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Stories for 22 December 2000
Bradford On Avon News
Melanie: police to talk to man
DETECTIVES searching for clues to the disappearance of hospital worker Melanie Hall four years ago are to interview a man convicted of murdering an 18-year-old woman in Bridgend. more...
Plan for phone mast is rejected
By Holly Robinson more...
Ctfc Sport
Tweddle's spot-on as Town ride their luck
FA CARLSBERG VASE: Barking 1, Chippenham Town 2 more...
Looking forward to the big `un
THEY say a week is a long time in football and you are only as good as your last game, writes Tommy Saunderes. more...
Melksham News
Families left in mourning
A HEARTBROKEN father spoke of his tragic loss this week after his special son was killed in a car crash in Northern Ireland. more...
Salisbury News
Community spirit helps turn the tide
CHRISTMAS cheer flowed into waterlogged Downton and the mop-up began as flood waters start to recede. more...
Hero playmates are praised
FOUR young Bulford boys have been praised for their bravery after risking their lives to save a six-year-old friend. more...
Sewage leads to safety fears
FLOOD victim Kevin Skelding has hit out at water and environmental chiefs after sewage followed flood water into his cottage in Boscombe Village. more...
Parents of the tragic Emma speak of their loss
THE family of 18-year-old student Emma Holley, who died in a hit and run accident in Downton in February, have spoken of their continuing grief at her loss and their relief that the driver was found guilty of killing her. more...
£13.7m to bet city's gridlock
A MULTI-MILLION pound boost was promised by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott this week for plans to help relieve Salisbury's traffic gridlock. more...
Sport Angling
Try to trawl for a trout on New Year's Day
LOWER Moor Trout Fishery near Minety are holding a free day's trout fishing on New Year's Day. more...
Wet spell is the worst in memory
IN more than 40 years of fishing I can never remember a more prolonged wet season than that which we have been experiencing in 2000, writes Colin Scull. more...
Seek and ye shall find
Hardy anglers managed to find some places to fish over the last few days, writes Roland Batten. more...
Future events
Tues Dec 28: Highworth AC Sweepstake at Coleshill. Draw 8am library car park. Register with Nigel Holder on 820694. more...
Sport Football
Sunday League scrapped
THE Swindon Sunday League has been abandoned and will be replaced by a mini-league. more...
The Stones are rolling to the top of the table
THIS week in the Leisure Leagues five-a-side league at Park Sports and Youth Centre in Swindon saw GK Stone move to the top of the table after they were 10-6 winners over Horinder's Seven. more...
Sixth attempt to play cup tie
WILTS Premier sides Chiseldon Southbrook and Cricklade Town are keeping their fingers crossed that at last they will be able to play their Wilts Senior Cup first round tie at the sixth attempt. more...
Teenage striker leads Westbury goal spree
TROWBRIDGE LEAGUE: WESTBURY United A bounced back from last week's shock home defeat to hit top scorers Foresters Arms for six in Division Three. more...
Melksham take advantage of rivals' festive offerings
Melksham Town 3, Devizes Town 2: WITH the festive season fast approaching, spectators at the Conigre could have been excused if they had thought Christmas had come early for the home side, as Devizes generously provided their local rivals with gifts, in the shape of goal scoring chances, with a series of schoolboy blunders. more...
Matty's as popular as Santa
MATTY Bown finds himself as much in demand as Santa Claus this Christmas. more...
Dolphin are left stranded
Devizes Sunday League: PITCH conditions again played havoc with fixtures, allowing only one game to be played. more...
Black Horse gallop through in shoot-out
Chippenham Sunday League: THE big game in the second round of the of the W G Parr Trophy (sponsored by Rainbow Launderette (Trowbridge) lived up to pre-match expectations. more...
Webster sent off in goal thriller
Skurray's Wiltshire League: IT was not a good day for the Wroughton club in the Skurray's Wiltshire League. more...
First win for Red House faithful
Cherry Records Hellenic League: PURTON gave the Red House faithful some early festive cheer when they won their first league game of the season by beating Easington Sports by 4-2. more...
City finally find right bait to net three points
Salisbury City 3 Fisher Athletic (London) 0: It took them a while but Salisbury City eventually reeled in another three precious points against the division's basement side Fisher Athletic. more...
Sport Rugby
Bassett go on try riot
Wootton Bassett Ladies beat Old Redingensians 29 - 10, and were control from the start. more...
Barnard leads Chippenham spree
Chippenham 57, Slough 3: A LARGE home crowd eagerly awaited this top of the table clash between two of the pacesetters in South West Division Two East and were rewarded with an outstanding display from the home side that made a mockery of the conditions and current league table. more...
