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Stories for 24 March 2003
Business News
Don't panic, the market's healthy
The bubble is NOT going to burst. At least, that's what Swindon's property gurus are saying, following the Evening Advertiser's recent story on falling house prices. Indeed, most of the town's estate agents say that prices are merely levelling off after a period of unprecedented price hikes. Jeremy Smith reports more...
People are panicking, but this is just a blip
Tudor Wells, co-director of Ridgeway Estate Agents, Commercial Road, Old Town, Swindon: more...
There's been a lot of over-valuing
Christopher Bice, owner of Christopher Bice estate agents, Cricklade more...
Situation with Iraq isn't helping
Neil Douglas, a partner in Swindon Homes Direct in Commercial Road more...
Huge gains over four years
Simon Gunner, branch partner at Allan and Harris, College Court, Swindon. more...
Nationwide predicts gentle slowdown
Alex Bannister, Nationwide group economist, said: "Over the last year the price of the average house in Swindon rose 23 per cent to just over £151,000. This compares with price rises of 25 per cent for the UK as a whole. more...
Pick your estate agent carefully
Robert Skerten, owner and director of Henry George, with offices in Malmesbury, Marlborough and Commercial Road, Swindon: more...
Iraq News
Protesters storm council chamber
ANTI-War protesters stormed into Swindon's Civic Offices for a two-hour sit-in. more...
End this madness
MARCH 24: Thousands of protesters at RAF Fairford make a plea for peace as the war in Iraq intensifies more...
End this madness
Thousands of protesters at RAF Fairford make a plea for peace as the war in Iraq intensifies more...
Sport Football
Marine sinking
SUPERMARINE'S place in the Dr Martens League is hanging by a thread after an agonising defeat at the hands of neighbours Cirencester. more...
Bluebirds' mini-crisis continues
CHIPPENHAM TOWN'S first poor patch in the Premier Division continued with a 1-0 defeat at Moor Green on Saturday. more...
Conference reshuffle too late for Ray's troops?
A RELEGATION lifeline has been snatched away from Swindon Supermarine as plans for a major non-League reshuffle come to fruition. more...
Paul treble not enough
Wanborough'S Paul Parsons scored all three goals for to put his side 3-1 up against Dunbar Westside, but the Intermediate leaders fought back to nick a point. more...
Devizes facing the drop
DEVIZES TOWN are staring relegation in the face after a 3-1 defeat to Bridgwater on Saturday. more...
Bassett battle to a well-earned away point
Goals were hard to come by from the local Hellenic sides at the weekend with Highworth Town and Shortwood United drawing 0-0, Wootton Bassett and Abingdon United both failing to score and Fairford Town losing out to Carterton by the only goal of the game. more...
Sport Rugby
Brave show, but Swindon are beaten
SWINDON 2nd put up a fighting display but were unable to prevent their Swanage & Wareham counterparts from claiming a 29-11 in the Dorset & Wilts 2nd XV Cup final at Sherborne yesterday. more...
Swindon News
Rally round our troops
THE Evening advertiser has again allowed the Letters page to carry a wide variety of views regarding the rights and wrongs of war with Iraq. more...
No excuse for this cruelty
SUSIE Groess-Saurau (Letters, March, 17) is confusing keeping horses as pets and keeping horses for racing. more...
See where Cabinet system has got us
A WELL orchestrated campaign of letters blames local Conservatives for the huge rise in council tax, imposed once again by our Labour-run council. more...
An everyday story of intelligent feathered folk
FORGIVE me for this trivia while the world is in its present turmoil, but I just had to tell someone. more...
Ignorant and selfish flouting of parking law
REFERENCE your article on March 12 about parking on the cycle lane in King William Street. more...
Cars driven out of town
THE recent TV programme The UK's Worst High Street gave a very clear vision of Swindon to come. The winner of the "award" was Leatherhead. The council in this town, very similar to Swindon in many ways, has successfully excluded traffic from its centre. The town centre is now a peaceful haven for councillors and pensioners. Unfortunately, nobody else goes there. The High Street is full of closed shops, building societies and estate agents. The customers have gone and Leatherhead is now a ghost town. The councillors remain arrogant about the "success" of their policy. more...
Fighting for national independence
At a time when attention is focused on the Middle East, it is easy to forget about important events closer to home. more...
Dismay at PM's stance
I WRITE to air my dismay over this Prime Minister's appetite for war. There is no logic in his desire to attack an already crippled country apart from his need to fawn towards an evil administration in the US. more...
Were you in Korea?
THE British Korean Veterans Association is trying to contact former members of HM Armed Forces who served in Korea/Japan from 1950-1953, and also those servicemen and women who served in these two places at a later date with the Peace Keeping Force 1953-1957. This appeal includes former members of the Merchant Navy, NAAFI, Red Cross and WRVS. more...
Serious humour
As the war on Iraq continues, comic Rob Newman is coming to Swindon to perform his hit show From Caliban to the Taliban. more...
Repairs to monument
REPAIRS to damage caused by treasure hunters at Silbury Hill are planned - 227 years after their dig. more...
