Archive
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Traffic ban should stay at Queensfield
A CONTROVERSIAL experimental ban on drivers leaving and entering Queensfield at certain hours should stay in place for good, according to supporting residents. A 12-month traffic order preventing motorists from turning into Queensfield from Cricklade
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HELLENIC LEAGUE: Parsons brace secures draw for Highworth
HIGHWORTH battled back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw with visitors Ascot in the Hellenic Premier tonight. Dave Webb’s troops were 2-0 down at the interval after conceding a cheap goal and then going further behind to a penalty. However, after
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Bid to give residents a say in local projects
SWINDON Council is to hand down more than £500,000 worth of spending-power to ward councillors as part of a trial project to involve communities more in decisions. A locality fund will be established in June for each of the seven new locality areas in
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Teenage film helps to get rid of abuse
A TEENAGER has been behind the camera for a film about child abuse, which will be appearing on the Big Screen next month. Darren Potter, 16, who put together his own production team last year, called Infinite 8 Productions, has been working as director
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Top gun swoops on RIAT
WOULD-BE Mavericks from across the globe are heading to the south west this summer for a real-life Top Gun display. The Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford from July 7 to 8 will be a chance for some of the world’s best pilots to show off their
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Great-grandmother’s Titanic discovery
AS THE centenary of the Titanic disaster approaches, great-grandmother Joan Bircher has discovered an original newspaper report about the sinking. The 91-year-old, of Old Town, found a folded-up front page of The Daily Chronicle, a now-defunct
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Court heards bookies robbery was to pay for funeral suit
A TEENAGER robbed a bookies because he wanted money to buy a new suit for his grandfather’s funeral, a jury heard. Kassel Gayle, 18, of Brixton, London, was the leader of a gang which burst into William Hill in Covingham on August 8 and robbed two staff
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Team tackles white horses
A GROUP of IT administrators from Swindon will be taking part in a Wiltshire charity walk with a difference this summer. Ten members of the information and system services team at RCUK Shared Services Centre will trek between seven of the county’s famous
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Portrait of pets is just perfect
THE first animals Vikki-Loeber Hughes drew were Disney characters she saw in books and comics as a little girl. These days she draws the real thing and has about a thousand commissions to her name, which makes her one of the most prominent animal portrait
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Search is on for beauties
THE search is on to find the next girls to become Swindon and Wiltshire’s beauty queens. The Miss England Organisation is looking for girls aged between 17 and 24 who live work or study in WIltshire to take part in the competition, which starts with
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Living church has to move with times
First declaration of interest; I am not a member of St Michael’s although I do attend services on special occasions such as Maundy Thursday. I am not a member of the Church of England and Val Hull is a friend of mine, but she is wrong in her opposition
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Made in Swindon
TWO reality television stars are swapping central London for Swindon this weekend as they head to a town centre nightspot. Heart-throbs of the E4 show Made in Chelsea, Spencer Matthews and Jamie Laing, will be making an appearance at Bushwackers in the
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Work on a £400m railway upgrade begins today
The largest-ever scheme to modernise the 1960s signalling infrastructure on the Great Western main line has started. The £400m improvement will significantly benefit services travelling through Bristol, Bath, Chippenham, Swindon, Didcot, Reading
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You're back again, Ma'am
AFTER not visiting Swindon for 26 years, the Queen made two trips to the town in less thana year at the end of the 1990s. After coming to the town in 1997 to visit Gorse Hill Infants’ School and the town centre, she returned in October 1998 to
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They all turned out for the lady in red
HUNDREDS of schoolchildren had a day to remember in November 1997 when the Queen dropped by on a royal visit. The Queen made the official visit on November 8, 1997, almost precisely 26 years since she last made an appearance in the town. Looking
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The sun shone brightly for her
THE Queen may only have visited Wiltshire town Devizes once but that glorious day lives in the memory of all who were there. Her Majesty was invited to reopen the Kennet and Avon Canal after a mighty effort by volunteers from the Kennet and Avon
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The heat is on
DESPITE a mini heatwave, the Queen was calm and composed on a special visit to RAF Lyneham in May 1990. The visit was organised to mark the millionth hour of RAF service that the Hercules had completed as well as the 50th anniversary of the
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Memories of a special day
AS THE Queen marked the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne last month, pensioners in Swindon shared their memories of the occasion. The Queen, 85, officially became the monarch when her father, George VI, died on February 6, 1952,
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Royal town set to celebrate with street party
