TALENTED all-rounder James Hibberd could join his county team-mates Michael Coles and Peter Dennett at Premier One outfit Corsham next summer. The Wiltshire vice-captain revealed his affection for the Station Road club after taking seven wickets for
THE combined efforts of volunteers helped this year's fun day in John Coles Park, Chippenham, go with a swing. More than 2,000 people flocked to the park on Sunday to revel in the entertainment, which included local musicians, horse and cart rides and
Would-be adventurers Peter Singlehurst and Richard Knock set off on a challenge of a lifetime to drive 8,000 miles to Mongolia - only to break down half a mile from the starting line. The car - Peter's gran's 15-year-old Ford Fiesta - had to be towed
A 42-YEAR-OLD man from the Chippenham area died in a two-car crash near Burbage on Wednesday. The victim was driving his VW Golf when it was in collision with a second car of the same make on the A338 at Marr Green, at 7.10am. The woman driver of the
Witness the cow had to be rescued twice over the weekend after getting stuck in a riverbed. Fire crews were called to a Hobbs Bottom Farm in Box on Saturday night to rescue the heifer, who had calved just hours before, after farmer Michael Hill had struggled
CALNE has won an award for its hospitality towards deaf people and their hearing dogs. Calne resident Carol Roderick nominated her town for the Hearing Dog Friendly Award because she is made to feel so welcome when she goes out with her hearing dog,
Angry members of Calne Civic Society have spoken of their disgust after a plaque, commemorating scientist Joseph Priestley was stolen from the town last week. The £150 custom-made plaque, one of 10 commissioned at the turn of the century, commemorated
TEN affordable apartments providing housing for local people in Chippenham have been completed. The scheme to build the properties in Hill Green was jointly funded by North Wiltshire District Council and Knightstone Housing Association. The apartments
A 14-YEAR-OLD boy has been charged in connection with the stabbing of a 17 year-old boy in Chippenham town centre on Friday evening. The youth is due to appear at Chippenham magistrates' court next month charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Michael
A father-of-two says his family are living in fear after vicious thugs left him for dead on his own doorstep. Chris Shell, 46, of Charter Road, Chippenham, was on his way to visit a friend when he was attacked from behind and kicked in the head, back
YOU could be forgiven for thinking you had double vision at the Calne Twins Club's Messy Day at Lansdowne Hall on Sunday. About 15 sets of twins and their families, including non-twin siblings, enjoyed the freedom of getting as messy as possible. Stephanie
An elderly tourist was taken to hospital after a dog severed his thumb only to realise the digit had been left at the scene. The tourist, a man in his 70s, had been drinking in the George Inn between Chippenham and Devizes on Friday, when he went to
A CHURCH service and civic reception will be held in Chippenham next month to give thanks for the help that people in the town give to charity. The annual event begins at St Andrew's Church, Market Place, at 3pm on September 10, and is followed by an
HISTORY seeps from the walls of a new £750,000 pub in Chippenham, named after one of the country's greatest engineers. The Brunel, a Smith and Jones branded pub and part of the Barracuda Group, opened last week, creating 25 full and part-time jobs.
