Rod Bluh News Today

Residents in the small village of Wroughton, Wiltshire, were left all in flap after the trees head - which gave it its chicken-like appearance - suddenly vanished.

Tributes have been paid from across the council chamber to Swindon’s deputy mayor and Brian Mattock, who died at the weekend. Coun Mattock was a long-serving Conservative councillor. A former deputy leader, he had held cabinet posts and chaired committees after first working as a council officer. He was due to step up to succeed Garry Perkins as mayor in May – and was active in council and in committees until very recently despite managing a serious medical condition for some years. S...

A HOUSING development in North Star could help support the Oasis Leisure Centres long-term future. Thats according to Swindon Borough Council deputy leader Russell Holland – although such a move would be a change to previous policy, which would have seen any housing following the construction of the much-delayed snow centre. Developer Seven Capital holds the lease for the 1970s-built Oasis. It has also been given planning permission to build a £270m indoor skiing and entertainment comp...

A MUCH-LOVED TV and radio presenter and journalist whose face and voice was familiar to thousands of people around Wiltshire has died. Ashley Heath came to Swindon from Runcorn in the early 1990s to produce and present news, sport and feature programmes on TV channel Swindon Cable, then continued to work there until it closed in 2000. He went on to become a big part of BBC Wiltshire’s radio broadcasts and proved adept at adapting to any situation. During a 15-year stint at the station...