A PONYTAILED conman tricked his way into the house of an elderly woman in Westbury this afternoon. The man, described as being in his late 40s with dark brown hair, called at the home in Fountain Court at about 3.30pm. He told the elderly occupant that
WILTSHIRE are facing a big fourth innings run chase in their Minor Counties championship match against Cornwall - and will do so without the services of their captain and first innings century maker James Hibberd. Hibberd suffered a finger injury while
HUNDREDS of people attended this year's annual church fete in Semington on Saturday. The St George's Church fete was held at a new venue in the grounds of the village school in Pound Lane. Bob Norton, churchwarden and organiser of the fete, said: "It
AFTER hearing horror stories about home cleaners, Fiona Griffiths decided it was time to tackle the problem herself. The former Hardenhuish pupil, from Chippenham, has taken on the Chippenham franchise of Myhome, a new residential cleaning company.
A care worker who has only been in the industry for a year has been nominated for an award by her Trowbridge employers. Hilary Knight, 46, from Frome, was nominated by her manager Sarah Lucas of Candlelight Homecare Services for one of six care awards
PRAYERS for good weather were answered at the weekend as the Forest and Sandridge Primary School fete in Melksham was blessed with sunshine all day long. But the dry weather did not stop headteacher, Anna Coombs, getting a soaking as she bravely put
Abigail Hunt, aged six, has bagged a prize for herself and her family in a competition for five to 15 year olds run by The Shires shopping centre in Trowbridge. Abigail, from Trowbridge, entered My Pet during National Pet Month which asked entrants to
A HOLT based business won an award at the New British Small Business Championships in London last month. Playforce Ltd, which has already won this year's Wiltshire Business of the Year prize, was named the national winner for manufacturing and southern
Diploma studies are high on the agenda of a solicitor who has just joined the Trowbridge office of a Wiltshire law firm. Lisa Allen, 28, from Corsham, works in the private client department of Goughs Solictors where she specialises in wills and trusts
A FREE seminar designed to help firms change to become more environmentally and socially responsible will be held at Babington House in Somerset. The seminar, geared towards small businesses, has been organised by Warminster-based marketing agency Impress
AN independent financial planning business has opened in Trowbridge. Kingfisher has opened in Timbrell Street, near the Palmer Gardens Shaw Trust garden centre in offices let by Dreweatt Neate. The business is made up of a partnership between financial
A FITNESS studio has won a business award judged by Dragons' Den star Theo Paphitis. Obsessions@TLC, in Sycamore Grove, Trowbridge, has won a month's worth of advertising on radio station GWR in the UPS Business Awards 2007. Paphitis, a Cyprus-born
The chief executive of the Wessex Association of Chambers of Commerce, Michael Williams, has been made a Member of the British Empire, in the Queen's June birthday honours. Mr Williams, 62, who is also company secretary and is chairman of the West Wilts
A SEMINAR to explain the impact of new asbestos regulations on businesses will be held at Sandy Park Conference Centre, Exeter, on July 11 from 2-4pm. The free seminar is being held by asbestos specialist Shield Environmental Services.
The BBC series Dragon's Den is looking for entrepreneurs to take part in the fifth series of the show. The show sees budding business tycoons pitch their ideas to a panel of dragons' to secure investment. The rules are simple: the entrepreneur can ask
MONAHANS human resources director Peta Fry has been made a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a professional body for those involved in the management and development of people. Monahans is a firm of chartered accountants
NATWEST'S retail banking manager for Wiltshire, Paul Mattock, is celebrating being named the bank's top regional UK manager. Mr Mattock has overall responsibility for the teams of managers and customer service officers working in NatWest branches across
THE Black Farmer, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, pictured, who is the prospective parliamentary Tory candidate for the Chippenham seat, has won Best Poultry Product 2007 in the SuperMeat Awards, for his ultimate roasting chicken.
