January 2017 North West Swindon Link

No 416 January 2017

North and West Swindon Edition Est. readership: 100,000 Advertising starts from just £57 Contact us: T: 01793 781502 E: advertising@swindonlink.com

Part of

Building Swindon’s cultural future

- page 21

Hadrian Ellory Van Dekker unveils the plans for the town’s £22million museum and art gallery

Community: P3-20

Swindon Wide: P21-31

Sport & Leisure: P31-39

Plus

The annual National Self Build and Renovation Show p7 Services: P40-45

Ne Ne w Y Gu w ear ide You p3

4

Puzzle: P46

Community: P2-20

Swindon Wide: P21 - 29

Leisure: P30-39

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Community News

Let’s make 2017 the year of community

By Group Editor Jamie Hill 2017 is going to be big for Swindon.

It’s set to be a year where the town starts shouting from the rooftops to places near and far about what we already know - that it has a thriving community and is a great place to live.

This month the council will be partnering with businesses to launch a new campaign called Switch On To Swindon. The idea is to attract investment into the borough by letting companies around the world know what great opportunites the town offers. The entire campaign is a celebration of what is good here, from our heritage and culture to our parks and leisure facilities.

Obviously at Swindon Link we’ve known that the town is something special for the past 38 years. It has always been our mission to be at the centre of the town’s life becoming one of the threads that tie communities together.

A lot has changed in that time but one thing that has never changed is how strong the town’s sense of community is.

In March Swindon Link will be celebrating 30 years of life as a commercial magazine having made the step-up from a community

P Sw osi in tive do n

newsletter in 1987 to the publication you now hold in your hands.

It is with that in mind that we would like to get as many people behind us as possible to make 2017 the year of ‘Positive Swindon’.

Already there are groups across the town doing all they can for their communities.

One group that is providing inspiration is Spirit of Swindon who have a monthly column on page 12. They are calling for all of us to help each other.

Another initiative that is looking to join the dots highlights all the good work carried out by volunteers in Swindon and how you can get involved. Find out more details on page 16.

Within these pages throughout 2017 we will be doing all we can to celebrate ‘Positive Swindon’ and we want you to help by writing to us about your positive stories. at publisher@swindonlink.com

P Sw osi in tive do n Director: James Phipps Executive Chairman: Julian Barlow Group Editor: Jamie Hill Chief Reporter: Ben Fitzgerald Associate: Roger Ogle Reporter: Mike Barham Sales: Dave Stewart & Rosy Presley Photography: Richard Wintle & Rachel Davis - www.calyxpix.com

ADVERTISING Call 01793 781502 or email: advertising@swindonlink.com Closing date for February adverts and editorial: 11 January February edition published: 27 January

Positive Media Group Limited, Unit 3, Arclite House, Century Road, Swindon SN5 5YN T: 01793 744677 E: publisher@swindonlink.com Our Statistics Est. Readership of 100,000 in print & c.15,000 monthly online visitors.

Swindon’s largest free publication. Advertising starts from just £57.

The contents of The Link are protected by copyright. Use of advertisements in printed or electronic form is forbidden unless an advertiser or publisher has sought permission. Articles and photographs require similar authority.

Positive Media Group Limited cannot be held responsible for goods or services or the copyright of content supplied by our advertisers.

Reg. in England & Wales. No: 4513027, at Arclite House, Hillmead, Swindon SN5 5YN. Printed by pcp Telford

Winners of last year’s event join Mayor Eric Shaw at the launch

Swindon Cares donates £15,000 to charities James Arkell hands over cheques to DASH and Hop, Skip and Jump

The result of a year of fundraising

by Swindon Cares came to fruition with the handing over of £15,000 to two worthy causes.

Fundraisers and representatives from the Hop, Skip and Jump respite care and the DASH autism charities gathered at the Tawny Owl pub where Arkell’s Brewery chairman James Arkell presented cheques of £7,500 to each cause.

