Archive
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This needs to be fixed now
A RETIRED GP says he is angry over the time it has taken to repair a broken manhole cover in Old Town. Dr Jeffery Cullis, of Bowling Green Lane, described the damaged cover located near the former railway bridge at the junction of Croft Road and Devizes
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A life on stage and screen
ACTRESS Anna Massey might be diminutive in stature but she proved larger than life at the Swindon Festival of Literature. A star of stage and screen, she captured the audience's attention with some candid and emotional tales of childhood, family and
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Festival of ideas was big success
THE final chapter of this year's Swindon Festival of Literature has come to an end. After 13 days and 60 events, festival organiser Matt Holland said this year's event had exceeded all his expectations. "After the success of last year's festival
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Guests let off steam at ball
SWINDON'S civic and business leaders had a good reason to celebrate at the weekend. Enjoying the good food, drink and glamour of the Swindon Charity Ball, they managed to raise £44,000 for the town's good causes bringing the total raised in its 18-
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Cyclists speed to raise funds
THEIR helmets were on, their chains were oiled and their tyres were pumped up. All that was needed was the final countdown marking the beginning of this year's Cancer Research Swindon Bike Ride challenge. More than 160 riders, most of whom had
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Beetle given a discreet facelift
As facelifts go, this one is on the right side of discreet. Even those with a notepad and binoculars tucked under their arm will struggle to spot the difference between the revised Beetle and the original, on sale in the UK since 1999. Yet the Beetle
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Renting the right home needs careful thought
THERE are many reasons why people choose to rent a house rather than buy: Perhaps you've moving to Wiltshire for a new job, and need to find somewhere to live quickly or perhaps you are moving to the county as a student. Or you may be just taking those
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Landlords up to speed on new deposit regulations
WELL over two thirds of all landlords surveyed this quarter for the Tenancy Deposit Scheme are now aware that legislation comes into force this autumn. The new legislation is designed to safeguard tenants' deposit money and provide adjudication for
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Get the kids outdoors for fun
Parents are all too well aware of the need to try and keep their children healthy, and one of the best ways to do that is to make sure they get plenty of exercise. But it's not always easy: speeding traffic, even on residential estates, means many
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Persimmon support Marie Curie in 2006
PERSIMMON Homes, the UK's largest housebuilder, has announced it has chosen Marie Curie Cancer Care as its nominated charity during 2006. Persimmon's 4,500 staff have already begun fundraising, with the organisation hoping to raise hundreds of thousands
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Drive for five
ROBINS will be looking to keep the momentum going tonight and record their fifth league win in a row. However, it will be tough as the Pebley Beach Swindon Robins visit Manchester to face second in the table Belle Vue Aces. Swindon had slipped down
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Howell’s a star on TV
GOLF: THANKFULLY his back injury is not serious enough to force him to hang up his putter, but David Howell appears to be forging an alternative career in broadcasting. Within minutes of sinking a birdie at the last to finish six under par at the British
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Ben guides Twin Counties
DORSET & Wiltshire ran riot in their first home fixture in the Tetley's County Plate, running in 10 tries in a 64-17 massacre of Hampshire at Bournemouth. The team, featuring Swindon flanker Paul Daniels and Chippenham centre Karl Brant, as well as
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Liam’s ‘Rocky’ road
TEENAGE sensation Liam Dawson is being tipped to follow in the footsteps of England ace Jon Lewis after a vital half century kept Wiltshire's Lord's dream alive at Trowbridge yesterday. After watching the Chippenham batsman guide Wiltshire to a Minor
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Ricky keeps World Cup focus
RICKY Shakes may be on World Cup standby but that doesn't mean he is necessarily party to Trinidad and Tobago's preparations for Germany 2006. Leo Beenhakker's squad will be based in Manchester for a training camp this week but Town's young midfielder
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David’s waiting game
GOLF: DAVID Howell exceeded all expectations by finishing tied 11th in the British Masters but there is a major doubt whether the Swindon star can take that form to this week's Irish Open as he continues to walk a fitness tightrope. The 30-year-old
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Greyhound group gets grant of £5,000
A GREYHOUND charity based near Swindon has been boosted by a grant from the British Greyhound Racing Board. Greyhounds-r-us, based in Latton, has received £5,000 allowing them to purchase new vans. Ruth O'Donovan, the founder of Greyhounds-r-us,
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Rubbish holiday
KATHRYN Gregory will be checking every package before she throws it away from now on. After binning a pack of multivitamins with cod liver oil, the 36-year-old noticed something glistening in the rubbish. And in a Willy Wonka style moment the geography
