Tom Bromley

Salisbury

Columnist at Salisbury Journal

Author, Editor and Ghost Writer at Freelance

Featured in: Favicon

salisburyjournal.co.uk Favicon

autoexpress.co.uk Favicon

road.cc

swindonadvertiser.co.uk Favicon

basingstokegazette.co.uk Favicon

hampshirechronicle.co.uk Favicon

andoveradvertiser.co.uk Favicon

romseyadvertiser.co.uk Favicon

reedsy.com

Articles

Word Up: Nigel Farage’s Salisbury protest and AI’s hallucination problem

1 week ago | salisburyjournal.co.uk | Tom Bromley

Word Up: Nigel Farage’s Salisbury protest and AI’s hallucination problem (Image: Newsquest) And so – only briefly I promise – to local election news. In last week’s column I mentioned the lack of information regarding my local Reform party candidate for the city council. Lo and behold, a picture appeared on the website and a leaflet put through my door.
Word Up: Salisbury council elections - the one prediction I'm sure of

2 weeks ago | salisburyjournal.co.uk | Tom Bromley

Word Up: Salisbury council elections - the one prediction I'm sure of (Image: Terry Waldron) This time next week, the polls will be open to elect councillors for both Wiltshire County Council and Salisbury City Council. I know, just seven more sleeps. Of the two elections, Wiltshire Council seems more set: the Tories have run it for the last 25 years and while the Lib Dems will eat into their majority this time round, only a truly terrible night would see them lose control.
Word Up: Why I love vinyl - and why I think it's here to stay

4 weeks ago | salisburyjournal.co.uk | Tom Bromley

Boiler Room Records revamps store (Image: Newsquest) Last Saturday, I joined the many music lovers visiting their local independent record shop for this year’s Record Store Day. Launched in the UK in 2008, about 300 independent record stores take part each year, selling exclusive LPs and CDs that are only available in store on the day. Being limited editions, once the records are gone, they’re gone, which can lead to diehard fans queueing up overnight to get the record they want.
Tom Bromley: The importance of investing in the arts

1 month ago | salisburyjournal.co.uk | Tom Bromley

Giving young people the chance to explore and discover the arts is important in so many ways (Image: Supplied) Thank you to those readers who got in touch regarding my whereabouts the last couple of weeks. I’ve been away in the Spanish mountains leading a writing retreat: a welcome escape from the current relentless roll of bad headlines. So apologies to those hoping those blank pages were the last of me.
The costly crisis on our roads

1 month ago | salisburyjournal.co.uk | Tom Bromley

2 1/1 This week my column is full of holes. No change there, some might be thinking, but at least this week it is deliberate. Some signs of spring are traditional. The gambolling of lambs. The flowering of daffodils. But in recent years can be added another: that boneshaking thump as your vehicle hits another pothole.
An evening of Afghan music for a worthy cause

2 months ago | salisburyjournal.co.uk | Tom Bromley

Veronica Doubleday and John Baily (Image: Supplied) This Friday, Salisbury’s Quaker Meeting House is playing host to An Afghan Musical Evening, featuring a trio of very talented musicians: Veronica Doubleday (vocals and dairah), John Baily (on rubab and dutar) and Sulaiman Haqpana (tabla). The event, from which donations will go toward Afghan Aid is being organised by Muse, a Salisbury charity that promotes social inclusion and integrating those otherwise excluded from society.
The ‘Dan Brown of painting’ had an instinct for narrative

2 months ago | salisburyjournal.co.uk | Tom Bromley

Artist Jack Vettriano, who died on Monday, age 73 – pictured here opening a show of his work in 2022. Neil Hanna/PA Let’s begin with the disappointing news that Salisbury City Council has decided to go ahead with the closure of the public toilets in the Market Square and Central Car Park. At the council meeting on Monday, a proposal by Conservative Councillor Chris Taylor to keep the Central Car Park toilets open was rejected.
Salisbury marks third anniversary of the war in Ukraine with a day of remembrance

2 months ago | salisburyjournal.co.uk | Tom Bromley

Independence Day for Ukraine in Salisbury 2024. Image: Spencer Mulholland This week saw the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, marked in different ways by different countries. Here in the UK, Keir Starmer’s government announced the largest package of sanctions against Russia so far. In Kyiv, a range of world leaders joined Volodymyr Zelenskyy to show their support for the country’s struggle.
The Neighbourhood Plan weighs in at 138 pages of word salad

2 months ago | salisburyjournal.co.uk | Tom Bromley

Aerial shot of Salisbury Cathedral and Close Image: Martin Cook What links an England footballer, an American President, Network Rail and the Salisbury Neighbourhood Development Plan? The answer lies in linguistics and the use of language. Let’s begin with the subtleties of swearing. This weekend, Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham was sent off for swearing at the referee.
Campaigning is underway for this year’s local elections

Feb 6, 2025 | salisburyjournal.co.uk | Tom Bromley

Local Elections 2021 at Five Rivers Health and Wellbeing Centre - Picture by Dom Argar / Wiltshire Council Spring might be a while off springing, but it hasn’t stopped campaigning starting for this year’s local elections. I would say those elections were forthcoming but given they’re not happening until May, that stretches the word’s definition beyond breaking point. The opening salvos have proved curious.