MORE babies than ever are gaining their water wings following the success of a course launched in April. Water Babies Wiltshire began in April and now more than 120 babies are being taught underwater and swimming skills in the county and neighbouring
IT'S not unusual to find the British being dominated by their more aggressive American counterparts. But this time it's nothing to do with the relationship between Tony Blair and George Bush, but a battle being waged in our streams and rivers. The British
HUNTING supporters are backing a Devon huntsman convicted of breaking the hunting ban last week. Exmoor Foxhounds huntsman Tony Wright, 52, was fined £500 and ordered to pay £250 costs at Barnstable magistrates' court after denying hunting a fox last
PLANS to extend a cemetery in Corsham could be shelved by rising costs due to environmental concerns. Corsham Town Council wants to extend Ladbrook Lane Cemetery to provide the town with enough burial space for at least another 100 years. Under environmental
THERE was overwhelming joy at opposite ends of the British motor racing spectrum at the weekend. On Sunday, Frome-born Jenson Button finally broke his Formula One duck when he charged from 14th place on the grid to win the rain-soaked Hungarian Grand
IT will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of the Corsham Academy players when they travel to Barbados in February. This is a fantastic chance for the youngsters to sample a culture that lives and breathes cricket. I have been to the Caribbean
WHEN I heard former Wiltshire batsman Chris Rogers had scored a triple century in the county championship on Wednesday I was not at all surprised. Chris only played one game for the county, against Kent in last season's C and G Trophy game, when he scored
THE question of whether to select a wicketkeeper-batsman or a batsman-wicketkeeper is a hot topic at the moment, with Chris Read and Geraint Jones competing for the England gloves. I have played against both of them but you don't need me to tell you
WILTSHIRE YOUTH CRICKET LEAGUE: BILLY Cookson and Harry Brothwood were among the runs and wickets as Chippenham gained a 10 wicket win over Devizes in the under 11s Red Division. Devizes were restricted to 60 for nine in their 20 overs, Wood top scoring
COUNTY CRICKET: VICE-CAPTAIN James Hibberd was on a hat-trick three times during the penultimate Minor Counties Championship match of the summer, which saw Wiltshire crush rivals Berkshire by 283 runs. Hibberd's BAT Sports team-mate Pat Turk also claimed
WESTINGHOUSE: ELATED skipper Steve Coombs praised his side's "faultless" display in the field as Westinghouse continued their late summer revival. Promotion hopefuls Rockhampton were bowled out for just 80 in reply to the disappointing 135 all out Westinghouse
CHIPPENHAM: FORMER captain Trevor Lloyd has backed his team-mates to win tomorrow's crucial Premier Two battle against relegation rivals Trowbridge. Lloyd, who orchestrated a miracle escape last summer when Chippenham won five of their last six matches
BIDDESTONE: CAPTAIN Kris Boulton has warned his Biddestone players they are not yet safe from relegation, despite Saturday's emphatic 89 run win over Bredon. Boulton believes his side need one more victory to secure their status in Gloucester and Wilts
CORSHAM: CORSHAM captain Neil Shardlow says his side must improve their away form to avoid being dragged into a relegation scrap. Speaking after Saturday's winning draw against Taunton St Andrews, Shardlow said Corsham must gain at least one positive
WINSLEY: WINSLEY gave Zimbabwe opener Terrence Duffin the perfect welcome-home present with a tense three-run victory over rivals Hambrook. Duffin flew back to England yesterday afternoon following his country's 3-2 victory over Bangladesh in the recent
WARMINSTER: MARK Coxon-Tenty silenced his critics with a defiant century in Warminster's 96-run victory over Gloucester City Winget. The Sambourne Road skipper was suspended last week as his side were dragged into a relegation battle following their
TROWBRIDGE: A SPECTACULAR batting collapse cost Trowbridge a chance of victory against promotion-chasing Weston-super-Mare on Saturday. Chasing a modest 174 to win at the County Ground, the hosts strolled to 104-3 before panic set in for the lower order
WESTBURY: SKIPPER Joe Breet hopes to be fit for tomorrow's Gloucester and Wilts One title decider against rivals Lydney. Breet was bed-ridden on Saturday with a lung infection as his side were surprisingly beaten by bottom of the table Stroud. But he
FATHER and son Phil and David Rutland shared all ten wickets as Trowbridge 4ths bowled out Bath ford 2nds for just 64 in Division Eight. Phil took four for 24 in his 12 overs but was outperformed by his son David with figures of six for 34 in 11.1 overs
TROWBRIDGE all-rounder Peter Hickerton is running the last of his summer cricket camps next week at the County Ground. There are still places available for the course, which caters for children of all abilities, aged six to 15. The cost is £40 for one
CORSHAM won the annual Jack Wilcox Trophy after an exciting afternoon of Twenty/20 action in Salisbury. The Premier Two outfit beat hosts South Wilts and neighbours Chippenham to take the title back to Station Road. Corsham hammered 10-man Chippenham