Bath hoping for luck of Irish
SWINGING arms, chest pushing, finger pointing and a lot of sumo wrestling-type confrontations. more...
Regan wary of unpredictable exiles
BATH are itching to get stuck into Leicester on Boxing Day, but before that they have to concentrate on tomorrow's home game against London Irish. more...
Stfc Sport
Scuppered
THE resignation of Barnsley boss Dave Bassett scuppered Andy King's bid to sign a new player this week. more...
Hopes and fears for a New Year
DAVID Duke has confessed that Town's players have found life in Division Two a real shock to the system. more...
Movers meet the Shakers
TOWN could not have timed their visit to Gigg Lane with greater perfection. more...
In-form Town facing a fight
MARK Robinson is not taking an away win for granted despite Bury's appalling league form. more...
Bully has no beef with Bury
TOWN'S visit to Gigg Lane provides Darren Bullock with the chance to put one over his old club. more...
Swindon News
Thanks and a happy 2001!
I HOPE the recent spate of robbery or violence directed at older people has come to an end. more...
Kudos to nurses
EVERY few weeks there is a letter in this paper from someone thanking the doctors and nurses for treatment received in Princess Margaret Hospital all fully justified, as I know, having recently been in there myself. more...
A nice bit of peace
I RECENTLY wrote to you about the loud music in many shops today. more...
Good send off for veteran
MAY I thank everybody involved at the Evening Advertiser for the wonderful article you published about my late father Mr Bob Marsh on December 8, Final salute to Korean Veteran. more...
Who did U-turn?
With reference to Coun Dilley's letter published on Wednesday, December 13, Don't blame it on us, blame it on the Tories; of the five Conservative councillors prior to the May election, only Mike Bawden and Brian Ford promised in their election literature to oppose the Front Garden development. more...
New deal is tough for single mums
I write regarding the Govern-ment's New Deal for Lone Parents. more...
Get the facts right about the Nice Euro talks
There has been much said about the EU's Inter-Governmental Conference in Nice and what it will be, sadly most of what has been said is wrong. more...
What we need is working engines
J W Franklin's letter (EA December 13) suggests some of the shortcomings of Steam museum. more...
Beware of the e-mail cash cons
CRIMINALS from overseas are sending e-mails to Wiltshire to try to con cash from people, warn police. more...
New Year's event to raise cash for cancer group
A NIGHTCLUB in Swindon is offering a fun New Year's Eve event, and raising money for charity at the same time. more...
Scenic stroll by the river
WALKERS will be able to work off Christmas excesses on a walk at the National Trust's Lacock Abbey, near Chippen-ham, from 11am on Wednesday. more...
We shopped 'Til we dropped
SWINDON'S revamped Brunel Centre and even the record-breaking, award-winning Great Western Designer Outlet Centre weren't enough to save our economic boom town from splintered pride. more...
`My son given wrong drugs'
AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into claims that a Swindon pharmacy dispensed drugs that were five times stronger than they should have been for a four-year-old epileptic child. more...
Families set to lose party cash
THWARTED families who spent £9,000 for a festive bash look set to lose their cash. more...
Council left with debt by hit and run motorists
Hit and run drivers have left tax payers in Wiltshire with bills running into thousands of pounds. more...
No place like home, says explorer David
WILTSHIRE adventurer David Hempleman Adams has admitted that there is no place like home. more...
Mum has jail sentence cut
A Swindon mother, jailed for nine months after she was caught trying to smuggle heroin to her boyfriend in custody has won a cut in the sentence at London's Criminal Appeal Court. more...
Pond revamp gives fish new lease of life
A POND at a sheltered accommodation complex has a new lease of life and some very relieved goldfish. more...
Firemen canoeists look for sponsors
Marlborough firemen are looking for sponsors as they prepare to tackle the Canoeists Everest next year. more...
Make bin bags safe to collect
RESIDENTS have been urged to make sure their bin bags are safe this Christmas. more...
Players take on challenge of Neil Simon play
The most famous Odd Couple of them all played by film stars Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, are being recreated by Swindon actors next month. more...
It's the lights fantastic
Display raises cash for charity more...
A GOOD READ!
CHILDREN at Leapfrog Day Nurseries have published their own shortlist for what they have dubbed the Baby Booker Prize. more...
Shoplifter is told he may face prison sentence
A 24-year-old criminal has been warned he could face jail after he was caught trying to buy sportswear with a stolen credit card. more...