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Dilemma over my passport
MY passport expires next month. After the Identity Cards Act 2006 became law in March this year, passports have become "designated" documents, and applications for them will be treated as "voluntary" applications for identity cards, which, will double
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Thanks to all who boosted Pinehurst day
May I thank all those who attended our annual May Day Fair, especially deputy mayor Peter Stoddard, all the charity groups who had a stall and the volunteers who helped. Thank you also to our May Day prince and princess. I would also like to thank
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Reasons to live in fine town
ONE hundred reasons to live in Swindon should not be an insurmountable number for readers to find. For a start I would recommend the pedestrianised shopping centre, our new hospital and the promised modern library. Can readers suggest key additions
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Time for new political way
NOW is the time to cut through the spin of the political parties. Let's have representation in Westminster from a new party who really represent what the public think, not what the parties think you want to hear, and then do the opposite. As an
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Buses waste
THAMESDOWN Buses are always saying their fares are going up because of the ever increasing cost of fuel. I have noticed that when waiting often for several minutes, in Fleming Way many drivers keep their bus engines running. This must run into hundreds
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Meters are fair
NOW we are in a drought situation I think every dwelling should have a water meter. Surely that would reduce consumption and also be fairer? Why should a single person pay the same water rates as those next door with ten children? Some only bathe
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Addict’s jail term
HEROIN addict Jeris Ryan has been jailed for 16 months after committing a string of offences shortly after being released from prison. The 22-year-old, who has 47 previous convictions, was twice caught carrying knives and was also found to have heroin
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Drunk jailed for hospital assault
AN ALCOHOLIC who attacked a fellow patient as he lay in his hospital bed following a major operation has been jailed for two years. Michael Moran shook the bed of the man, who was being treated for Crohn's disease, and threatened to throw him out of
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Children go green with nursery play
RECYCLING is child's play for youngsters in Walcot. Children from the Imagine Co-operative Childcare Nursery in Walcot are proving their commitment to the environment by recycling household bits and pieces to turn into fun and games. To demonstrate
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No place for the youths to meet
The residents feel intimidated, the teenagers feel bored, and the Highworth youth centre is being blamed, reports LYNDSAY SCANLAN. IN A corner of Highworth a run-down looking youth centre is in darkness on a Friday night. Inside taped to the wall
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Balloon hunt boosts school
SHOPPERS have helped raise £250 for Even Swindon Infants School. Pupils released hundreds of balloons from the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Centre in February. Every balloon that was returned to the centre was worth a £1 donation to the school.
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Vandals let off extinguishers
VANDALS broke into a community centre and let off fire extinguishers. Police are now appealing for witnesses to the incident, which occurred at the Broadgreen Community Centre between 5.30pm on Monday, May 1, and 8.30am on Tuesday, May 2. They broke
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Be Bowled over by Swindon’s summer concerts
A FUSION of musical styles hits Swindon's Bowl this summer. Set in the Town Gardens, the Bowl has hosted some of the best national and international touring bands over the past nine years. Swindon Council leader Mike Bawden said: "Every year the Bowl
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Surprise proposal on ice
THERE are thousands of people across the world looking for love on the internet. But when Marcus Smith and Frayer Brown posted their pictures on a dating website they never imagined that the love of their lives would be just around the corner literally
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Parents to take battle to No 10
PARENTS of children at a West Swindon school are taking a petition to the Prime Minister. A campaign to keep Windmill Hill Primary School open was started following Swindon Council's announcement that it may be shut down. But parents are fighting
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PM backs animal testing campaign
TEENAGE campaigner Laurie Pycroft is delighted Prime Minister Tony Blair is backing animal testing. Laurie, 16, who runs the pro animal testing organisation Pro-Test, said it was "brilliant" that the Prime Minister had come out defending animal testing
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Tying the knot all over again
AFTER 25 years of marriage, Deb and Pete Carpenter finally had the traditional wedding they had always dreamed of. Originally married in a Bristol Register Office in 1981, Deb and Pete made a vow that, if they were still together 25 years later, they
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Gang of men launch vicious attack on pupils
POLICE will be patrolling outside a school this week after a vicious attack on a number of pupils. Six teenagers at Ridgeway School in Wroughton were taken to hospital after a group of men jumped out of two cars and attacked students, leaving one with