Bill Fishlock from Swindon Cares explained that the money had been raised through a wide variety of fundraising activities over the year such as concerts, quizzes and even

an ‘unofficial’ half marathon.

Bill explained: “When the half marathon was cancelled, a lot of the runners decided to run it anyway - they raised £1,700 for us.”

Swindon Cares supports its chosen charities for two years, with this being the second year of support for the charities.

Acting CEO of Hop, Skip and Jump, Clarissa Mitchell said the money would be used for respite care for children and young adults.

Swindon Cares, now in its 14th year, has raised more than £249,000 for local charities.

Nominations launched for Pride of Swindon The great and good of Swindon gathered at the Mayor’s parlour for the launch of The Pride of Swindon 2017.

Now in its ninth year, the event aims to honour unsung heroes in the town who make a difference in their community. The launch was attended by previous award winners and business representatives of the sponsors, including McDonald’s, Nationwide, Voluntary Action Swindon, Swindon 105.5 fm, Intel and the Zurich community trust, the Swindon Advertiser and Positive Media Group.

Swindon Mayor Eric Shaw said: “We are looking for people who make a real difference to this town.

“We are looking for people who

are going above and beyond the ordinary.

“The judging takes place in February and it’s wonderful because we spend two hours talking about the positive things that people have done in the town.”

John Gilbert, Chief Executive of Swindon Borough Council added: “Having a more tolerant society is crucial and having new volunteers coming through the system is really important. Life is not easy, but it can be made easier if people volunteer.”

The closing date for nominations is January 27. For further details see the Mayor’s page at the council’s website at www.swindon.gov.uk swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Community News

Library funding cutbacks spark protests from campaigners Campaigners made their feelings known following a controversial decision by Swindon Borough Council to axe funding for 10 of the borough’s 15 libraries.

Members of Save Swindon’s Libraries, Save Highworth Library and users of Old Town Library held a day of action over plans which will see all libraries, except Central, reduce their staffing hours to 15 hours.

The council’s library strategy aims to save £1.1 million from the current budget of £2.6million. It is likely that 40 full and part time staff may lose their jobs following a 60 per cent reduction in hours.

At Old Town, library users and supporters launched a Read In event where they ate mince pies and read books together to demonstrate the value of the library, and to show their support to the staff.

And in Highworth, protesters gathered in the town’s Market Square before spending the morning in a Read In event at Highworth Library while the Friends of Highworth Library held a coffee and mince pie fundraising morning.

The library strategy was only narrowly agreed by the council’s

Campaigners gathered at Old Town Library and in Highworth Market Square to protest scrutiny committee after members voted by seven votes to six to allow the proposals go ahead.

Under the new proposals, a core provision of five libraries will be funded – Central, North Swindon, West Swindon, Highworth and Parks. Parks library was added to the list following a two-month consultation period in which 1,632 responses were received.

Save Swindon’s Libraries chair, Sarah Church, said: “We commend the councillors and campaigners from the Parks, and residents from across Swindon, who spoke up during the consultation to make

sure that the dreadful mistake of closing Park Library would not come to fruition. A large number of staff will lose their jobs: the staff are the lifeblood of the library service and the reduction in their hours will have a profound impact on how library users access services.”

She added: “There remain many unanswered questions for core and non-core libraries, particularly over the economic sustainability of the plan and the substantial risk to the service if adequate income is not generated.”

Cllr Mary Martin, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “I’m pleased

we have been able to increase the core provision to include Park Library. Discussions are already well underway to secure community led library provision at Wroughton, Covingham and Upper Stratton.

We could be looking at retaining a great deal of Swindon’s existing library provision.”

The libraries proposal purports to be a strategy to take the service through to 2020.

Some of the additional library provision could be met by community solutions, with a £500,000 transitional fund being set aside to support this.

Talented young authors get writing Diana Dors plaque unveiling The work of talented young writers from five Swindon schools has been celebrated in printed form.

As part of a collaborative writing project, children from Oliver Tomkins, Brook Field, Haydonleigh, Red Oaks and St Francis schools were challenged to write a version of the Little Red Riding Hood story.