Former driver Jocky dies
A 97-year-old Swindon man who was the first ever lorry driver for Garrard Engineering has died. more...
New law aims to ease road misery
FOR average motorists in Swindon, roadworks can be the bane of their life. more...
The spirit is starting to spread
FOR Paula Webb this year will definitely be a happy Christmas having scooped the top prize in an Evening Advertiser competition. more...
Granny slaps girl travelling on bus
Passengers looked on in horror as pensioner Ivy Buchanan attacked a teenage girl as she sat on the number 17 bus in Park South. more...
Never too old to get your skates on
PENSIONER Vera Sheppard joined the chorus line of the Link Centre Ice Show days before a knee replacement operation. more...
Pupils wheel and deal
PUPILS left their desks for a day to sell their wares at a trade fair. more...
Future unsure for youth club
A CLUB praised by police officers and community leaders for its work with youngsters has closed and none of its 200 members or staff know if it will ever re-open. more...
A future together
FIVE months ago Jeanette Palmer doused her lover's home with petrol and set it alight, hoping she would die in the inferno. more...
Store sales up this year
TILLS across Swindon are ringing as the town bucks the downward shopping trend of the South West. more...
Sad Christmas for some
THE Samaritans in Swindon say they expect a 10 per cent rise in calls over the Christmas period. more...
Christmas rush to get home will begin today
THE Christmas road rush was expected to begin today. more...
HUNT AND McMAHON IN THREAT TO FANZINE
FORMER Swindon Town duo Rikki Hunt and Steve McMahon have threatened legal action against a football club fanzine. more...
Oasis partially refitted
SWINDON'S Oasis Leisure Centre's Active Lifestyle Centre will reopen in the New Year following a refit. more...
House of the rising son!
JANE House could hardly believe her eyes when she visited an office in Swindon for she came face to face with her son who was 12,000 miles away in Australia. more...
Charity fund is wound up
A CHARITY in Wootton Basset is being disbanded after the mayor claimed there were no needy people in the town. more...
Good report from Ofsted for teachers and tots at pre-school
EARLY learning is safe in the hands of Liden Pre-School, according to a new Ofsted report. more...
Trowbridge News
Melanie: police to talk to man
DETECTIVES searching for clues to the disappearance of hospital worker Melanie Hall four years ago are to interview a man convicted of murdering an 18-year-old woman in Bridgend. more...
Railtrack plans New Year line closure
PEOPLE planning to travel by rail over the New Year period are being warned to expect delays. more...
Christmas hope for crash couple
By Sara Oliver more...
Council house sale going ahead
CLAIMS that the imminent sale of west Wiltshire's council houses could be in jeopardy have been denied. more...
Floods lead to overtime bill for binmen
FLOODS across west Wiltshire cost £10,000 in overtime as the district's binmen struggled to empty the district's dustbins. more...
Rubbish collection reminder
LOCAL residents are being reminded about West Wiltshire District Council's arrangements for refuse collection over the Christmas holiday period. more...
Council to decide on its leadership
By Sara Oliver more...
Firefighters' concern at crumbling stations
By Blaise Connolly more...
Family's final farewell
FRIENDS and family packed St Katharine's Church, in Holt for the funeral of former BMX champion Scott Richardson. more...
Support group's funds cut
A FAMILY support group providing vital help for single parents faces an uncertain future after a decision to cut its £20,000 council grant. more...
Post reaches seasonal high
By Blaise Connolly and Mowenna Blake more...
Village shop bid is likely to fail
By Sara Oliver more...
Former Ushers staff hold a reunion
FORMER members of staff from the Ushers keg department held a reunion at the Long's Arms at Yarnbrook on Saturday night. more...
John of Gaunt pupils are good samaritans
A GROUP of girls from John of Gaunt School, Trowbridge, were hailed as heroes after rescuing a woman who had fallen from her car. more...
Families left in mourning
A GRIEVING family has spoken of a community in mourning after devoted grandmother Jean Hallam died following a car crash. more...
Pub landlord chases burglars
A VILLAGE pub landlord was threatened by burglars who threatened to stab him with a knife on Wednesday. more...
Games twins go back to school
TROWBRIDGE twins Philip and Andrew Oliver visited their old school last Wednesday, in a bid to help youngsters following in their footsteps to become best-selling video game developers. more...
Stephanie is our lucky car winner
PHARMACY assistant Stephanie Newbury has walked away with a sparkling new Kia Shuma SX after winning our Win a Car for Christmas competition. more...