CORSHAM made it two wins from two in Twenty/20 competitions this summer with victory in the finals of the Wiltshire Sunday League Cup in Westbury. South African Chris Peyper helped himself to 221 runs in two swashbuckling displays at the Leighton Green
CANOEING: BRADFORD on Avon paddler Tom Simmons battled raging rapids, searing temperatures and a sinking boat to win a silver medal at the Sella Descent, Europe's largest canoe extravaganza. Simmons and his partner Ollie Gibson recovered from a terrible
A CATALOGUE of problems for Chippenham racer Nathan Bell and his co-driver Rob Jenkinson cost them the overall lead of the Cosworth Caterham Masters on Saturday. In action at the Belgian Grand Prix circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, the duo posted a superb
MOTOR RACING: THE 500th running of a Formula Ford race at Castle Combe on Saturday saw the current lap record holder for the category take an historic victory. Matt Rivett, who also heads the circuit's Melton Concrete Products Formula Ford championship
ROB Ballard's maiden victory in the National Mobile Windscreens Saloon championship at Castle Combe on Saturday may have come at a very big price. In order to fund his race-winning £70,000 Mitsubishi Evo 7 RS, Ballard may be forced to sell his four-bedroom
IT was lucky number 113 for Jenson Button on Sunday when the British racer was finally introduced to the chequered flag for the first time in his Formula 1 career. As the champagne flowed on the podium in Hungary, Button punched the air with delight
CHIPPENHAM boss Darren Perrin said he had a lump in his throat when he told midfielder Josh Jefferies he was no longer needed. Jefferies learned his fate on Tuesday following the 2-0 friendly win over Devizes Town. Perrin, who will release at least
HELLENIC LEAGUE: TROWBRIDGE open their Hellenic League Division One West account with a trip to Easington Sports tomorrow. It is the first competitive fixture for Paul Shanley's new-look side since the club agreed to merge with AFC Trowbridge Town Youth
BARCELONA All Stars were crowned Alista five-a-side champions after a tense penalty shoot-out against rivals Chelsea's Dream Team in the £1,000 final. James Ponford settled an exciting encounter with a clinical spot-kick after the two sides were deadlocked
CORSHAM Centre B have retained their title as the best six-a-side team in the Auto Business Solutions Ltd Chippenham League by winning the annual Ken Clarke Memorial Trophy for a second successive season. After nine hours of football at West Lavington
GOLF: WRAG Barn golfer Sam Ruddock had the biggest success of his short career when he won the Wiltshire Colts' Matchplay Championship at The Manor House club at Castle Combe. Ruddock, a four-handicapper won the under 21s title by defeating Jason Beint
The new Wiltshire League programme gets under way tomorrow with 18 sides contesting a strong-looking Premier Division. Newcomers include last season's Division One winners Wroughton, back to senior status following a couple of seasons in junior football
The Wiltshire County FA held its fourth annual Charter Standard in service training day for clubs at Melksham House, Melksham. The Charter Standard is a best practice guide that sets standards of coaching, administration and child protection for clubs
Wiltshire's successful under 18s side are holding trials next Sunday, and manager Mel Gingell is determined not to miss any of the county's finest young players. Trials start at Corsham Town's Southbank ground on August 20 at 11am. Gingell said: "I don't
Former Wiltshire batsman Chris Rogers scored the first triple century of his career to help Northamptonshire reach 628 all out in their Liverpool Victoria County Championship Division Two match against Gloucestershire on Wednesday. Australian Rogers,
BOWLS: FOR the second year running, Cooper-Avon Tyres Ladies' Bowls Club will have some of its members playing at Leamington Spa in the national championships. Ann White and Georgena Coomber will be representing Wiltshire in the ladies' pairs competition
ROWING: A FORMER Dauntsey's School pupil stroked her way to a gold medal at the Commonwealth Rowing Championships in Strathclyde on Sunday. Georgina Menheneott and her partner Rachel Loveridge were crowned Commonwealth champions in the women's 2000m
A honeymoon in the Dominican Republic followed the wedding of Miss Jane Patrick and Mr James Pike at St Nicholas Church, North Bradley, on July 7. The bride is the daughter of Ivan and Margaret Patrick, of Southwick, and the bridegroom is the son of
A couple who fell in love at first sight when they met two years ago were married at St Nicholas Church, North Bradley, on July 1. Bride Miss Natasha Archard is the daughter of Fiona Smith, of Westbury, and bridegroom Mr Robert Taylor is the son of Paula
The Leigh Park Hotel, Bradford on Avon was the setting for the wedding of Miss Dawn James and Mr Benjamin Day on July 1. The bride is the daughter of Anthony and Victoria James, of Trowbridge and the bridegroom is the son of John and Tracey Day, also
An unscheduled flypast by the Red Arrows as the bride got into a vintage Rolls-Royce on her way to church provided a fitting start to the wedding day of Miss Joanne Mead and Mr Mark Knight. The couple were married at Christchurch, Frome, on July 1.