Volunteers take part in clear up job on ancient path
Volunteers took to the Ridgeway in a bid to improve the area for walkers. more...
Children experience some movie magic
Children in Swindon enjoyed a taste of Hollywood and saw themselves on the big screen. more...
They could be Oscar winners of the future
EVENING Advertiser film writer STEPHEN WEBB reviews the youngsters' films . . . more...
Action plan in force to preserve our wildlife
SWINDON'S first Biodiversity Action Plan Conference will be held in May. more...
Voluntary groups get cash boost
GRANTS worth £1,136,286 are to be handed out by Swindon Council to voluntary groups over the coming year. more...
High sheriff steps down
THE HIGH Sheriff of Wiltshire Sir Christopher Benson said his farewells at a reception in the Steam museum. more...
Piazza plans are delayed
PLANS for a piazza-style development to transform the heart of Old Town are several months behind schedule. more...
Project for 4,500 homes is on show
FULL details of the controversial plan to build 4,500 homes on countryside to the south of Swindon are now on the internet. more...
Window smasher in court
A JUDGE imposed a hospital order on a man with mental health problems who wreaked havoc in Swindon town centre. more...
Swimmer makes a splash for nurses
Sue Stratton swam 200 lengths to raise nearly £2,000 for Macmillan Cancer Relief. more...
Hairdressers add a touch of style to fundraising effort
Shoppers in Swindon donated £1,000 for Macmillan Cancer Relief. more...
Green space play area may be sold
THE future of a green space in the heart of Cricklade will be considered at a Wiltshire County Council meeting today. more...
In memory of Abby, 3
A FUNDRAISING drive is being launched at Swindon's Marriott Leisure Club in aid of the Abby Smith Cancer Fund. more...
Lucy has a sweet treat
Chocolate may not sound like the most important ingredient to a successful wedding - but Evening Advertiser Bride of the Year Lucy Griffin is determined to get the details right. more...
Beware this rip-off
A FIRM is sending small businesses official looking demands for £95 to register them under the data protection act when the official fee is £35. more...
Vicar sits in the street as anti-war brigade hits the town centre
AROUND 250 peace activists marched through Swindon town centre on Saturday afternoon before trying - and failing - to join the peace camp at Fairford. more...
Letting them off lightly?
IN 1999, the Government introduced ASBOs Anti-Social Behaviour Orders to stop trouble-makers from terrorising their neighbourhood. But to date, Wiltshire agencies have issued only one such order, the lowest number in the country. GEOFF BENNETT asks why more isn't being done to crack down on known thugs more...
ASBOs are now easier
The Government has moved to make ASBOs easier to introduce, following complaints from police and councils. more...
`Yobs should be made to pay'
Upper Stratton pensioner Valerie Hearn, 68, who has been a target for vandals, says they should be made to put right the damage they cause rather than serve ASBOs. more...
Vandals fire at pre-school window
Little Pinetrees Pre-school, at the back of the Pinehurst People's Centre in Olive Grove, has had a long-running problem with vandalism. more...
`I would welcome an order'
POLICE are considering taking out ASBOs against five 16-year-olds who persist in targeting a newsagent and off-licence store in Meadowcroft, Upper Stratton. more...
People of Wiltshire Awards launched
AN award scheme to celebrate the achievements of Wiltshire's unsung heroes is being launched today. more...
Stars sign on to help playgroup
A FUNDRAISING auction and quiz boosted the coffers of Croft Playgroup by more than £1,500. more...
MP warns of killer in the home
THOUSANDS of homes across Swindon could be silently killing their residents. more...
On yer bike
I AM surprised that Councillor Lister persists with his anti-cycle path campaign. While I am in no position to dispute his statistics which appear to indicate that the use of these tracks is declining, has he considered the cost of an accident to a cyclist, especially a fatal one, both in financial and humanitarian terms? more...
What's in a name?
THREE-LETTER acronyms aren't everyone's favourite way of describing things and I think we need to operate on the new hospital management quickly before we're stuck with an acronym that doesn't say what it means. It seems that instead of being known as GWH, some people want Great Western Hospital to be called TGW. more...
Waste not, want not
WITH reference to Mr Kane's letter regarding Barnfield Household Recycling Centre, I would like to make the following points. more...
Time to rate cap?
IN reply to Coun Mike Evemy (Letters, March 4), my criticism was mainly of his fellow Councillor Wendy Johnson, who was thanked by Labour Councillor Jim D'Avila for reading out a list of councils which had imposed large council tax increases, which implied that the council tax payers of Swindon should count themselves lucky. more...
Our citizens need more protection
THE news that Wiltshire is behind all other counties when it comes to imposing Anti-Social Behaviour Orders is disturbing to say the least. more...
Let us hear of the good guys
AT times, when the news seems to brim with tales of the nasty and mean-spirited things people can do to one another, it is important to remember that there are many, many good people. more...
Wiltshire News
End this madness
Thousands of protesters at RAF Fairford make a plea for peace as the war in Iraq intensifies more...
Wiltshire Sport
Sam's Town goal!
SAM PARKIN insists he is happy to talk about extending his current deal and hopes the close season will see the club backing manager Andy King's recruitment drive. more...
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