Melksham News

Melksham News Melksham Independent News is a fortnightly newspaper distributed to over 13,800 homes in Melksham

Disclaimer: Views posted through facebook may be subject to print in Melksham News.

Scouts launch Christmas card delivery serviceA Christmas card delivery service is once again being launched by Melksham ...
01/12/2025

Scouts launch Christmas card delivery service

A Christmas card delivery service is once again being launched by Melksham Scouts to raise funds for the group’s activities throughout the year.

Melksham Scout Group has been busy setting up collection boxes, which can now be found in various locations around the town, including Tops Hair Salon and Beauty, the Tourist Information Centre, Autonomy, Card and News, Cobblers Bench, and Oceans Fish and Chips.

Cards for anywhere in Melksham or Bowerhill can be dropped off in any of the boxes, and the Scouts will deliver them for 30p per card.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/aV4alUC

Festive cheer and friendship on offer this DecemberA festive event aiming to bring people together and combat loneliness...
01/12/2025

Festive cheer and friendship on offer this December

A festive event aiming to bring people together and combat loneliness will take place in Melksham this month.

Abney & Baker’s Social and Skills Club is hosting a Festive Gathering on Tuesday 17th December at 1.30pm at That Meeting Space, in the Market Place, welcoming anyone who could use some extra company over the Christmas period.

Guests will be offered mince pies, tea and gentle seasonal activities, along with the chance to enjoy conversation and companionship in a relaxed setting.

The club, run by award-winning care provider Abney & Baker, supports local people to connect through regular social sessions.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/Vorno6e

Melksham Times PastA column about days gone by in Melksham by local historian Lisa EllisA Fuller story from Neston ParkT...
30/11/2025

Melksham Times Past

A column about days gone by in Melksham by local historian Lisa Ellis

A Fuller story from Neston Park

The Edwardians loved a good gossip, especially when it came to divorce because it was usually predicated by scandal. And the newspapers of the time didn’t disappoint.

Roland Forestier-Walker and Olive Bassett had married in 1904 and lived at the Manor House in Cliffe Pypard. Both coming from well-respected families, Olive was also financially secure, receiving £3,000 a year. (An inheritance from her father who had died in 1903; roughly £350,000 a year in today’s money).

Lieut-Colonel R S Forestier-Walker of the Monmouthshire Royal Engineers had been deployed to France in 1914. While still serving overseas during World War I, he received a letter from his wife, Olive, announcing her infidelity and offering an uncontested divorce and a settlement of £500 per year. Although she would not say who her lover was, it was discovered that Olive and her maid’s brother, Frederick Jones, had been cohabiting at Fisher-hill, North Chapel, Sussex from October 1915 until May 1916.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/LK4XYrn

Pictured left to right - Olive Bassett, Forestier-Walker (1882-1926); Roland Stuart Forestier-Walker (1871-1938); Norah Jacintha Phipps, Fuller Forestier-Walker (1875-1935); John Michael Fleetwood Fuller (1864-1915)

Top praise for primary school in latest inspectionA local primary school has received top praise following a Statutory I...
30/11/2025

Top praise for primary school in latest inspection

A local primary school has received top praise following a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS).

Shaw Church of England Primary School was commended for ‘enabling pupils and adults to flourish’ and being a ‘warm, welcoming and nurturing school’ in the SIAMS inspection report, which considers the impact of a church school’s Christian vision on pupils and adults.

Inspectors commended leaders for ensuring that the school’s Christian vision is a ‘lived reality’ where adults and pupils are able to ‘let their light shine’.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/HXF4NOH

Carol service to remember loved onesA special carol service to remember loved ones who have died is due to be held on Sa...
30/11/2025

Carol service to remember loved ones

A special carol service to remember loved ones who have died is due to be held on Saturday 6th December at Melksham Baptist Church.

The service, at the church on Old Broughton Road, will start at 6.30pm and is being run in conjunction with DJ Bewley Funeral Directors.

Organisers say, “Join us at our memorial carol service to remember those we have lost, particularly during the last year.”

During the service there will be a screen displaying names of loved ones who have died.

If people would like a name displayed on the screen, email [email protected]

Read more here: https://buff.ly/cpTChFR

Community centre raises funds for toilet upgradeA community centre in Melksham is raising funds to pay for improvements ...
29/11/2025

Community centre raises funds for toilet upgrade

A community centre in Melksham is raising funds to pay for improvements to its toilet facilities.

The Riverside Centre, a charity based next to the River Avon along Millennium Riverside Walk, has been raising money to upgrade the toilets, which the chair, Chris Pickett, says ‘do not comply with modern regulations.’

He said, “The toilets are a number of years old and we also have issues with one of the main drains. It blocks frequently and costs £100 each time to unblock. This drain is linked to the gents and needs to be bypassed.

“The other drain is linked to the disabled toilet facilities, and we need to add another cubicle alongside the disabled facilities so we can have a ‘mixed use’.”

Read more here: https://buff.ly/92FT74m

Evening of choral musicAn evening of music will be hosted by Melksham Choral Society following the Christmas lights swit...
29/11/2025

Evening of choral music

An evening of music will be hosted by Melksham Choral Society following the Christmas lights switch-on.