CHILDREN from west Wiltshire are being called upon to design posters to support a new campaign tackling noisy dogs. Youngsters are being encouraged to design a poster to enter into a competition being run by West Wiltshire District Council. The poster
This year's search for the county's bonniest baby begins this month. The Wiltshire Times is working in association with The Shires shopping centre, Trowbridge and BCR photographers to bring you Baby of the Year 2006. The competition will run in the
THE Celine Dion hit My Heart Will Go On proved to be a winner for a rising young singing star. Performing her favourite song led to first place for nine-year-old Lauren Medway, of Fleur De Lys Drive, Southwick, in a karaoke competition in Weymouth.
MANY adults leave school without qualifications in English and maths and it can be hard to find a way to improve these vital skills. Courses are often expensive and it can be embarrassing to admit you have a problem but a Learndirect centre thinks it
WALTZERS, candyfloss and a chocolate fountain were just some of the rewards for supermarket staff at the weekend. Workers from the Tesco store in County Way. Trowbridge, were invited to take a break at a family fun day held at Trowbridge Rugby Club in
FORMER pupils from a school in Bradford on Avon are being called on to attend a ten-year reunion event. So far 160 of the 200 students who left St Laurence School in 1994 or 1996, depending on whether they took A-levels, have been located, and the search
GUESS the number of buttons in a jar, skittles, a coconut shy and a town crier ensured everyone had a great time raising money for charity at the weekend. About 700 people visited Shaw Trust's fete at Palmer Gardens, Trowbridge, on Sunday, raising nearly
MORE than 1,000 people are again expected to flock to the annual Seend Summer Fete this weekend. The entertainment begins tomorrow at 1pm on the Lye Field, headed by the Devizes Dazzlers baton twirlers, starring Joanne Stubbings and Kate Spillane, fresh
LICENSED premises across north and west Wiltshire showing a responsible attitude towards reducing crime and anti-social behaviour have been honoured at an awards ceremony. The first ever Licensing Audit Awards, which took place at Wiltshire Police headquarters
A GROUP of children have raised money for a cancer charity through organising and hosting a cake and jumble sale in their street. Danny Purnell and Jodie, Lauren, Caitlin and Darcy York, all of Lynwood Drive, Trowbridge, raised £37 for Cancer Research
CHILDREN from Warminster and surrounding villages enjoyed a three-day summer workshop held at The Minster School. The workshop, which was organised by the Cley Hill Team, made up of five parishes around Warminster, was on the theme of Noah's Ark. Di
DANGEROUS debris littering the River Avon has been removed by a group of four determined pensioners. Fed up with the lack of council initiatives surrounding the clearing of the river, the group took to the water running through Bradford on Avon on Saturday
I WOULD like to add my support to E. Dennison with regard to the majorettes and twirlers being excluded from our local carnival. Several towns seem to be following this path either on the grounds of cost or the Entertainment Act. All dancing groups require
AT a time when interfaith groups are more and more meeting to understand each other's viewpoints in this country, it is ironic that bitterness and hatred are trying to govern political wars in the Mid East. The more we can understand that the concept
WE would like to say a huge thank you to the person who handed in our daughter's purse. Her purse was stolen from her place of work on Saturday night and although the £7 taxi fare home was taken all her cards and personal stuff remained inside. To the
TROWBRIDGE is indisputably the county town and, as such, should be proud of the many fine houses in its town centre and be anxious to present them in the best possible way. The condition of the area of most concern is from the corner of Manvers Street
WITH reference to the uncollected rubbish and its smell, obviously this must be dealt with immediately. However a great deal of the rubbish can be reduced. For instance, if present day mothers used towelling nappies for their babies and laundered them
YOUR front page article in this week's issue regarding maggots in wheelie bins has completely missed the point. Only once during the recent work to rule has my bin been emptied later than the usual every other Friday. Yet every week I am overrun with
IT seems a great shame that the money used to produce the annoyingly self-promoting and smug West Wiltshire Matters couldn't be recycled to pay the dustbin men a wage which reflects their hard work and cheerfulness. May I say a huge Thank you to them
