Wiltshire in pictures: Salisbury flowers and Swindon wrestling

BBC News

17-05-2025

Continued good weather has made for some good snaps this week - but a Wiltshire resident has also been in the presence of royalty and another has celebrated her 111th birthday.Salisbury Cathedral's Flower Festival has seen the ancient space filled with stunning and creative blooms and displays.Wrestling's return delighted a crowd in Swindon, and a new hotshot has signed for Chippenham Town.
Floral bonanza: Salisbury Cathedral's Flower Festival is on this week, finishing on Sunday. This year the event is called The Spirit of Water. More than 500 arrangers put together more than 30,000 blossoms for the festival, which was expected to attract about 15,000 visitors.
Returning hero. Having trained in the town many years ago at the renowned 4FW (Four Front Wrestling) training, Eddie Ryan returned last weekend as the reigning Kingdom Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Champion. Known as 'The English Lion', he was part of the line-up at the Deanery Theatre (below).
Royal recognition: Steve Coles, 72 from Melksham, has been helping young people by volunteering for the Duke of Edinburgh Award for 55 years, partly through his work with the sea cadets too. This week, he got to meet His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at a Buckingham Palace celebration.
Time for tea: A group that helps tackle loneliness has just celebrated 50 years of monthly tea parties. The Royal Wootton Bassett group of Re-engage has so far held 600 tea parties, prepared more than 7,000 scones, eaten at least 10,000 egg sandwiches and sipped more than 12,000 cups of tea.
Rising star: Year 10 pupil at Lawn Manor Academy in Swindon, Bubacarr, has signed for Chippenham Town. He spent five weeks on trial before being offered a contract - the fastest time any player has done this for the club's under-16s team. He currently plays as a striker for Swindon Town Football Club's Boys advanced team, recently scoring seven goals in a tournament in Barcelona.
A contrasting scene; Weather watcher Katrina captured a brief moment of dark cloud over Salisbury's water meadows and cathedral in what was otherwise a sunny day.
Very big birthday: Anne Baker has been celebrating her 111th birthday as the oldest woman in Wiltshire. Her son David told the BBC it is not as easy for her to converse anymore but she is still sharp, often solving crossword clues.
Mental health week: Swindon & Gloucestershire Mind organised a number of events for the national awareness week, including an art activity at Gorse Hill, Swindon.
Wonderful weeds: Considered a pest by some, the beauty of thistles was captured by weather watcher Thistledown with this photograph of a sea of purple flowers in Great Bedwyn.
Evening strolls: As the days become longer, it has become a little easier to take moon pictures and warmer for a walk too, as weather watcher Nelly PS did in Froxfield.