Community Yearbook 2020

Newbury Weekly News

Thursday, 16 January, 2020

Mystery over M4 death crash

Three arrested on ‘ stab night’ FOUR knives were recovered and three people were arrested as police stopped and searched 165 people heading to

Newbury’s Michaelmas Fair. The operation was launched after schools across West Berkshire warned parents that youngsters could be plotting knife violence during a“stab night”. In response to the threat, officers searched the people and conducted a knife sweep in Northcroft and Goldwell parks in a bid to locate any weapons which may have been stored.

and vocational instructor Catherine Gardiner, 52 – who was driving the vehicle – died in the crash. The collision, between the minibus and a lorry, occurred on the M4 eastbound carriageway between Hungerford

it descended into bloody violence. Colin and Joyce Powell, of Two Rivers Way, Newbury, were pursued by a baying mob armed with crude weapons and had to evade burning tyre checkpoints as they tried to flee to safety, sometimes on foot. Around them, simmering tensions erupted into violence which left seven dead. Feeling abandoned by their tour company and trapped inside the coun- try as it degenerated into anarchy, they were rescued following a desperate international phone call to Newbury MP Richard Benyon. “SOMETHING catas- trophic” happened to a Prior’s Court School minibus just before it was hit by a lorry on the M4 last year. However, a coroner, crash investigators and vehicle experts were left “scratching their heads” as to how the minibus suddenly lost power. Autism practitioners Lorraine MacLellan, 60, and Jason Aleixo, 44,

two seconds to react” to the situation. Mr Hannan said that officers had tested another school minibus to try and replicate the sudden loss of power, Berkshire coroner Heidi Connor said there were question marks over how the minibus had slowed and that there was “a missing piece of the jigsaw”. but had been unsuccessful.

Cornish nights PORTHMEOR Nights , a show by local artist Paul Forsey, in the bar at Newbury’s ACE Space, was the latest exhibition in the community hall’s ongoing visual arts programme. Fifty artists had already shown there. The work showed an artist inspired by the Cornish landscape and its industrial heritage – as so many before him – but “ interpreted with a singular vision and a very personal approach. Forsey has a sureness of resolution and execution, resulting in these unique works”, said N2 reviewer Lin Wilkinson. “Forsey has succeeded in evoking a sense of being in the Cornish landscape, while simultaneously making highly-constructed works that have a physical presence, with an existence beyond their original promptings – as much objects, assemblages, collages – as paintings, the works glisten and shine under the bar lights, small and jewel-like, seeming to possess a spiritual quality.” The best marksmen from GB, Argentina, USA, Egypt, France, Hungary, Czech Republic and Italy took part. Carl’s a golden shot CARL Miles struck gold at the Helice World Championships in Rome. The Thatcham marksman, who is a building company director in his family firm Miles Contractors Ltd, based in Headley, was part of a three-man team that won a shootout against Italy to clinch victory in the Match of Nations. And it was Miles who held his nerve to hit the winning shot and spark the celebrations. Helice is similar to clay pigeon shooting, except the target is attached to a pair of plastic wings, which means it flies in erratic fashion, particularly in windy conditions.

The order covered Newbury town centre, Victoria Park, Northcroft Park and Goldwell Park. Brass band in world’s top 30 ALDBOURNE Band is now officially among the world’s top 30. The band were drawn to play between the Grimethorpe Colliery Band and the eventual winners The Cory Band from Wales. Tim Dixon said: “It meant that the band moved up in the world rankings, entering at number 21 or 28 depending on which system you follow.” Nightclub licence is revoked And the musicians also achieved one of the best results in their long history with a top 10 finish at the British Open Championships held at Symphony Hall in Birmingham.

and Chieveley on October 11, 2018.

The inquest at Reading Town Hall heard how lorry driver Graham Scivier had “literally

Escape from holiday horror A COUPLE told of their ordeal, trapped inside strife-torn Ecuador as

NEWBURY’s Vault nightclub in Market Street was stripped of its licence after a series of incidents. Councillors decided that revoking the club’s licence was the“only appropri- ate step” after hearing that crimes had not been reported and owners had failed to make improvements. Pc Simon Wheeler said revoking the licence of Andy Anderson was“the only credible solution” following reports of assaults, drugs, sexual assaults and failures to comply with conditions. Officers said one investigation into a dancefloor assault failed because CCTV could not be produced by staff. In the most serious incident, a female

The first sign of trouble during came when street protests against Govern- ment austerity measures prompted the declara- cancelled, hotels closed and food became scarce as rioters put up street blockades. Mr Powell said: “That tion of martial law. Flights home were

meant a 4am start to try to get through the road blocks and an eight-hour drive through the Amazon and Andes mountains.” Now safely home, the Powells and the Tylers visited Mr Benyon ’s constituency office to thank him in person for his intervention.

was served vodka and other spirits at The Vault until she was unable to stand. She was then ejected from the club and lay down nearby, before being abducted and raped.

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