The event will take place at Melksham United Church on Saturday 6th December at 7.30pm, featuring Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle.

Tickets cost £15 and are available from Melksham Tourist Information Centre or on the door. The event is cash only.

Organisers said, “Don’t miss this stunning performance of Rossini’s sacred masterpiece. We would love to see you there.”

Read more here: https://buff.ly/9QT3egv

Christmas Elf Trail launches next monthA Christmas Elf Trail is launching in the town next month, encouraging families t...
29/11/2025

Christmas Elf Trail launches next month

A Christmas Elf Trail is launching in the town next month, encouraging families to explore local shops and be in with a chance to win prizes.

The Elf Trail, organised by Melksham Town Council, will run from Saturday 6th and will see Christmas elves hidden in shop windows and inside participating businesses.

During the trail, participants will collect the names of the elves, noting them down on an entry sheet collected from either the town hall or participating shops, which are due to be confirmed by Melksham Town Council.

Once complete, entry forms can be posted to the town hall or uploaded online via a scannable QR code shared on Melksham Town Council’s social media.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/2JVQuhy

For more information, contact Melksham Town Council on 01225 704 187 or visit https://buff.ly/sJq8jpb

Community Christmas lunch next monthA community Christmas lunch is being held at Spencer Sports and Social Club and all ...
28/11/2025

Community Christmas lunch next month

A community Christmas lunch is being held at Spencer Sports and Social Club and all residents are invited to attend.

A full Christmas dinner with all the trimmings will be served on Sunday 7th December. There will be a bar available.

This follows the success of last year’s community Christmas roast, which brought together residents to socialise and enjoy a Christmas meal.

Tickets cost £12.50 per person. Doors open at 12.30pm for a 1pm start. To book or for further details, contact Sue Mortimer 07719 935883.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/YZiJ0RI

Pictured: Last year’s lunch. Credit Linda De Santiz

Nominations open for Melksham’s Person and Group of the YearMelksham News’ Person and Group of the Year awards are back ...
28/11/2025

Nominations open for Melksham’s Person and Group of the Year

Melksham News’ Person and Group of the Year awards are back and it is time to get your nominations in!

The awards will recognise the person and group who have made a real contribution to the community in 2025.

For the Person of the Year award, any individual who lives or works in the Melksham area and has made a significant contribution to the local community can be nominated. This could include someone involved in a local charity, helping to run a sports club or volunteering their time to improve life in Melksham.

For the Group of the Year award, any group, organisation or committee whose work has benefited the area in 2025 can be nominated. The members do not all need to be from Melksham, as long as their efforts have had a positive effect on the local area.

Melksham News editor, Ian Drew, said, “We know there are so many people and groups in Melksham doing incredible things for the community. We encourage everyone to get involved and submit their nominations – it’s your chance to recognise those who make a real difference to our town.”

Nominations can be made by emailing [email protected] or via Facebook Messenger, stating your name, address, and contact number, along with your nominee’s name and the reason for your nomination. (We won’t disclose who has made the nominations.)

If you have contact details for your nominee, please include these. Alternatively, you can write to Melksham News, 31 Market Place, Melksham, SN12 6ES.

Nominations must be received by 5pm on 30th November. The winner of each award will be chosen by a small panel of local representatives and announced in an upcoming issue.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/KTee5aN

Pictured: Melksham News Editor, Ian Drew

Coming up at Melksham Monday MoviesThe next films to be shown in December at the Melksham Monday Movies Club are The Bal...
28/11/2025

Coming up at Melksham Monday Movies

The next films to be shown in December at the Melksham Monday Movies Club are The Ballad of Wallis Island and Last Christmas.

The Ballad of Wallis Island will be shown on 1st December. This British comedy about an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island. He tries to make his fantasies come true by getting his favourite musicians to perform at his home.

The film stars Tim Key, Tom Basden and Steve Marsh.

The next film to be shown will be Last Christmas on Monday 15th December. This romantic comedy is about a struggling singer in London called Kate, who works as an elf all year round at a Christmas shop. She meets a man named Tom and her life makes a twist, that seems too good to be true. The film is inspired by the music of George Michael.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/o3gWKdB

History of Bowerhill street names explored in new bookletA history group in Melksham has published a booklet on the stre...
27/11/2025

History of Bowerhill street names explored in new booklet

A history group in Melksham has published a booklet on the street names of Bowerhill to mark the 85th anniversary of the opening of RAF Melksham.

Melksham Remembers has produced the booklet, titled ‘What’s in a Name? The RAF links behind your street’, with the help of Melksham Without Parish Council and Melksham Lions Club.

Melksham Remembers is a community project which aims to create a record of life in Melksham and the surrounding villages at the time of the world wars and beyond.

Chair of Melksham Remembers, Paul Carter, said, “This has been researched over the last year.

“Which street is named after a person or maybe a plane or another RAF base? Here you will be able to find out and it may even encourage you to explore your estate.”

Read more here: https://buff.ly/3yZCNM7

Pictured: Sue Faulkner, Phil Gaskell and Carol Turner with copies of the book

Address

Melksham

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+441225704761

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Melksham News posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category