More than 60 primary age children, from Key Stages 1 and 2, took it in turns to write parts of the story before passing on their work to the next school until their story was complete.

Oliver Tomkins deputy head teacher Julie Warburton explained: “This was a great opportunity for the children to work collaboratively whilst also developing the skill of building cohesion in their writing.”

Speaking about the printed collection of work she said: “This is an end product that the children should be rightly proud of, as it reflects the imagination and commitment that the children have demonstrated throughout the challenge.”

She explained that the scheme was funded by the Swindon Teaching Schools organisation to push the boundaries of the more able pupils.

set for 14 January

Youngsters, who took part in the project, holding the book with their collected work in

Rachel Taylor, deputy head of Brook Field Primary School said: “The children were really engaged with this. Some of our year 6 children took their work home with them and then brought what they had written.

They then had to work together to produce one piece. The children were given the choice of writing in any genre they wanted, so we had poems, playscripts and newspaper reports. It was quite a challenge for our more able writers to have to collaborate in this way. They are very excited to see the results printed like this.”

Year 6 Oliver Tomkins pupil, Faizan Haider said: “It’s great to see your work in print. I’m a keen writer, we were chosen for our literacy skills, so I really enjoyed taking part.”

The fourth Swindon blue plaque dedicated to actress and movie star Diana Dors - is to be unveiled on Saturday 14 January at the site of the nursing home where she was born in 1931 Launched by Swindon Heritage twelve months ago, the scheme to recognise worthy people of the town started with a plaque at the birthplace in North Street, Old Town dedicated to Edith New, who was at the forefront of the campaign for votes for women in the early 20th Century.

RAF pilot brothers Harold and Norman (‘John’) Starr, who were both killed flying in defence of their nation in the Second World War, are commemorated with a plaque each at their birthplace, the former Regent Hotel, now the site of the Savoy in Regent Street.

These plaques have all been paid for by online crowdfunding appeals.

Project manager Noel Beauchamp said that before a funding appeal can be launched, permission of the property owners is sought. “Our experience so far is homeowners are enthusiastic and proud to have a plaque on their wall.

“We’re keen to reclaim our international star, as ‘Our Diana’ but she presented us a bit of a problem because nobody was quite sure where exactly to mount a plaque.

We knew she was born in the Haven Nursing Home in Kent Road, but it is long gone. After some detailed research we were able to agree the location for the plaque.”

Everybody is invited to witness the unveiling at 61/62 Kent Road, Old Town on 14 January. l See Graham Carter’s Swindon Heritage column on page 28. swindonlink.com n January 2017

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14/12/2016 16:47

Community News Shadow parish councils begin to transfer control of services from the borough With the decision to create three new parish areas taken by Swindon Borough Council in November, the process of transferring power to the newly formed shadow parish councils has begun across Swindon.

The controversial plans to create new parish councils in Swindon have been given the go-ahead in the face of furious opposition.

Following a heated debate at the November meeting of Swindon Borough Council, constantly interrupted by protests from the public gallery, councillors voted the proposal through, 29 for and 26 against (with one abstention).

Prior to the meeting, dozens of protestors and opposition councillors chanted ‘no new parishes’ on the steps of the Civic Offices.

Existing borough councillors are being appointed to run the new shadow parish councils which will be actively taking on services from the council by April 1 2017. This will be followed the month after with elections for parish council members.

One of the first to be formed has been West Swindon Parish Council,

which has already begun meetings to decide how the process will move forward in their area and which services they will take from the borough.

For example, Cllr Keith Williams (Con) has been elected Chair of the new West Swindon Parish at a meeting on Wednesday 7 December, with Cllr Tim Swinyard (Con) as vice-chair. Cllr Jim Robbins (Lab), who is also a part of the new West Swindon Parish Council, said: “We have agreed to hold parish meetings at the West Swindon Library, with them open to the public and with an open-question time at the start.

“For the next West Swindon Forum on 8 January, we will be asking residents how they think meetings should work.

