    IN view of the high cost of parking in Swindon would it not be a consideration to bring back north Swindon’s park and ride? They make these facilities work in other towns. Here is a resource lying idle for over 12 months, it’s even a wonder

  • Aldridge wants Cats to score ugly

    WILDCATS player-coach Ryan Aldridge has urged his side to start scoring the “ugly goals” they are missing out on. With Telford the visitors to the Link Centre tonight (face-off 7.30pm), Aldridge wants his trigger-happy troops to start converting

  • GRANT TURNER COLUMN: A real taste of the wild

    I’M writing this column from Durban, South Africa, where I’m taking part in a three-week training camp. I’m enjoying the experience of a different culture and the South African people have been friendly and welcoming. They can’t do enough for

  • Wilson says 50 points can keep Town up

    DANNY Wilson believes 50 points will be the precious number required for League One survival this term. With Plymouth Argyle relegated to the bottom of the stack following their 10-point deduction for declaring an intention to involve administrators

  • Rosco rules out GB job application

    SWINDON-BASED Alun Rossiter has ruled out applying for the Great Britain manager’s job for the moment and has played down his chances of getting the post. The British Speedway Promoters’ Association and Rob Lyon “amicably agreed” on Monday