Friday 8th April 2011 RAF Lyneham to receive support for change
A local business consortium wants to build a theme park, heritage
centre, snow dome and eco-village on the site of the RAF Lyneham,
which is set to close in 2012. A recent meeting of Wiltshire business
and organisations voted overwhelmingly in favour of the proposals. The
government has previously suggested the base may be taken over by the
Army when the Royal Air Force vacate it. However, local business
leaders are worried that the gap between the RAF leaving an the Army
coming onto the base could be as long as four years. This, they say,
would have a negative effect the local economy and population. Wiltshire

Friday 28th January 2011 Lord Nelson locket fetches £44,000
A late 18th century gold locket pendant thought to contain a lock of
Nelson’s hair has been auctioned for £44,000 in Salisbury. The
artefact contains hair on one side, thought to be Nelson’s, and a lock
of Lady Emma Hamilton’s auburn hair on the reverse. The locket was
found by an Australian couple clearing a house they had inherited in
Portsmouth. A spokesperson for Salisbury auction house Woolley and
Wallis said heavy bidding by phone bidders from around the world had
pushed the price up. It is marked with a capital N, a naval anchor and
the date of August 1798, which is when Nelson won a great victory at
the Battle of the Nile. Wiltshire

Monday 8th November 2010 Duck and cat burned to death in firework prank
A cat and a duck have been burned to death in Salisbury in a suspected
fireworks attack. A dog walker in Harnham found the cat on Saturday
while the duck was discovered in Queen Elizabeth Gardens on Friday.
Both incidents were reported to the local Wildlife Rescue centre.
Volunteers at the centre were horrified by the attacks. Volunteer Jill
Carey said: "Firework remains were found nearby. These creatures have
endured very painful deaths. In the past we've had fireworks thrown on
swans' backs. It happens every year." Ms Carey called for a ban on the
sale of fireworks to anyone not running an organised event. "I don't
want to be a killjoy, but this wouldn't happen then," she said. Wiltshire

Wednesday 27th October 2010 Prehistoric Silbury Hill construction secrets unearthed
We still don’t know the reasons for Stone Age Silbury Hill's creation
and even the way it was built over 4,000 years ago has so far eluded
archeologists. But now research by English Heritage archaeologists has
found evidence that Silbury Hill in Wiltshire may have been made in 15
distinct layers over just 100 years. This is far quicker than
previously thought. Silbury Hill was once thought to be a burial
mound, but no grave has been found and its purpose is remains a
mystery. Archaeologists Jim Leary and David Field dug a cross-section
tunnel into the monument in 2007. Leary said "We had this idea that it
was a blueprint. What was most remarkable going in was that it was in
lots and lots of sections. The strange thing was it wasn't always a
hill. The first phase was a bank and ditch.” Wiltshire

Thursday 22nd July 2010 Archaeologists find a second Stonehenge
Archaeologists working in Wiltshire say they have discovered a second henge. The new discovery is on the site of Stonehenge and has been described as the most exciting find there in 50 years. The discovery of a circular ditch surrounding a smaller circle of deep pits about a three feet wide has been described by project leader Professor Vince Gaffney, from the University of Birmingham, as “exceptional”. Archaeologists believe timber posts were once present in the pits. Professor Gaffney described the find as “a timber equivalent to Stonehenge.” He added that the find is “"probably the first major ceremonial monument that has been found in the past 50 years or so.” Wiltshire

Monday 21st June 2010 Crowds at Stonehenge to celebrate the Summer Solstice
Crowds have gathered at Stonehenge to mark the Summer Solstice in an
event that has probably been going on for over 5,000 years. If the
weather remains clear the revellers will see the sun shine through the
stones as it rose above the ancient circle. The all-night party draws
thousands to the prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire,
in 2009 a record 36,500 revellers attended, causing local traffic
chaos and road closures. The event has also been the scene of clashes
between party-goers and large numbers of riot police who have at times
enforced bans on the celebration.

Sunrise, marking the longest day of the year north of the equator,
occurred over the circle at 0452 BST. Police chiefs told the press
they had planned for "all eventualities" ahead of the event. Wiltshire

Friday 18th June 2010 Stonehenge visitor centre axed in government cuts
Work on a new £25m visitor centre at Stonehenge will not go ahead due
to cost-saving measures by the government. English Heritage was
reported as being "extremely disappointed" that £10m promised funding
had been withdrawn. However, British Heritage have insisted it did not
mean it was the end of the project. The £10m was to be combined with
£15m that was due to come from English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery
Fund and other private sources. An English Heritage spokesman said
"Stonehenge is a project of global significance. It's Britain's
premier World Heritage Site. It was a key feature in Britain's bid for
the London Olympics. Transforming the monument's setting and the
visitor experience is vital to Britain's reputation, and to our
tourism industry, especially in 2012 but also thereafter." Wiltshire

Tuesday 11th May 2010 Paramedic in Salisbury tests bicycle
Pete Barrow, a Salisbury paramedic, has started a trial of a bicycle
designed to get him to emergencies in built-up areas faster. The cycle
is packed with much of the medical kit you might normally find on an
ambulance. The cycling medic will be deployed in cities, large towns
and at major events where it is hoped he will be able to access
patients quickly to give aid and assessment while waiting for an
ambulance to get through.

"Nowadays, with places becoming more pedestrianised, vehicles are
struggling to get to the areas where people need them and we use the
bike for things like this," said Mr Barrow. Wiltshire

Friday 12th March 2010 10,000 bikers ride out for ‘Heroes’
10,000 bikers are expected to turn out to rally in support of the
armed forces serving in Afghanistan on Sunday. The motorcyclists plan
to gather at Hullavington Airfield before riding out to Wootton
Basset. Riders will congregate from 0800 GMT and the ride will start
on the runway at Hullavington Airfield (A429) before proceeding to the
A429 (north west to Burton Hill), B4042 (Priory Roundabout to Callows
Cross), Callow Hill to White Hill Lane and the A3102 to Wootton
Bassett. The ride has been coordinated via Facebook. Wiltshire police
have warned motorists that they face delays and suggested the seek
alternative routes. Wiltshire

Monday 22nd February 2010 M4 closed by bridge removal
Drivers who regularly use the M4 near Chippenham may notice something
different next time they drive on the section of the motorway that
runs through Wiltshire. That part of the M4 was closed over the
weekend while a bridge was being demolished. The old Summerlands
over-bridge, which spanned the M4 near Chippenham, has now been
removed completely.

The Highways Agency said the work was essential as the bridge was
approaching the end of its life. Work to replace the bridge, mainly
used by farmers, will mean narrow lanes and a 50mph speed limit until
May. Wiltshire