For instance, will there still be a need for West Swindon Forum meetings alongside Parish meetings or should Borough councillors just attend the parish and have a standing agenda item where they can answer Borough related questions. I suppose it depends on how the elections go with regards to both councils.”

Peatmoor pupils press their point about safety outside their school

Decision on future of Lydiard Park due to be announced in January

With the six month moratorium period drawing to a close on 22 December, a decision on which group will be handed responsibilty for Lydiard Park and House is due to be announced in January.

It is understood that there are two community bids and one commercial bid for the whole site and two parties interested in running part. Swindon Borough Council will now have to announce which bid they are to accept to run the site.

Gina Akers, who is part of the Love Lydiard Trust community bid and great-granddaughter of Francis Akers, who gifted Lydiard to the people of Swindon, said: “Along with the Lydiard staff we have an extremely high calibre of trustees who have been developing high level relationships to progress the educational opportunities at Lydiard, while establishing a realistic and sustainable business plan to ensure the effective financial running of Lydiard.

“With support and input from renowned national associations,

the skills from our group and the wider community, and by laying the foundations of a positive relationship with the Council we have created a sustainable model.

Our bid has been carefully thought out and reasoned through to ensure it provides best chances of protecting the future of Lydiard House and Park so it can continue to be enjoyed by the community as my great-grandfather intended.”

Mike Bowden, Chairman of community bidders Lydiard Park Heritage Trust, said: “The Localism Act (which gives rise to the moratorium) does not require or envisage a pause such as the one we’ve had. It simply prohibits the council from entering into a binding agreement such as a lease with anyone other than a qualifying community group during the moratorium period.

“We are surprised that Swindon Borough Council did not use the early weeks of the period to meet with appropriate bidders and better understand their proposals for the future of Lydiard.”

Get homebuilding and renovation tips at NSBRC January Show

Peatmoor Travel Ambassadors appealing to drivers not to put children in danger

Travel Ambassadors at Peatmoor Primary School won a glass trophy from Modeshift in December for their effort in persuading parents to reduce the number of car journeys to and from school.

In response to parent emails about the parking problems at Peatmoor Village Centre and dangers to pedestrians, they arranged for a sign to be displayed to persuade people not to park on the bend leading up to the school entrance.

The ambassadors also made whole school presentations so that children would pass the information onto parents and were actively involved

in Walk to School Week and The Big Pedal to try and reduce the number of cars around the school.

Headteacher Donna Eaton said: “The pupils took the issue very seriously and worked very hard to promote the ‘walk don’t drive’ and ‘think before you park’ messages.

“Traffic seems to have eased as a result but they will continue to monitor the situation."

The youngsters are now going to talk to Swindon Council to suggest a one way system around Peatmoor Centre to prevent cars passing each other in the narrow approaches to the centre.

The National Self Build and Renovation Centre will once again be throwing open its doors to the public on 27 - 29 January, showcasing the best tips and tricks for building your own home or renovating your existing space as part of their biggest show of the year.

The centre, situated on the Lydiard Fields industrial area near Junction 16, offers 67,000 square feet of exhibition space and this year’s show will take full advantage of that space with over 200 exhibitors as well as live demonstrations of techniques and practices that will enhance your project or provide solutions to those problem builds.

Experts are routinely on hand at the NSBRC, but will be offering their advice to all comers on the day at a variety of workshops and seminars to cover all aspects of

renovation and building your own home.

Architects and designers will also be on hand to guide you through the process of creating your vision and the appropriate legal requirements of your individual circumstances, as well as several major building and renovation companies and providers who will all be able to provide you with quotes on the day for your project.

To book your free tickets ahead of the show or for more information, visit www.nsbrc.co.uk Tickets on the day: £12 per person. swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Community News

The deal is off: North Star site developer is dropped Ambitious plans to create a major leisure destination at North Star have been thrown into doubt after Swindon Borough Council served notice to end the development agreement with Moirai Capital Investments Limited.

