Archive
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Smoking can cost you your life, warn firefighters
STOPPING smoking could save your life in more ways than one, according to Wilt-shire Fire and Rescue service. To mark National No Smoking Day yesterday, Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service issued a reminder on the danger of lit cigarettes in the home. Across
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Police and drugs sniffer dog visit academy
POLICE with a sniffer dog were at Churchfields Academy yesterday as part of a zero-tolerance approach to drugs. Officers were invited to visit by the academy in order to demonstrate to pupils how they detect illegal substances. Headteacher Steve Flavin
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Kids’ hidden chats online
MORE THAN 60 per cent of primary school children in Swindon have a social networking account – yet only 10 per cent of their parents know. The figures were revealed by an online e-safety survey of more than 7,000 local youngsters. Ten per cent of primary
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Pupils help to open new town centre store
PRIMARY school pupils helped to open the latest addition to the town centre. Shoppers looked on as the youngsters, from Holy Rood Catholic Infant School, and store manager Debbie Jones cut the ceremonial ribbon to declare the Co-operative supermarket
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Tiger clubbers will ‘behave responsibly’
ONE of the men behind a nightclub due to open in Old Town is seeking to allay fears it could increase late-night disorder. Tiger Bills, in Hooper’s Place, will have a 6am licence which still stands from the Studio nightclub, which occupied the former
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Baby’s mum nominates health visitor for award
A HEALTH visitor from Royal Wootton Bassett has been given an award by leading baby charity Tommy’s. Brenda Bartlett was given the Hero award after being nominated by 33-year-old Carole Fowler, of Lyneham, for the help and support she gave
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Help me find my Finley’s pictures
LITTLE fighter Finley Harding has overcome a rare neurological disorder that affects just one in 10 million people every year. But at the age of four, the Covingham School pupil knows little about what he has been through, which is why mum Rebecca Harding
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Youngest brewer takes up his role
WHILE most 26-year-olds drink beer, Alex Arkell is spending all his time developing it. Alex has been appointed head brewer at Arkells Brewery – making him the youngest person to undertake such a role in the entire country. This is a
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It's a Mod world
This week it is the march of the Mods in to town as the soundalike and lookalike Kinks tribute band, The Kinx, ride On A Carousel, The Suspicions get back on stage, Who’s Next talk about My Generation and Brit poppers The Hoosiers are Worried About Ray
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Well good gigs
Charlie Landsborough is back in town bringing his own five piece band. The singer combines a mix of his own songs, inspirational music and witty anecdotes in his set at the Wyvern Theatre on Tuesday at 7.30pm. Tickets are £19. Also on the bill on
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Weird, but wonderful
A SHOW which famously bewildered the Britain’s Got Talent judges with its sheer weirdness is returning to Swindon. The Circus of Horrors may not have won the TV competition, but its stage act is a big draw with audiences up and down the country. It
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Lee off da telly in well good show
CULT comedy character Lee Nelson comes to the Wyvern Theatre on Monday. Lee, one of the alter-egos of a performer called Simon Brodkin, is a favourite on the live circuit with his friend, Omelette, and has starred in two series of Lee Nelson’s Well
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Sounds Around Town with Dave Franklin
It’s very easy as a writer to live in a bubble. As I sit here in my ivory tower, inflicting my opinions and recommendations on an unsuspecting world via this print media, you come to realise that it’s very much a one-way street. So recently I have been
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No longer odd, just pure pop
There are many rumours surrounding the strange name of Brit pop band The Hoosiers, who are returning to Swindon this month. Some believe they are named after a film about a basketball team, others because they spent some time in Indiana, where
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Commited to the cause
Dave Finnegan, one of the original cast of the feature film The Commitments, is committed to keeping sweet soul music alive. In the Alan Parker movie Dave took the part of Mickah Wallace, the drummer and bouncer. He is now the front man of
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Band are Mcflying high
POP band Mcfly were as much in the limelight for their reality TV exploits as their music last year, with bass player Dougie Poynter scooping the title in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and drummer Harry Judd crowned Strictly Come Dancing champion
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Police and sniffer dogs invited into school
POLICE and sniffer dogs were at Churchfields Academy today as part of a zero-tolerance approach to drugs. The officers were invited to visit as part of a pro-active policy by the school to combat drug use. No arrests or detections were made at
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Hundreds turn out to pay tribute to 'oldest paperboy'
FAMILY, friends and customers packed out Kingsdown Crematorium to pay their respects to ‘the oldest paperboy in the country’. More than a hundred people attended Charlie Reynolds funeral this afternoon. Tributes were paid to the Stratton-born
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Students are aiming for the top to help our heroes
A GROUP of adventurous Swindon school children will be heading up a mountain tomorrow to raise money for charity. Twelve pupils from Robert Le Kyng Primary School will be climbing Sugar Loaf Mountain in Wales to support Help for Heroes. At almost
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Celebrations will mark independence
THREE days of celebration will mark the 20th anniversary of the Bangladesh Association in Swindon and the 40th anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh. The event, which runs from March 25 to 28, will see the Bangladeshi flag over Swindon Council
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Race time for ducks
PEOPLE will be going quackers for the 11th year running as organisers prepare for Swindon’s Famous Duck Race. The event, organised by the Rotary Club of Swindon Old Town, will take place on the River Ray at Mannington Recreation Ground on June 4. The
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Register for music festival
ROYAL Wootton Bassett Arts Festival is running its music festival from June 21 to 24 and the syllabus is now online at www.wbaf.co.uk. Classes include solo, duet and choral singing as well as a wide range of instrumental and piano classes. Entries close
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Donated scanners will increase dog security
SWINDON North MP Justin Tomlinson joined the Kennel Club and Dog Theft Action at Crufts this weekend to present microchip scanners to two Rhodesian Ridgeback welfare organisations. The Rhodesian Ridgeback Welfare Trust and the Midlands & Northern Rhodesian
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A dream holiday for millionth customer
A YOUNG family won a one-in-a-million trip to visit the Big Apple when they became the millionth customer of an insurance firm. Lorry driver Anthony Power, 30, scooped the surprise £3,000 holiday to New York when he bought a car insurance policy
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Keeping kids free from sexual abuse
A PROJECT to help improve relationships for young people across Swindon is due to be set up. The Swindon Children’s Trust Board will be presented with a report tonight which paints a picture of sexual health in the town and sets out plans to improve
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Toddler told he is 'too tall'
THE family of a two-year-old who is 14cm taller than an average child his age say he has been discriminated against by a soft play centre. Oliver Kennedy, who stands at 100cm in height, was deemed too tall to be classed as a toddler when he visited the
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Swine flu victim raises funds for hospital which saved her
GRATEFUL Laura Burks held a fundraising event to say thank you to the hospital staff who helped her survive severe pneumonia and swine flu. Laura, 30, was admitted to intensive care at the Great Western Hospital on New Year’s Day 2011 and says the doctors
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Say farewell to Charlie
HUNDREDS of people are expected to gather at Kingsdown Crematorium today to pay tribute to Britain’s oldest paperboy. Charlie Reynolds, the popular original owner of Reynolds Newsagents, in Ermin Street, Stratton, died at the age of 96 on February 27
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Have you got what it takes to be a leader?