I AM writing to apologise for the effect of the dispute between Cleanaway and their workforce on local refuse collections. As you know, Cleanaway carry out this service on behalf of the district council under a contract which finishes next spring. We
AN amateur photographer has been inspired to hold her own exhibition after the great response to a picture printed in the Wiltshire Times. Angela Chapman, of Southwick Road, North Bradley, took a stunning photograph of fog blanketing Westbury, with only
READERS have been emailing their suggestions for names for 15 puppies, following a story in the Wiltshire Times last week. We asked for the names after telling the tale of Chilli Pepper, a two and a half year old bullmastiff, pictured, who gave birth
VILLAGERS in South Wraxall will be able to learn more about a noble family that once lived there when a rare picture goes back on display in the Long's Arms pub today. Until this year, an old picture in an unassuming frame had hung on the wall of the
THE Kennet Avon Canal Trust is organising a Wharf Day in Bradford on Avon later this month. The event on Saturday August 26 promises to be a fun-packed day for all the family with competitions for children, face-painting sessions and many stalls. The
YUMMY mummy Veronica Shaw is preparing for a freezing adventure as she contemplates the journey of a lifetime. The mum-of-five, from Canal Road, Trowbridge, will be setting off next year to complete the expedition to the South Pole started by explorer
Public confidence in Wiltshire's criminal justice system has risen by more than seven per cent in the past four years, according to latest figures. More than 49 per cent of those asked said they were "very confident" that the system was able to bring
THE congregation of one of the oldest non-conformist churches in the country have hit out at plans to build homes on a car park opposite. Parishioners at the Zion Baptist Church in Conigre Hill, Bradford on Avon, are upset at plans by West Wiltshire
A FORMER member of Bradford on Avon gang the 2smoothcrew has been jailed for eight months. Boxer Ben Killick, 21, of Aldeburgh Place, Trowbridge, who admitted he was a member of the notorious gang in an interview with the Wiltshire Times, pleaded guilty
POLICE are disappointed after 15 drivers failed breath tests over the past week despite increased publicity on the dangers of drink-driving. As part of OP XS police in the county are targeting drink-drivers throughout this month. The Wiltshire Times
A TOURIST guide has put forward an alternative solution to the controversial plan to change access to Stonehenge for visitors. Joan Robertson, from Chitterne, who has been a Blue Badge Tourist Guide at Stonehenge for nearly 30 years, objects to plans
THE Youth Development Centre in Westbury is to close, it was confirmed on Tuesday. The centre, in Eden Vale Road, will be refurbished and reopened as a Children's Centre to provide support for children aged up to five years old and their parents. The
IN the year Gerald and Barbara Gibson tied the knot Edward VIII was on the throne, Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics and the Second World War was still three years away. The couple, both in their nineties, celebrated 70 years of
Ray and Lena Riddiford, of Dorset Crescent, Melksham, are celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary on Wednesday. They first met during the 1930s as next-door neighbours in Groeswen, a village near Cardiff, where none of the houses had electricity or
A CHARITY striving to get a hostel for pregnant teenagers up and running is appealing for more help. The Vine Project, which has been supporting young people for nearly 20 years, is run totally by volunteers and relies on donations to keep going. The
A YOUNG boy with a rare medical condition has appealed to thieves for the return of the bike he needs to get around. Andrew Byers, 10, has multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED), a disorder of the joints that makes it hard for him to walk any more than
BBC Radio 4 show Any Questions? is coming to west Wiltshire to help kick start the Warminster Festival. Jonathan Dimbleby and a panel of four guests will be in the town's Athenaeum Theatre on September 15 to tackle a range of questions from the public
A MAN has appeared in court charged over a baseball bat attack that left Trowbridge man Paul Mills in a critical condition in hospital. Neil Sutherland is charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent following an alleged incident in Southwick
A NEWLY formed community group in Melksham aiming to tackle climate change is searching for members. Set up two weeks ago by Christine Giles, 38, who runs the Who Cares ethical supermarket on Avonside Enterprise Park, it wants to encourage people in
