Archive

  • Trains plea gathers steam

    AN online petition calling for an increase in the number of trains to Swindon from west Wiltshire stations has been signed by more than 130 people in less than a week. The petition, organised by the Save the Train campaign, aims to increase the number

  • The pigeon that flue into a spot of bother

    A TROWBRIDGE couple have praised staff at the Wiltshire Wildlife Hospital after they came to the aid of a wood pigeon stuck in their chimney. Nikki and Mark Heather felt they had run out of people to call for help when the bird became lodged in the narrow

  • Trowbridge resident earns free entry to Cornwell gig

    Punk rock legend Hugh Cornwell remained true to his word as his current tour stopped off at Bath’s Komedia club last night. The former Stranglers frontman and Wiltshire resident made public his views of Trowbridge after penning a song about the town

  • Charity’s plea for help after closure hits storage

    A CHARITY based in Westbury which helps children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster is losing the use of storage space where it collects donations. Chernobyl Children in Need has two 20ft containers at Comet’s distribution centre in

  • Police inquiry after man's body found in Melksham flat

    The body of a middle-aged man was found at a flat in Melksham town centre this morning sparking a joint operation involving police, fire and ambulance. Wiltshire Police confirmed a body of a man, believed to be in his 40s, had been found in

  • Horror of Auschwitz brought home to students

    A group of 18 teenagers from Wiltshire were among 200 A-level students who visited the infamous Nazi concentration camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau yesterday, as part of a Government-funded initiative to ensure the atrocities of the Holocaust are not

  • Car parking issue thwarts store plan

    PLANS for a supermarket expansion that would mean the loss of council-owned parking in Warminster have been thrown out by West Wiltshire District Council. A planning application from retail giant Morrisons, which has a store on Weymouth Street

  • The White Hart, Burbage

    We arrived at the White Hart in Burbage just after 7pm and we were struck by its cosy feel as soon as we walked inside. The traditional pub has been run by Richard and Pauline Flint for the past 25 years. There is a separate dining room but

  • Pets can be traced

    As the months become warmer its harder to keep your dog or cat safe from the outdoor environment. Having ID on your pet is a must in this day and age as more and more pets are being stolen not only in Wiltshire but all around with country.

  • Charges outrage

    The effects of the recession, plus the higher gas, electricity and water bills that are now due for payment, are hitting hard on working families in our community and the stress caused is affecting people’s health. The British Medical Association has

  • We felt unwanted

    As ex-locals my husband and I regularly visit Wiltshire to maintain our parents’ graves at Cherhill and Kington Langley. Having to travel from Shropshire, we are always hungry and thirsty and decided to pre-book a table at the Red Lion at Lacock

  • Spot the spaces

    Can anyone help me solve the case of the missing parking spaces? I have been shopping in Emery Gate in Chippenham for some time now and was delighted to see the re-vamp of the car park. The new surface and lighting is fantastic, however within a short

  • Vital questions

    As council tax payers get to grips with their increased tax demands from the new Wiltshire Council, they are no doubt reflecting on the banner headline “Where everybody matters”. This must be specially ironic to those who are struggling to make ends

  • Registering deaths must be made easier

    I am concerned about the difficult process for registering in Bath the death of someone from Chippenham and the bureaucratic nightmare that elderly relatives have to endure to register the death. This is mainly at the Royal United Hospital.

  • My condolences

    May I send this letter of condolence through your paper regarding Adrian Cooksey. As an old cricketing adversary you played a great innings not only on the field but in your everyday life in which you were so cruelly given out. My deepest sympathy

  • Dawson takes wicket on England Lions debut

    Calne spinner Liam Dawson gave an impressive performance in vain on his England Lions debut but was unable to prevent a comprehensive defeat for the tourists. After winning the toss and choosing to bat in the unofficial Twenty20 international

  • We need volunteers

    Marie Curie Cancer Care place great value on their volunteers because without their help they would not be able to do their jobs as effectively. If you think you could spare them a few hours they would love to hear from you. We need

  • Bills are climbing

    At a time when the latest council tax bills are dropping through our letter boxes it may be of interest to some to know that Wiltshire has increased its expenditure on publicity by 343 per cent since the Year 1996/97. We know this because under the Local

  • Don’t celebrate...

    Two cheers for Jeff and Helen Osborn for celebrating a zero increase in Trowbridge Town Council’s element of the council tax. The Liberal Democrats have increased this for years to become the highest of the west Wiltshire towns, even exceeding Liberal

  • Subsidy is unfair

    I have read in the Wiltshire Times (March 13) that Bradford on Avon Town Council has decided to spend £400,000 pounds on St Margaret’s Hall I find it very insulting that the Mayor Paul Skidmore said it would be only 21p, at the bottom end of the

  • We did not respond

    I am writing with regard to your recent story (Wiltshire Times, February 27) about a proposal to build a Mechanical Biological Treatment plant on the Northacre Industrial Park, Westbury. In your piece it stated that a report completed by the Environment

  • This is good value

    I say well done Bradford on Avon, in anticipation of revamping St Margaret’s Hall for a miniscule precept of 21p per week. How galling that our magnificent Town Hall in Trowbridge could have been repossessed for not much more but for the antics of the

