Forums: Wiltshire

A town famed for honouring dead British solders returning from Afghanistan expressed its dismay yesterday at plans by an extremist Islamic group to march through its streets. Islam4UK, which calls itself a ‘platform’ for the fanatical Al-Muhajiroun movement, said its supporters will parade through Wootton Bassett in the near future. The group’s website said the event is being held ‘not in memory of the occupying and merciless British military’ but of the Muslims ‘murdered in the name of democracy and freedom’. Its leader, Anjem Choudary, said the protest, involving 500 people, would be ‘peaceful’ and that ‘symbolic coffins’ would be...

People in Wootton Bassett, the town famous for honouring dead British soldiers returning from Afghanistan, reacted defiantly on Saturday to news that a controversial Islamic group is to march through its streets. Islam4UK – which calls itself a "platform" for extremist movement al-Muhajiroun – plans to parade through the Wiltshire town in the coming weeks. The group's website says the event is being held "not in memory of the occupying and merciless British military" but of the Muslims its says have been "murdered in the name of democracy and freedom". The town that shows respect for fallen Servicemen should be...

A town famous for honouring dead British soldiers returning from Afghanistan reacted defiantly today to news that a controversial Islamic group is to march through its streets. Islam4UK - which calls itself a 'platform' for extremist movement al-Muhajiroun - plans to parade through Wootton Bassett, in Wiltshire, in the coming weeks. The group's website says the event is being held 'not in memory of the occupying and merciless British military' but of the Muslims its says have been 'murdered in the name of democracy and freedom'. Leader Anjem Choudary said today the protest, involving 500 people, would be peaceful one,...

Health and safety killjoys tell war veterans they are too old to hoist the Union Flag over town hall Last updated at 02:38am on 26.07.08      Up in arms: Veterans John Ireland (right) and Keith Hutchins in front of the town hall In their younger days, they risked death and injury to fight for their country against the Nazis and other enemies.  But, now, war veterans who want to fly the Union Flag proudly above their town hall are being defeated by a barrage of health and safety rules.  Royal British Legion members had scented victory after fighting...

See the amazing picture by an autistic artist who drew London from memory after a single helicopter trip  This picture depicting the London skyline in fine detail was drawn after just one flight over the city and purely from memory.  Stephen Wiltshire, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three, memorised the appearance and position of hundreds of London's buildings in exact scale during a helicopter ride along the Thames.  Over the next five days, the 33-year-old drew the seven-square mile panorama, including landmarks such as the Swiss Re tower, and Canary Wharf, on a 13ft curving canvas....

Terrifying Haunting or Clever Hoax? Was Mompesson's ghost a genuine spirit? In 1662 English landowner John Mompesson began telling the world that his household was haunted by an evil and mischievous spirit. In a letter to William Creed, Regius professor of Divinity at Oxford and a relation by marriage, he said that he had initially thought that the disturbances were the work of burglars, before being forced to conclude that they could only be supernatural. He blamed the visitations on the witchcraft of William Drury, a drummer he had caused to be arrested in March for claiming money under false...