WHEN a local businessman was told by his partner that she was in town buying cheese, he didn't expect that in a few weeks they would be owners of the shop. Garry Thompson and Claire Joseph took over Trowbridge Cheese and Wine in Castle Place Market almost
CONVERSATIONS a man had with his cousin about being involved in a series of post office raids were just boasts, a jury heard today. Vivian Gilling has told Swindon Crown Court he was bragging to his cousin Donald Morris to "compete" with tales of what
Chippenham Town Youth are recruiting new under 7 players for the 2007/08 season. All year 2 school (as of September 07) children are invited to join the team for fun training and inclusion into the Mid Wilts under 7 league. There are two training
A CONSTRUCTION worker narrowly avoided serious injury when the dump truck he was operating tipped over this morning. A 64-year-old man from Dilton Marsh was riding a medium size truck up the steep drive of a private house in Newtown, Westbury, when it
A HOLLYWOOD actor and his pet dog paid a surprise visit to a village pub over the weekend. Kevin Spacey, who has starred in Seven, The Usual Suspects and American Beauty, called in at the Cross Guns pub in Avoncliff, near Bradford on Avon, for a pint
YOUNGSTERS were treated like royalty at this year's Dilton Marsh Carnival on Saturday. Danielle Hunt, 13, of Dilton Marsh was selected as Carnival Queen to lead various maids, princes, squires and a Butterfly Princess on a limousine-guided float through
ENGLISH antiques expert David Dickinson was in Chippenham on Saturday to film episodes of his TV show The Real Deal. The flamboyant presenter of was on hand to meet local people who turned up at the Neeld Hall with unwanted antiques in the hope they
STRETCH limousines are fast falling out of vogue when it comes to jaw-dropping entrances at school proms. This trend was certainly evident among the 150 Year 11 pupils at St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon, who turned up for their leavers' ball at
WEST Wiltshire Housing Society has been awarded four green lights in the annual assessment by its regulator the Housing Corporation. The Housing Corporation Assessment looks at the Society's performance and its compliance with their regulatory code
England short game coach Gary Smith has set up a teaching clinic at The Kendleshire on two days each week with an emphasis on improving low handicap golfers. Pat Murphy, the club's director of golf, said: "He is one of the most highly respected short
Okehampton's Ashley Moon produced the best golf of the day in the Devon Professional Golfers Alliance visit to Tavistock. This was despite a nightmare start. He hooked his tee shot out of bounds at the opening hole to make a double bogey. Then he three-putted
Charles Burnell was president of Mendip Golf Club for 50 years and the cup he presented is the only one contested under stableford rules. This is also traditionally the first competition played each season and first team player Duncan Offer shot level
Chris Lloyd's, right, career is back on track after a lean couple of years and now the 15-year-old Kendleshire club champion has added the South West under-16 title to his mounting list of achievements. He achieved a two-shot success in the inaugural
THE employers of a man who died when he fell from a farm building have pleaded guilty to breaches of health and safety laws. TH White Installation and Richard Stratton, the farmer where the accident happened, both admitted breaching health and safety
Sixteen-year-old Jack Wallace broke Thurlestone's course record with 64 but was gutted to discover that it will not count as a new mark. His round was one lower than the score posted by former county champion David Eva but, because the medal competition
Newquay players Aaron Stephens, Carl Phillips and Jonathan Hancock took the first three places at the Cornwall Junior Championships on their home course. Stephens shot 72 and 75 for a 147 aggregate in the under-18 group, two shots better than Phillips
Chris Wood and has given his career the greatest of boosts by reaching the quarter-finals the British Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham St Annes. But, rather than rejoice at being the last surviving English player, the 19-year-old Long Ashton player
Miles Mackman pulled off the best win of his fledging career when he snapped up the prestigious Lagonda Trophy at Cambridgeshire club Gog Magog. The Lagonda is one of the leading amateur events of the season and the 21-year-old Wiltshire county player
Two hole-in-ones were recorded at Chipping Sodbury in a week. Kevin Stone was playing in the single stableford competition when he hit a six iron into the 160 yard sixth hole. The second was scored by Ian Lowe in the Saturday Bowmaker. He achieved his
Consistent Paul Jones (Canford Magna) shared top honours with Michael Watson (Weymouth) and David Miles, who has recently switched from Meyrick Park to join Rod Davis at Iford, in the Dorset PGA medal at Meyrick Park. Jones carded 16 pars, one birdie
Defending champions Nick Gammon, (Trevose), Tom Cairns, (The Berkshire), Mark Hilton, (Lewes), and Justin Eede, (Trevose), led from start to finish to win the 22nd Cornwall Golf Festival at Trevose Golf & Country Club.