Semington will get a bypass
IT was probably too much to hope that road campaigners in both Semington and Westbury would be celebrating this Christmas. more...
Public inquiry is to be held to sort remaining objections
ALL that stands in the way of the £10m Semington bypass is a public inquiry to thrash out the last few objections. more...
Recycling plans may be dropped
PLANS to site a recycling centre just yards from people's back doors in Trowbridge are being dropped. more...
Popular headmaster calls it a day
FRIENDS and family packed St Katharine's Church, in Holt for the funeral of former BMX champion Scott Richardson. more...
Trowbridge,Bradford On Avon,Melksham,Warminster,Westbury News
Not always a time to cheer
Love it or hate it, there is no escaping Christmas. Now with just days to go to the big day, most of us are looking forward to a happy family affair. more...
Going nowhere fast
The people of Semington are celebrating this week after the government announced money for a bypass had been approved. more...
Why bother with road tax take a holiday instead
AM I the only resident of West Wiltshire to be so agitated about people driving without a valid tax disc? more...
Help us help older people
WE have all read and listened to stories about how our local hospitals and clinics have struggled to deal with winter pressures. Often it seems that it is older people who bear the brunt of long trolley waits, cancelled operations, and overstays in hospitals. more...
Health or profit?
EVERY person I have met has said to me Blue Circle must have been given the nod that they will get tyre burning as a fuel in their cement kilns. "Why would they spend £1m with Michelin if this was not so?" they say. The Environment Agency has not placed the latest communications with and from Blue Circle, on the Public Register. more...
Coach was free
In the Wiltshire Times' article Christmas party for hostel kids, dated December 15, no mention was made of the fact that Chandlers supplied a coach free of charge to take these people to Melksham and back. more...
Thanks to shoppers
MAY I, through your columns, express thanks to those shopping in The Shires last Friday evening, December 15, who responded to the carol singing by members of Trowbridge United Church by giving a total of £100 for the work of Action on Homelessness. more...
Not ready for scrap
I HAVE just read the article in the latest Wiltshire Times about a "crisis over landfill as space runs out" and made a connection with an experience I had this week. more...
20,000 smiles for Christmas Day
THANK you so much to your readers and everyone at the Wiltshire Times for their support once again with our Shoebox Campaign for Operation Christmas Child. more...
Warm thanks
MANY thanks for writing the lovely news article concerning our Carols by Candlelight Service at St Mary the Virgin, Whaddon (Wiltshire Times, December 15 page 9); our new candle holders were a great success and, as usual, the church was packed and the worship very moving. more...
Poppy record
I WISH, through your columns, to thank the people of Bradford on Avon and district for the support given to this year's Poppy Appeal. more...
Help this charity fight against damage from roads and traffic
Despite a 10-year history of active campaigning against the damage caused by roads, traffic and poor motor vehicle construction particularly the dreaded `bull bars', I was not aware of any particular pressure group other than FoE working in this area. more...
Do not be passive about smoke
COULD someone please explain to me why The Shires Shopping Centre is not a non-smoking area. I for one will not go shopping in there again, my chest cannot handle it any more. more...
All show?
CAN anybody explain exactly how the Hawkeridge link road is going to make life a lot easier for everyone? more...
Run request
O any of your readers have guaranteed places for the Flora London Marathon in April 2001? The Stroke Association is looking for people with marathon places to run in aid of the charity. more...
Warminster News
Shops inferno
WARMINSTER town centre was brought to a standstill on Thursday (December 21) as a major fire swept through three shops. more...
Mayor overwhelmed by get well messages
HEARTFELT messages from well-wishers have been flooding in to Warminster mayor Ultan Ryan, who is recovering at home after an operation to remove a cancerous tumour. more...
Unnamed road could spell danger
EMERGENCY services could be hampered from getting to residents living on a road in Codford due to inadequate signposting. more...
Fire rages through historic town-centre shops
DISTRAUGHT shop owners watched in horror as their businesses went up in flames. more...
Killer's parents' bleak Christmas
By Craig Evry more...
Landlady hunts the killers of her fish
By Craig Evry more...
Westbury News
Animals rescued from house fire
By Morwenna Blake more...
Town must make up mind about which route to take
CRUNCH decisions will have to be made this spring if the £10m Westbury bypass is ever to go ahead. more...
Wiltshire News
Jobs hang in balance
JOBS in Wiltshire are among about 280 hanging in the balance after estate agency chain Darlows went into receivership. more...
Wiltshire Sport
Scuppered
THE resignation of Barnsley boss Dave Bassett scuppered Andy King's bid to sign a new player this week. more...
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