But Cllr Garry Perkins, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for the economy, regeneration and skills said he is confident that other developers will be found to pursue the council’s vision.

The decision was taken after proposals by Moirai to transform the area with more than £100m of investment stalled.

The council served Moirai notice of its intention to terminate the development agreement and three of the leases granted to the developer covering the former Clares site, which had been earmarked for an indoor ski slope, water park, a hotel and other leisure-related retail.

The council has the right to end the agreement and the leases if key targets are not met.

Moirai has until 12 January to fulfil the terms of the notice otherwise the development and the leases will automatically terminate.

all parties including ward members and cabinet members.

Cllr Perkins said: “The North Star leisure scheme is one of the Council’s Pledges so is vitally important to us as it will provide a huge boost to the town in terms of attracting visitors, inward investment and jobs.

“This is why we have taken the decision to serve a notice of termination of the development An artist’s impression of what had been proposed for the North Star site agreement on Moirai as we need to The council has said it wants The lease covering the Oasis press ahead with these plans and to speed up progress on the site Leisure Centre will not be put Swindon on the map. and will explore the best options affected by the termination of Moirai has done a great job with to enable the scheme to proceed. the development agreement as the Oasis by investing millions of With this in mind, it recently gave Moirai has fulfilled its contractual pounds and turning the facility into the go-ahead for the creation of a obligations for the Oasis lease. one that was costing the council £50m commercial investment fund.

Under the development money to run, into a leisure centre The North Star decision follows agreement, Moirai was contracted that now returns a significant the recent initiative to take a more to refurbish the Oasis, which the annual return. hands-on role at the Wichelstowe company has confirmed cost them “The council has given Moirai development, which will see in the region of £3m. enough opportunity to take forward the Council lead on providing a To date, the council has also saved its plans but, ultimately, the council restaurant, housing for older people almost £2m through the Oasis lease cannot hang on indefinitely and and residential development. and received an annual rent from we have had to take this decisive Should Moirai fail to obtain Moirai since the lease was signed. action. We have a number of planning permission within the Moirai was identified as the options we can pursue to ensure termination notice period, options preferred private operator for the this ambitious vision is achieved for taking the regeneration project leisure scheme following a bid and we are confident that we can forward will be developed over the process that was evaluated by still create a landmark scheme that next few months. council officers and councillors from Swindon can be proud of.”

£20m town centre plans unveiled

Director of Forward Swindon Paul Chamberlain describes the plan

Ambitious plans to revamp Swindon town centre have been unveiled – and members of the public have been invited to have their say.

The £20m project, which was put on show in the town centre, will see the redevelopment of the Aspen House and Granville Street area.

Plans by Forward Swindon include the building of 188 homes and a ground floor retail development as part of a five-year-plan to breathe new life into the town centre.

Director of Forward Swindon, Paul Chamberlain, said: “A lot of thought has gone into these proposals. We want to deliver it in a way that is commercially viable and that works

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within the constraints of the site.

“We feel that the plan we have put together ticks lots of boxes and is in the spirit of what was set out in the town’s masterplan.

The 188 residential units will be built in two linked but separate blocks. The plan also sees a continuation and expansion of the current town centre shopping area.

The two shopping areas outlined in the plan will be linked with a pedestrianised route.

There will also be four distinct blocks of new housing alongside shops and cafes.

For more information visit www.aspen-house.com

swindonlink.com n January 2017

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16/12/2016 09:54

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14/12/2016 16:54

Community News

Enthusiastic about year ahead It’s been an ‘interesting’ year for North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson.

He’s moved office, been reshuffled from his ministerial position and is having to come to terms with being officially ‘middle aged’.

But the former nightclub manager, who celebrated his 40th birthday last month, is brimming with unbridled enthusiasm for the challenges ahead.

Speaking from his constituency office at the Customer Service Hub in the Orbital Shopping Park, he admitted that he was disappointed to be replaced as Disabilities Minister, following a 14-month stint, But it is clear that this recent setback has done little to dampen his passion for representing his constituency.