Jess Bradley, right, became the first Tiverton member to win the Devon Girls' Championship in spite of atrocious weather conditions at Honiton. That caused a 45-minute suspension of play. The 14-year-old five-handicapper composed herself during the
Tiverton Golf Club officials have unfurled a special 75th anniversary pennant to mark the launch of their festival week on June 9. Almost 75 years ago to the day, the town mayor W E Shapland and legendary Tiverton course designer James Braid opened the
Cumberwell Park assistant professional Ben Lloyd beat 250 fellow graduates to win the Lord Derby Trophy and cheque for £1,000 as second-year trainee of the year. He was third in the Titleist award scheme in his rookie year. The 22-year-old from Trowbridge
Jo Hicks-Beach, right, from Stover is the new Devon ladies champion after beating Julia Norman (Exeter) 4 and 3 in the final at East Devon. It was the 24-year-old's first major success outside club competitions since she moved to Devon from Surrey six
Jean Clowes, who has died at the age of 89, was one of the stalwarts of Cornwall Golf. She became a member of the ladies section at Trevose Golf & Country Club in the early 1960's and went on to win club competitions regularly. She was ladies captain
Lansdown's Chuen Lau recorded an albatross two on the par five 13th during captain Dave Webb's installation bowmaker day. Earlier junior captain Lewis Pristo recorded his first eagle in competition play. Lau used a driver before holing a 220-yard 4-
Devon's Laura Eastwood, 23, posted a three-under-par 72 to win the Ryder Cup Wales 2010 WPGA One-Day Series event of at Marriott St Pierre Golf Club in Chepstow. But had no idea how well she had done as she was on her way back to Tavistock when the final
Wells pair Phil White and Jack Palmer won the Somerset county scratch foursomes at Minehead on a windy day of high scoring. But once again Minehead's notoriously tough final hole had a bearing on the result. John Atkins (Wincanton) and Craig Adams (Farrington
Devon golfer James Bourner, who has only been playing the game for three years, drained a 25ft putt to reach the PGA National Pro-Am Championship final in Turkey. The 18 handicapper and Downes Crediton Golf Club pro Barry Austin booked their place in
Dudsbury's Mark Wiggett won the first Bournemouth Alliance meeting after coming up against former Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance at the Sunningdale Foursomes. Wiggett shot a faultless four-under-par 67 on his home course to finish two strokes clear of
Bude and North Cornwall Golf Club have appointed Elizabeth Willis as their first lady president to recognise her exceptional golfing achievements. Her family moved to Bude in 1965 and she started playing golf off a 36 handicap in 1971. In her first year
Beverley New, right, won the Somerset women's county championship for a record eighth time, beating Kelly Gallier (Burnham and Berrow) 5 and 4 in the final at Weston-super-Mare. She said: "After missing out on the record last year I was determined to
Stocky Swindon teenager Sam Matton completed his fifth victory in a month with two stunning rounds in the South West Counties strokeplay championship at St Enodoc. Afterwards he declared: "This is my biggest win yet, but I am planning plenty more. I
JUST two weeks after her 80th birthday Ross-on-Wye golfer Betty Spacey, pictured right, achieved that elusive moment of every golfer's dream - a hole in one. Playing with husband Peter in a social competition Betty, who only took up golf at the age of
LAUNCESTON member Phil Bott is a keen golfer who plays in as many events as possible when he is not constructing motorway bridges. These include the Cornwall Alliance and West Region PGA events. When he arrived at Trevose for an Alliance meeting he discovered
JOHN Hopkins, the golf writer for The Times, is Welsh through and through and has just produced a superbly illustrated book offering endearing personal reflections on his favourite golf courses in the principality. He is probably best known in West Country
AN APPEAL for information has been made to find the person responsible for dumping this rubbish in Warminster last week. The items - which include old suitcases, an ironing board and other household objects - were dumped in Bradley Road, Warminster on
FORMER Ryder Cup star Gordon Brand Jnr is putting something back into golf now he has retired from the European Tour. His eight titles and a 25-year career, in which he won in excess of £3m, are now memories as he builds a new life outside the grind
Broadstone's Luke Joy defeated David Cook (Parkstone) on the final green to win the Dorset County Championship at Yeovil. Joy, fresh from a winter and spring playing college golf in America, became champion for the first time. Cook's birdie attempt
St Enodoc's Steve Chapman, right, won Cornwall's championship for a second time after a gripping contest with his pal and foursomes partner Richard Ackland (St Mellion) at Perranporth. The final was played in stiff winds and there were never more than
Sam Matton, pictured right, (Bowood) dominated the Wiltshire county championship at West Wilts and Ogbourne Downs. He won the championship, retained the colts' title and also claimed the Swift Trophy for the lowest gross round of the competition with