A ROBBER who hijacked a taxi then beat the driver up before driving the cab into a canal has been jailed for five years. Liam Corkish, 35, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday for the vicious assault on Trowbridge taxi driver Stuart Starr
A HOT air balloon flew over Stonehenge for only the second time in the past 100 years to mark a photographical anniversary. Virgin Balloon Flights took archaeologists 200ft above the ancient stone circle on Saturday, commemorating 100-years since Lt
TWO men have been jailed for carrying out an unprovoked attack that left another man with a badly damaged hand. Christopher Satchell, 22, of Studland Park, Westbury, and Robert Golledge, 19, of High Street, Chapmanslade, were both sentenced to six months
Warminster will have five new plaques added to its Blue Plaque Scheme for buildings that are of historical or architectural interest. The five sites are The Chantry in the High Street, Craven House, The Old Bell Inn and Chinn's Court in the Market Place
A TEENAGER accused of raping a 15-year-old girl in a public toilet has spoken of his "living hell" after the case against him was dropped. Speaking exclusively to the Wiltshire Times, the 17-year-old described how he went through five months of hell
THREE council tax defaulters received suspended prison sentences at Chippenham magistrates' court on Monday. Leonard Harford, 50, of Seymour Road, Trowbridge; Brent Cornelius of Heathway, Corsley and Zoe Carroll, 20, of Mount Pleasant, Atworth, were
FIREFIGHTERS from Warminster were called to a house fire in Masefield Road at 12.55am on Thursday after reports people were still trapped inside. The fire was discovered by a passer-by who saw smoke and heard a smoke alarm and managed to alert a 21-year-old
THE man brought in to and pull a debt-stricken council department out of the red claims services will not suffer under his recovery plan. But he admits some centres for the disabled and those with mental health problems could close. Ian Davey, 54, has
A multiple sclerosis sufferer has received the devastating news that the money she receives for her care is to be slashed by 40 per cent. Jane Hooper, 66, of Bremeridge Road, Westbury, suffers from progressive MS and needs daily care. Her husband, John
TOWN council staff in Warminster have been plagued with abusive calls about the rubbish crisis in the town despite the fact it is not responsible for refuse collections. Council employees have explained to angry callers they have nothing to do with bin
EXTRA staff had to be drafted in to help cope with the huge numbers of complaints sparked by the bin strike. West Wiltshire District Council received about 1,000 extra calls a day during the dispute, which affected 10,000 homes, and eight temporary staff
Binmen were this week clearing the backlog of rubbish caused by almost two weeks of industrial action. But is this week's ceasefire likely to last or is there something rotten about the state of our refuse collection service? BINMEN are back at work
MOTORBIKE paramedics are soon to be a thing of the past in Wiltshire. The Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust is getting rid of the remaining motorbike at the end of the month to make way for more rapid response vehicles, which are cars with single
MORRIS men entertained villagers and visitors at a Wiltshire village with a grandfather and grandson duo creating a family feel to proceedings. Fred Goater, of Winsley, a member of the Bathampton Morris Men, was joined by his grandson Ben, eight, who
Last month, we reported how tensions were rising in the county town over the behaviour of some migrants. But, as reporter MORWENNA BLAKE discovered, for every one bad apple there are dozens who contribute positively to our local community... POLISH
A DOG from Westbury has been named as a finalist in a national competition as a reward for always listening out on behalf of his owner. Budgie, a five-year-old Pekinese Lhaso Apso cross, is a hearing dog for his deaf companion Tracy Lewis, and has been
A SERIAL school burglar caught after a three-hour stand-off with police in Trowbridge has been jailed for two years. Adrian Scarrott, 22, of Kensington Fields, Trowbridge, hurled bottles and pieces of wood at officers after clambering onto a garage roof
PERMISSION has been granted to extend a hostel for ex-offenders in Trowbridge. People living in The Halve branded the decision by West Wiltshire District Council's planning committee on Thursday absolutely disgusting', and said it would mean more anti-social
THE Prime Minister's wife has vowed to help a multiple sclerosis sufferer fight against cuts to her care. Mary McGee, 61, of Holbrook Vale, Melksham, received the letter from Cherie Booth QC after her husband James wrote to her outlining their difficulties
