The stories making headlines in Christmases gone by

And let's be honest, it's been a bit up and down for some people. 

So we thought we would join in on reflecting on those Christmas memories that have come before to put things into perspective, and remember some of our favourite festive moments in Wiltshire over the years. 

2005

Mark and George Johnston, who launched a new record label in Trowbridge

You might remember back in December 2005, when the new local record label set out to find the stars of Wiltshire.

The pair behind a popular nightclub previously helped launch the careers of top bands including Radiohead and Feeder.

Mark and George Johnston, former owners of the Psychic Pig Club in Trowbridge, started their own record label, called The Label.

They had both worked in the music industry for 20 years, alongside people such as music mogul and ITV1’s X Factor judge Simon Cowell and the producers behind bands such as Blur and The Killers. 

Their label aimed to spark inspiration for people in Wiltshire and give talented local bands the chance to be heard.

2007: Christmas lights dazzle

Lord Bath enjoying the event

Another of our favourite Christmas memories in Wiltshire was back in 2007. Adding to the Christmas lights event atmosphere was the trio Lord Bath and Neil and Christine Hamilton among those enjoying the annual Malmesbury late night shopping and Christmas lights event. 

Mr Hamilton noted on the occasion: “It’s a lovely night. Malmesbury is my favourite town in the whole of England.”

All three were on hand to open a new organic food store The Wild Food Company, on the High Street, which is run by filmmaker Stewart Shape. They were just three of hundreds of people who took to the streets to bask in the glow of the town’s new lights.

Never forgotten

Another occasion which made a special moment in 2007 was when a family dedicated themselves to remembering their daughter who sadly died fin a car accident in 2004. 
They were determined to keep her memory alive by raising funds for a charity close to her heart.

Michelle Phillips, from Bowerhill, Melksham, was just 26 when she died.
 Her parents John and Sandra have since raised nearly £5,000 for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance in memory of their helicopter-mad daughter.
Mrs Phillips said: “We miss her as much now as we did when we lost her.
“Christmas is difficult because she loved everything about it. She was always the one who decorated the tree.

2008: Sisters defy the credit crunch

Sisters Debbie Goff and Helen King outside their shop

Reminiscing on the past can trick us into thinking that those hazy memories presented much simpler times. But into 2008, and this was a difficult Christmas for some people as the country faced a huge economic crisis, and it was difficult to explore new business avenues for a lot of the community. 

Two people who were not going to let it stop them were Debbie Goff, 42, of Audley Gate, and Helen King, 31 who were determined to defy the credit crunch. 

They opened a new shop in Westbury, Beadelicious, and Here’s My Card in Haynes Road selling handmade jewellery, cards and gifts on December 6.

Mrs Goff remained ever-optimistic about the prospects of the shop.                           

She said: “We like a challenge and it was something we had in the pipeline.
“It’s been a lot of hard work but it’s just a dream, and if you work hard enough you make that dream come true.”

Mrs Goff and her sister were backing the Wiltshire Times and Chippenham News’ Support Your Local campaign at the time which urged Wiltshire residents to support local businesses up to Christmas and beyond. 

She said: “We had two people come in yesterday and they said it was lovely to see a shop that was opening and not closing down.”

The sisters went solo after being part of White Horse Needlecraft and Gift Shop in Maristow Street, Westbury, for nearly a year.

2009: The swine flu outbreak you almost forgot about

David Knight with fiancee Gail Hudson

And in 2009, you might remember the spread of swine flu across the nation. While it was nothing like the pandemic we now know, it still had a major impact on many people at the time.

One Westbury man’s family was given the ‘best Christmas present’ during this time, as the father-to-be who contracted a severe form of swine flu and was given just hours to live was able to be welcomed home by his loved ones after his miraculous recovery. 

David Knight, 29, of Connemara Close, Westbury, has been fighting for his life since being diagnosed with swine flu in October, which was discovered after he underwent an emergency operation at the Royal United Hospital in Bath to remove his colon.

His father Calvin said: “They told us he might not make it through the night, so we said our last goodbyes again, but now he is walking around and talking. He even took his fiancée to the restaurant in the hospital for her 21st birthday last week.”