Oliver Glaze shook the bigger names of Gloucestershire golf to win the 72-hole county championship in atrocious conditions at Broadway. But the real heroes were Broadway members and their friends armed with squeegees, brushes and rakes to ensure play
Billy Hemstock, right, returned from America where he had been working to win the Devon championship for the first time. He spent six months on work experience in golf management at a golf and country club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where he had
Bath's former England international Colin Edwards, right, won the Somerset county championship for the 12th time at Weston-super-Mare - thanks to a lesson from Cumberwell Park professional John Jacobs. He said: "I have been making a swing change and
Richard Jasper from Launceston beat a quality field of amateurs and professionals to win the Cornish Closed Championship at Trevose. The 22-year-old county player, runner up in the 2005 county championship, finished on five-under-par 139 (70 69) to
Chris Wood is on the way to becoming a major player in national golfing circles after his breakthrough victory in the West of England Amateur Championship at Saunton. His success in the first big event of the season - shared with Cheshire's Walker Cup
European Tour player Shaun Webster shot a remarkable eight-under-par 63 to win the Ferndown pro-am by an amazing five shots. He only played because the annual event that attracted 47 teams clashed with the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. His ranking
Coleford-born trainee PGA professional Kirsten Nicholls completed a double at the Minchinhampton pro-am on the common course. Now attached to Southerndown in Wales, her first club was Forest Hills in Coleford. She played with some success with a team
Saltford club professional Darren Read, right, is back to his best form after recovering from a dislocated pelvis at the end of April and pulled off his first win of the season at Forest Hills. But he was obliged to share top prize with the indefatigable
Paul Jones, right, (Canford Magna) won the pro-Am run by Malcolm Gifford Associates for his firm's clients and friends over Saunton's championship East course. Mr Gifford, from Taunton, has now arranged nine annual golf days covering different formats
Graham Howell (Ferndown Forest) won his first pro-am of the season at Pontypool with a five-under-par 64, two better than Chris Gill (Hele Park) and home pro Neil Matthews (Pontypool) who made £373 each.
Wheathill's Sam Lewis and amateur partner Russ Watts (off 13) won the betterball at the Titleist Footjoy Young Professionals League event at Long Sutton, beating Cirencester's Gareth Bennett and Adrian Travis (11) by one shot. Adam Constable (Cardiff
Paul Hendriksen, assistant at Fingle Glen, showed his liking for the short Vivary Park course by winning the pro-am for the second successive year worth £591. He shared the top place with David Ray last year but this time his three-under-par 62 brought
Paul Kent, the professional at China Fleet for 18 months, has resigned. He is now teaching at Elfordleigh where Nick Cook, the man he replaced at the Cornish club, is director of golf. Kent, who played on the European Tour, is also helping his wife run
George Ryall continued his brilliant season by shattering the Broadstone course record with a sparkling eight-under-par 62 to win the club's pro-am by a massive six shots. "Everything just fell into place," he said. He started with an eagle three at
Ed Goodwin, right, returned to Cotswold Hills where he played all his early golf to snap up more than £1,200 in the club's annual pro-am. Now club professional at Cirencester, he shot six-under-par 66 to win by one shot from Dudsbury's Mark Wiggett
Chris Gill, right, won the biggest pro-am cheque of the season at Lilley Brook, thanks to sponsors International Plywood who have been backing the annual event for a number of years. His two-under-par 67 in ideal sunny conditions gave him a one-stroke
HOW TO BECOME A PGA PRO I am now approaching my 27th year as a golf professional and for 23 of those I have been a full member of the PGA. The basic qualification for entry is to have obtained four GCSE's and play off a handicap of four or less (six
Sue Ellis won the Senior Ladies' English Close Championship at Delamere Forest when she beat Yorkshire's Hilary Smyth 3/2 in the final. Former Dorset county player Ellis will now fulfil her ambition to play for England seniors. For her success brings
West Country golfers Jon Bevan and George Ryall will be taking on the Americans in a Ryder Cup style match in Georgia in September. They were chosen for the PGA Cup team to tackle America's top club pros as a result of their performances in the Glenmuir
A MOTORIST suffered life threatening injuries after a car crash on the A4 in Box last night. The driver, from Bristol, lost control of the car on a left hand bend, mounted the pavement and smashed into a road sign at 10pm on Sunday night. The car, a
TODAY sees the launch of a £4.5m campaign to build a new unit to care for premature babies at the Royal United Hospital, Bath. The Wiltshire Times is backing the campaign and urging readers to start thinking about how they can help raise money for the