“I can’t believe how lucky I am. I’m immensely proud to represent the local community.

“If I was given the opportunity to take on a ministerial post again I would obviously jump at the chance, and in her letter to me, Theresa May didn’t rule anything out. I was lucky to have been given

the opportunity because there are so many people out there in the ‘running pack’ who don’t get offered the chance.

“The way I see it, there are three types of ex-minister, those who resign themselves to never being part of the ministerial team again, those who have a big sulk and devote themselves to attacking the government or those who understand that being given a ministerial position is not a right, it’s a privilege. I understand the decision that she had to make, because there are so many other good people out there who are able to fill these posts.”

He explained that working as a constituency MP has lost none of its appeal in the 16 years that he has served the community as councillor and MP. “I’m a genuine local resident and I take great pride in the way that I can use my position to help bring together different community groups and organisations to help get things done. I see my role as a facilitator, which is where I can be most valuable.”

This year, Justin has relocated his constituency office from its former

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson - enthusiastic about the future

Milton Road base to a new home at the Hub in the Swindon Orbital Park.

“This is a great location, much more accessible than the Milton Road office. My constituents here in North Swindon are quite a transient group. We have a lot of renters who are here for a relatively short time and then move on. So this office acts as a valuable focal point for people and organisations.”

He explained that the new space is being made available, free of charge, to a wide range of community groups. The new

office will host public meetings on local issues, policy forums where residents can share their views as well as drop in events to provide useful information.

Recently, the office has been used by the local Samaritans group to undertake their volunteer training, the North Swindon jobs fair and a venue for Macmillan Cancer Support’s annual coffee morning.

Any community groups that would like to make use of the community office can contact Justin’s team on 01793 533393 or email Justin. tomlinson.mp@parliament.co.uk

‘I’ve become part of the furniture’ - MP Robert Buckland

South Swindon MP Robert Buckland has become an established part of the Swindon political landscape in the six years since he was elected.

Working from his ‘cosy’ office in Wood Street, the walls lined with the work of local artists, Mr Buckland relishes his role as a constituency MP. For all its challenges and the huge workload involved, it is this key part of his role that he says brings him the most satisfaction - the aspect where he feels he can make the most impact on the lives of those living in his constituency.

“I do have a good relationship with most people in Swindon. I’ve been in this position so long that I get people recognising me in the street all the time.

I suppose I have become part of the furniture now.

That is the part of the job that I enjoy the most. We have a small team and we have a large workload.

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Since 2010, we have had 16,000 items of casework. We try to cover as many of these as we can - I’m lucky to have such a good team that helps me do that.

“Swindon’s a microcosm of the rest of the country, within my constituency you have rural areas and other parts of Swindon which share many of the features of inner city areas. The range of case work that I get presented with reflects

that diversity. There’s never a dull moment.”

Turning to the recent broadside levelled at Swindon’s primary and secondary schools by South West regional director of Ofsted, Bradley Simmons, Mr Buckland agreed that the blanket criticism was ‘not helpful’ whilst recognising that there were some key issues that needed to be addressed.

Responding to concerns by teachers over funding allocated to pupils in Swindon, which is significantly lower that other similar areas, Mr Buckland said: “We have seen an increase of £150 for pupil premium payments and I am aware that this is something that the Secretary of State is looking at closely.

“It is important to pull together as an educational community. The letter from Mr Simmons failed to acknowledge a lot of good work that is going on in our schools.

For example, Dorcan have just had their best results in three years, so we are going in the right direction.

A lot of this work has been going on already before Mr Simmons sent that letter out. I live in the

community and I’m a parent. I visit schools all the time and most of the time the atmosphere is appropriate.

We should use these criticisms as a platform to build on.

“We stand ready to help these schools. It’s about getting it right.

This is not about party politics.”

Turning to the decision by Swindon Borough Council to close 10 libraries in the town, Mr Buckland was keen to highlight the efforts made by campaigners to ensure that Parks library was included in the core provision raising the number from four libraries to five.

