Late News Just In

Regular readers over at Veg Plotting are aware of my fondness for my local newspaper, the Gazette and Herald. Its quirky way of reporting and sometimes hilarious pieces about the minutiae of life here in Wiltshire keep me amused for hours. This week it's outdone itself.

Firstly, it has a couple of good headlines from reporting on last week's bad weather:

Snow must go on as freeze hits county (Mast head headline) and

Salt peters out as weather takes toll (it looked like the county was going to run out of salt to grit the roads at one point)

But it really outdid itself with this story:

Robbie is on the way

Excitement is mounting in Compton Bassett as superstar Robbie Williams prepares to move to the village.

The previous owners of 17th Century Compton Bassett House moved out last weekend and the former Take That star has been seen strolling in the grounds with his gardener and has been out and about on the bike he was seen buying in Old Town, Swindon.

But residents say the 34-year old has not yet moved into the £7 mansion.

It should of course be £7 million! I've sent it in to the News Quiz cuttings team. BTW, until this piece appeared the only thing I new about Compton Bassett is that's where our household refuse goes into landfill.

Update: I've just found this advertisement, which has also been sent to the News Quiz:

For the best food, service and comfort, visit

The Taste of Bengal
Indian Restaurant & Takeaway

We would like to Apologise for the Reduced level of Service in January due to Staff training.

Frosted Scenes

Well the thaw set in yesterday after weeks of frosts and days rarely going much above freezing point. The coldest start to winter for 30 years they say. Last Friday I went into town just to see what I could see. Threadspider had told me about the river being frozen when she was in town on Wednesday. Sadly I was to late for that, but there was still plenty to record. And little did I know I'd get to see frozen sea the next day...