THE Rotary Club of Swindon Old Town is looking for two 16 to 18-year-olds to participate in an all-expenses-paid leadership course to be held in the Forest of Dean this summer. The teenagers will be among 40 participants from across the region who will
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Daleks invade central library
Dr Who’s most famous adversaries will be invading the Central Library this weekend. The Daleks will base themselves at the library, in Regent Circus, on Saturday as they spend the day raising money for charity in the town centre. To
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Four car pile up on A420
FOUR vehicles have collided on the A420 in Oxfordshire this morning causing severe tailbacks. Police are currently at the scene near the turn to Bampton. They are warning that delays stretch back as far as Faringdon. It is not yet known if
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Unwanted furniture can find new home
AS THE traditional spring clean season approaches in March, the British Heart Foundation) is appealing for people having a clear out to donate their unwanted household items to the BHF Swindon Furniture and Electrical Store. The BHF Swindon Store in
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Parking prices are on the rise
CONSTRUCTION workers, businesses and councillors have raised concerns over Swindon Council’s decision to increase some car parking charges. From April 3, the council is set to raise the cost of permits, which builders need to park in residents
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Wray's Wembley call on 43rd anniversary of Cup win
TODAY marks the 43rd anniversary of Swindon's famous League Cup win over Arsenal, and interim chairman Jeremy Wray has called on fans still to snap up their Wembley tickets to grasp the chance of being part of another memorable day for the club
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Protection order gave time to end abuse
“I WAS totally controlled by my partner. I’m now free to wear what I want, go where I want and see who I want.” These are the words of a Swindon woman who says the granting of a Domestic Violence Protection Order against her partner enabled her to break
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Residents in plea for more post boxes
FED-UP residents in north Swindon are angry that they have to walk for up to an hour to post a letter. There are just two postboxes north of Thamesdown Drive and residents say if they have no transport, they can face an hour’s round trip to the nearest
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Metal detectors unearth Roman coin
COINS, a bullet and a silver bracelet were just some of the treasures that got metal detectors beeping. More than 300 metal detectorists scoured a farm near Lydiard Park in a charity event at the weekend, which was organised by the Rotary Club of Royal
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A reminder to GWH smokers
FURTHER steps have been taken to encourage smokers to make use of the designated shelters at Great Western Hospital. Although there have been a number of smoking shelters on the site for some time, people have continued to smoke directly outside of the
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CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL: Records tumble on 'amazing' day for Henderson
Nicky Henderson described his record-breaking day at the Cheltenham Festival as ‘amazing’ after he became the all-time greatest trainer with 43 wins. The Lambourn trainer followed up equalling legendary Fulke Walwyn’s former Festival record on day one
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TABLE TENNIS: No ordinary Joe
HE MIGHT only be 10 years old, but Joe Smith is a county champion. The table tennis ace has only been playing the sport for seven months but entered the Wiltshire Closed Table Tennis Championships at Dauntsey’s School, West Lavington on Sunday. And
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McCormack - Let's get 100 points!
ALAN McCormack has challenged Town to become the one and only member of the League Two ‘100 Club’. Not a single team has reached the 100-point mark in the fourth tier of English football in its current incarnation, with the closest being MK
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EQUESTRIAN: Nicholson leads Wiltshire charge at Tweseldown
WILTSHIRE riders came close to going through the card in the top Open Intermediate sections at the Tweseldown BE (British Eventing) one-day event in Hampshire last weekend. Marlborough’s Andrew Nicholson dominated the first OI (Open Intermediate) section
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The Paolo Di Canio Column
PAOLO on...David Moyes’ 10 years at Everton. It is fantastic that one man has been with the same club for 10 years like David Moyes has at Everton, I will have played against his side just after he took charge! He has done a great job. They are in
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Holmes here for the long term?
SWINDON interim chairman Jeremy Wray has welcomed the arrival of Lee Holmes on loan until the end of the season, and hinted that his arrival could be turned into something more long term. Southampton winger Holmes spurned the chance to extend his temporary