FAMILIES in Royal Wootton Bassett look set for a second Royal celebration just months after the first. In October last year, the small market town was bestowed with the second only Royal prefix in 100 years to mark the town’s efforts with the repatriation
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Queen Elizabeth takes centre stage as curtain rises on new theatre
FORTY years ago, the Wyvern theatre was officially opened by the Queen and Prince Philip. The day was September 7, 1971, and the weather was wet and windy, but nothing was going to dampen the spirits of the crowds that had gathered to watch
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Ready for right royal knees-up
RESIDENTS wanting to throw a right royal knees up in their street to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee must have applications in to Swindon Council by May 7. The council is urging residents to get their applications in early so that they can be authorised
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On track for Jubilee
A UNIQUE exhibition exploring royal rail travel is on track at Steam to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Entitled The Royal Road, the exhibition shows many items from the Steam collection not on permanent display. These include the original
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PREDICTIONS LEAGUE: Latest Results
SWINDON moved five points clear at the top of League Two with a win over Barnet on Tuesday night. Ronan Murray and Oliver Risser scored the goals as the Robins sealed a first-ever win at Underhill. Latest predictions league results and
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Thriller that makes you think and then... think again
An Inspector Calls, Wyvern Theatre, Swindon until Saturday. Tickets from £17.50 from 01793 524481 or www.wyverntheatre.org.uk CALL me a philistine but I had neither seen nor read JB Priestley’s classic thriller An Inspector Calls before
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Bus passengers can take shelter
A NEW bus shelter has been installed in Marlowe Way after requests from residents. The bus stop had no shelter and, after the removal of the 54 service last year, it has been used by an increasing number of commuters. Town council amenities committee
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Courses to improve on health and safety
ST JOHN Ambulance has praised businesses in Wiltshire for their commitment to health and safety after figures revealed the number of major injuries at work is continuing to fall. During 2010-11 there were 289 incidents in the area, compared to 305 the
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Egg giveaway marks holiday
STUDENTS at St Joseph’s Catholic College have been collecting and distributing Easter eggs to people across the town. They have been given 140 eggs to: the homeless at The Broadgreen Breakfast Club; refugees and asylum seekers at The Harbour Project;
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Bunny’s invite for breakfast
YOUNGSTERS are invited to have breakfast with the Easter Bunny at Blooms Swindon Garden Centre, in Hay Lane near Wroughton, from 9am to 11.30am from Friday until Monday. There will also be a free bunny hunt at the centre during normal opening hours.
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Animal hospital could prove it’s top dog in vet awards
Eastcott Veterinary Hospital has been shortlisted for Vet Practice of the Year in the prestigious Petplan Vet Awards for 2012. The awards, now into their 13th year, find the nation’s most exceptional vets, vet nurses, vet practices and support staff
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Library’s DVDs will keep kids happy
CHILDREN will be able to take advantage of a new DVD collection thanks to Swindon Council’s library service. This Easter libraries in the town have stocked up on a whole host of children’s cartoon series that will appeal to all ages. The collection includes
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Cracking Easter for kids
CHILDREN across the town have had an egg-citing start to the Easter holidays. Lydiard Park, had children hopping with joy yesterday as they hosted a special crafts day. The number of rabbits at the beauty spot multiplied as youngsters made bunny ears
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Community Groups Working Together For Jubilee / Olympic Celebration Events.
Swindon Walcot and Parks Community Group and the management committee of the Buckhurst Park Community Centre (formerly Walcot Dome Community Centre) are working together in the planning of celebration events for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic
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Community Groups Working Together for Jubilee and Olympics Celebration Events
Swindon Walcot and Parks Community Group and the management committee of the Buckhurst Park Community Centre (formerly Walcot Dome Community Centre) are working together in the planning of celebration events for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic
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Travel site paints unfair picture
A MOTEL owner has told travellers not to trust TripAdvisor after a wave of complaints that it features false or malicious reviews. Bob Feal-Martinez took aim at the website, despite the Carpenter’s Arms being listed as the third-best hotel in Swindon
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School pupils go that extra mile in aid of Sport Relief
CHILDREN at South Marston Primary School went the extra mile to raise money for Sport Relief. The school was joined by staff from Sainsbury’s in Stratton as pupils from the juniors and primary school ran a mile each for the charity last Friday. Store
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Quilters stitch together to make a £2,000 charity donation
NIMBLE-fingered quilters have raised hundreds of pounds for children with special needs, disabilities and illnesses. The Poppy Down Quilters raised £1,198 for Hop Skip and Jump with a fundraising day in Royal Wootton Bassett last month.