“The Parks Library is vital for that area of Swindon. It is essential for job seekers and provides a wider community role in this area where there is a lot of social deprivation.

We have been working hard to see if we can maintain the network, by looking at partnership approaches. There is a lot of work going on to bring people together, we shall see what the new year brings.”

Robert can be contacted on 01793 533 393, or via email: robert.buckland.mp@parliament.uk

swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Community News

The Spirit of Swindon: Fuel poverty and just about managing – or not.

By Tom Wilkes on behalf of Spirit of Swindon At the beginning of last year, how many of us were convinced that the UK would vote to leave the EU and Donald Trump would be elected as the new President of the USA? The odds may not have been high yet both events happened and highlighted deep divisions in the two nations.

Although a number of factors are agreed to have been at work in both countries, one which has regularly featured in commentaries is inequality – the sense that the gap between the rich and the poor has been increasing. While some are enjoying greater opportunity and prosperity, more and more people feel they have been left behind or left out. Increasing numbers are finding it hard to make ends meet.

‘The system’ is not working.

Last month, in the first article for Spirit of Swindon we pointed out four things: First, that economic inequality is bad for everyone – the most affluent as well as the least.

Second, the UK is one of the most economically unequal developed countries, significantly more so than otherwise similar nations. Third, the strength of our economic base

12

One in ten households in Swindon experience fuel poverty

combined with our remarkable community spirit and networks mean Swindon is well placed to address inequality issues in our own town and give a lead to others.

Last, but not least, that instead of wringing our hands or saying the issues are too complex, each one of us can decide we have a part to play and do one thing that can make a difference. It may be for an individual or family or it could be for a workforce. Both matter!

Recently we have been hearing about ‘JAMs’ – those who are ‘just about managing’. The line between managing and not managing any longer can be thin. Spirit of Swindon was told the story of a mother with a teenage daughter who works in school as a ‘dinner lady’ and has cared for her own mother, who lives

next door, for over 20 years. The central heating in her house only gets turned on when visitors come, the rest of the time she wears lots of layers and blankets to keep warm in winter or goes to bed early.

When the electricity runs out she will often live in the dark. She was looking for other work but it has proved hard to find a job which fits around child care for her daughter.

The Government publishes figures for ‘Fuel Poverty’ which are supplied by Local Authorities. In 2013 Swindon estimated that out of 93,120 households, 9,115 could be assessed as ‘Fuel Poor’. This is 9.8% of households; a little better than the national figure of 10.6% but worrying. Given that one in 10 households in our town experience fuel poverty it is very likely you may

live near someone who is cutting back on their light or heating in order to make ends meet. Many older people are anxious about the size of their gas or electricity bill.

Not everyone will be willing to talk about their fears or how they are ‘just about managing’ – or not – but the one thing you could do this month is find someone who is experiencing fuel poverty and listen to their story. If you already know someone you could contact their supplier to get advice or support on their behalf. Alternatively you could organise an activity at your workplace to raise awareness of fuel poverty and encourage colleagues to visit neighbours. You may have much more imaginative ideas. Let us know what they are by emailing publisher@swindonlink.com with ‘Spirit of Swindon’ as the subject.

Our borough council has produced a very clear way of visualising some of the issues linked to inequality and going deeper into the statistics at swindonjsna.co.uk/pictures Spirit of Swindon has emerged from a gathering of people who want to raise consciousness of the impact of economic inequality and help Swindon offer a lead to other towns and cities in the UK.

swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Education News

Call for new Zebra crossing to be made safer after major accident A recently built Zebra crossing on Hay Lane in Grange Park, close to Tregoze Primary School, was the site of a road traffic accident on 21 November and the campaigner, who succeeded in having it built, is calling for extra pedestrian safety measures to be installed.

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy student Dylan Grother, 14, was crossing the road under the flashing orange beacons when he was hit by the driver of a Ford Focus travelling from Grange Park Way. A witness to the near tragedy said he ‘flew through the air.’ Dylan ended up by the bus stop about 30 metres further along Hay Lane close to where fellow students were waiting for the school bus.