  • Heads left in an impossible position by policy

    As a retired headteacher I am writing in response to the letter (Wiltshire Times March 13th) concerning the school holiday policy. Fining parents for taking children on holiday is an outrage and to my understanding this new ruling has never

  • Star is boxing clever

    RISING boxing star Nick Blackwell, 18, of Rutland Crescent, Trowbridge, has just turned professional after only three years in the sport. The former John of Gaunt pupil, who used to play in goal for Trowbridge Town, is expected to make his professional

  • Firm’s mast is branded vandalism

    NETWORK Rail has been blasted by councillors for putting up a 15m telecommunications mast overlooking a country park in west Wiltshire, in what has been described as an act of ‘environmental vandalism’. The steel structure, which stands

  • Tribute candle sparks blaze

    FIREFIGHTERS rescued family pets from a house blaze started by a candle 10-year-old Bethany Butterworth lit in memory of her gran. The blaze gutted the youngster’s bedroom at the family’s home in Coulston Road, Corsham, last Friday.

  • Body found in Melksham flat

    A body of a man has been found in a flat in Melksham this morning. Wiltshire Police were called to a property in Bath Road at 9.45am. The circumstances of the man's death remains unclear at this stage, but it is not believed to be suspicious

  • £5.5m payout as jobs go at councils

    THE creation of a single Wiltshire council next month will cost the taxpayer £5.5 million in redundancy packages. Altogether 29 redundancies will be made when the four district and one county councils merge into a single unitary council on

  • Safety call after teen traps foot in drain hole

    The mother of a 15-year-old boy who was stuck for an hour after his foot jammed in a drain on a Trowbridge street has spoken out after hearing it had been left uncovered for months. Katie Giles, 41, of Talbot Road, only heard of the incident

  • British Lion ready to put the pressure on

    DIVISION FOUR: Division four leaders Corsham Centre B might not be in action this weekend but regardless of the results of the clubs that are on their heels James Whitehead’s side will still remain in pole position although they are likely to be joined

  • Collier gearing up for tough clash

    DIVISION TWO: FC Bradford are being forced to work extra hard to consolidate their position at the head of Division Two and this week's match against Pig & Whistle United will be another tough one for Pete Collier’s side. Bradford who

  • Hullavington hoping to stun leaders

    DIVISION THREE: Chippenham based The Three Crowns United may have a healthy eight point lead over their nearest challengers at the top of the Third division but this weeks opponents at Buckley Barracks, Hullavington should give them a tough game. Trowbridge

  • Couple tie knot 50 years on from their first big day

    A couple who had spoken only once since their divorce in 1961 have re-married, tying the knot exactly 50 years on, right down to the time of the ceremony. Sandra and Terry Kaufman, both 67, from Field Close, Westbury, met at school in Edmonton

  • Title race hots up

    PREMIER DIVISON: The race to become this season’s Robson Taylor, Chippenham League Premier division champions looks like being one of the best and closest for many seasons and with two months of the campaign remaining there is still plenty of football

  • Heavyweights lock horns in cup semis

    KNOCKOUT CUP SEMI FINAL: This weekend will see the first of this season’s Eric Hughes Memorial Knockout Cup semi-final ties when second division heavyweights Pheasant FC and Hullavington go head to head at the Conigre, home of Melksham Town FC

  • Combe wary of dropping points

    DIVISION ONE: With things getting very tight at the top of Division One leaders White Hart Combe know that they can’t afford to drop many more points before the season reaches its conclusion otherwise they may miss out on a top two finish. Trevor Rawlings

  • Heavyweights lock horns in cup semis

    KNOCKOUT CUP SEMI FINAL: This weekend will see the first of this season’s Eric Hughes Memorial Knockout Cup semi-final ties when second division heavyweights Pheasant FC and Hullavington go head to head at the Conigre, home of Melksham Town FC

  • WOMAD line-up revealed

    WOMAD Festival has announced the first names of its line-up for 2009. It returns this summer to Charlton Park in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, from July 24 to 26, 2009. Tickets are on sale now. The line-up includes Ethiopia’s biggest music

  • Westbury see off Holt again

    PREMIER DIVISON: Westbury Rangers A and Holt met again on Thursday night just four days after Rangers had beaten Stuart Faint’s side 4-2 and like the first meeting Rangers again ran out winners as they completed a quick fire league double over their hosts

  • Firms urged to seek advice as recession continues

    Businesses in Trowbridge are being invited to seek help during the economic crisis by consulting experts at an event organised by the town’s chamber of commerce in May. The event, called ‘A cutting edge Helping Hand’ will the held in the Civic Hall

  • Williams makes a splash for GB

    Melksham swimming starlet Rachel Williams says she has fulfilled a dream after qualifying for the Great Britain team and is now targetting further glory in the months ahead. The 15-year-old Corsham School pupil was chosen for the national side

  • Triple win joy for ace Wilkins

    Motorsport: Staverton bike racer Jamie Wilkins made a flying start to his season in the Streetfighter A class of the national ThundersportGB motorcycle championship at the weekend. At Mallory Park in Leicestershire, the 29-year-old notched

  • New pro boxers ready for home town bouts

    Big-time boxing events will return to Trowbridge after two of the town’s most promising fighters signed their first professional contracts. Nick Blackwell, 18, and Liam Richards, 22, attended Church Street’s Contender Gym on Friday to pen deals with