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Family's relief at finding pet ferret at Co-op
A PET ferret who went missing in Old went has been found more than a mile from its home. Robert Sharp was heartbroken when his beloved ferret, Triss, went missing from his home in Victoria Road on March 24. The inquisitive animal, which is kept as a
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College offers site for central school
A NEW primary school could be built in the grounds of St Joseph’s Catholic College in a bid to meet growing demand for places in the central area. Swindon Council needs to open a new 210-place school in 2014 and has just finished a public consultation
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Lorry and car collide on A420
A car has been in collision with a lorry on the A420 past Faringdon this morning. Police have said that the collision, which happened close to the service station, happened shortly before 9am this morning. Emergency crews at still at
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Charity 10km runners power past last year’s total
STAFF at energy company RWE npower have raised £16,234 for Macmillan Cancer Support by taking part in a 10km run for the charity. More than 120 employees from the company’s Swindon office pounded the pavements for the cause, just beating last year’s
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Towns go head to head to be Portas pilot
SWINDON and Royal Wootton Bassett are going head to head in a bid to become one of the first Portas pilot towns. Both towns have submitted applications, which include YouTube videos, to be one of several towns and cities chosen by Mary Portas to receive
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It’s Strictly for dance fans only
BY DAY it is a normal sports hall in the Oasis Leisure Centre, but for one night in June it will become a fabulous flurry of sequins, fake tans and smooth moves as Strictly comes to town. Former Strictly Come Dancing champions Kara Tointon and Artem
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It's David v Goliath at council elections
A CAMPAIGNER against the Croft school will take on Swindon Council leader Rod Bluh in one of the most intriguing clashes of the local elections. Kareen Boyd, who has mounted a determined challenge to the development, will stand as an independent in the
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Right-to-buy scheme is blasted as lunacy
A GOVERNMENT scheme to hand council tenants up to £75,000 to buy their homes will be a disaster for Swindon, a campaign group has warned. The Swindon Tenants’ Campaign Group fears the town’s 13,000-strong waiting list will grow even longer
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Wait for Witney win continues
SWINDON’S quest for success away at Witney will go on for another year after they went down 22-15 in Oxfordshire. Neil Loader’s side have not won at Hailey Road for more than four years, and despite tries from Jordan Sheppard and Cory Lotter, the coach
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BOXING: Jimmy left to fly the flag for Walcot
JIMMY McDonagh was the only winner of the four Walcot boxers who competed at Earlsfield ABC's 29-contest event in London at the weekend, writes DAVE VEYSEY. In front of a packed crowd, the 13-year-old met the highly-regarded Gary Hearne from the host
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HOCKEY: Few games and even fewer goals in women's league
THE only local first team competing at the weekend was Swindon ladies, who ended their campaign with a goalless draw at home to Exe 2nds. That result ensured Swindon finished at the bottom of Premier Division 1 of the West Clubs Women’s Hockey
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Murray hungry for more after Barnet strike
RONAN Murray was delighted to get his name on the scoresheet once again last night as the striker’s first goal since February helped Swindon to a 2-0 win at Barnet. The on-loan Ipswich forward used his pace to race onto Luke Rooney’s ball over
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Paolo: Promotion is in our sights
PAOLO Di Canio believes promotion is now firmly in Swindon’s own hands after last night’s 2-0 victory at Barnet moved the Robins five points clear at the top of League Two. Town went to Underhill looking to get their away form back on track
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BARNET 0 TOWN 2: High fives as Swindon move clear
SWINDON moved five points clear at the top of League Two after first-half goals from Ronan Murray and Oliver Risser sealed a 2-0 win at struggling Barnet last night. Murray struck after 14 minutes with a composed finish before Risser fired
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Funds raised for survivors of domestic violence
Hometruths has been raising funds for its work with survivors of domestic violence and abuse through a raffle. We are due to draw the raffle tomorrow at 1.30pm at The Savoy, J.D Wetherspoons, Regent Street Swindon. The Savoy are putting on a buffet