Dylan’s parents were told by the police that his injuries were consistent with being hit at 30mph to 35mph.

Dylan spent twelve days in hospital after suffering broken bones in his right foot, a broken ankle, broken nose, facial bruising and broken vertebrae which required surgery. He has to wear a back brace for support and is not expected to return to school until mid-January.

A keen sportsman, Dylan had just starting training again after breaking his left leg twice in the

last year, November 2015 and April 2016. He won’t be able to play sport until after the pins and rods holding his back together are removed in twelve months time.

Recalling the accident Dylan said: “I mentioned to my parents two weeks before that some drivers were speeding along the road and ignoring the crossing. On the day the red car on my right had stopped and I remember looking to my left as I stepped out but the Ford just kept on coming and I couldn’t do anything about it.

“I really thought I was in a dream until I woke up facing the sky, seeing all the faces looking down and the pain kicked in. I was wearing a heavy coat with the hood up which I think reduced the impact on my head as it smashed the windscreen.”

Get well cards and emails flooded in wishing Dylan well, including a video message from his hero, Welsh rugby fly-half Dan Biggar.

Dad Leon Grother said: “I was at home and one of the students ran over to get me. Dylan’s friends had dialled 999 and were so sensible, even in their shock, using their coats to keep him warm until the ambulance arrived. I was able to travel to hospital with Dylan where he was operated on.”

His mum Clarisse said: “Some drivers seem to think Hay Lane is like a country back road when in fact it has become so busy over recent years.”

Grange Park mum Tracey Boxall, who campaigned for the crossing to be built said: “I was absolutely devastated that the crossing had

Grange Park residents Tracey Boxall and Leon Grother using the Hay Lane Zebra crossing

become the site of an accident, I bawled my eyes out when I heard.

“The parents who signed petitions and pressed councillors to provide safe pedestrian access to and from Tregoze Primary School had become really worried that, one day, there would be something like this on Hay Lane. There had been repeated

Dylan, recovering in Great Western Hospital in late November

calls to make the road safer over the last 25 years.

“I was so glad to meet Dylan and his parents before Christmas. It has made me more determined to make Hay Lane safer and I would appeal to drivers to keep their speed under control and pay attention to the Zebra crossing.”

The road has become much busier because of people driving children to the primary school as well as Lydiard Park Academy close-by.

Traffic congestion in other parts of West Swindon has increased considerably over the last few years and more drivers have been trying to find their way round the blockages, including using Hay Lane.

Tracey added: “The road has to be made less attractive as a rat run and I’m calling for immediate adjustment to the lights over the Zebra, better signage, and will be pressing our local councillors to support chicanes on Hay Lane off Grange Park Way to slow traffic approaching the crossing.”

Climbers for rare eye disease return from Kilimanjaro

Dylan, making his way downstairs, with his mother Clarisse

West Swindon Community Join Now

Three intrepid trekkers from Swindon have described their climb to the thin atmosphere at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro as ‘incredibly tough, but unforgettable.’

Ian Lawrence, Dan Hopkins and Becky Prince were raising money for research into the incurable genetically inherited disease Retinitis Pigmentosa suffered by Dan who is registered as severely sight impaired. His eyesight is essentially tunnel vision and he is virtually blind in the dark. Ian and Dan trained together. Climbing to 19,000 feet with decreasing oxygen was particularly tough, with Ian guiding Dan around obstacles and ensuring he did not stumble into holes in the track.

The final steep climb to the summit before sunrise was really

fly the RP Fighting Blindness flag.

“Then the Tanzanian guides were keen to get us down in case the altitude made things worse for us.

Dan said: “The whole experience was amazing but I couldn’t have climbed without Ian - I’m lucky to have been able to have taken on the challenge.”

“We all miss the adventure and the lovely group we travelled and went through our difficulties with. We miss the breathtaking scenery and the local guides who were really quite incredible.”

Top of Africa, from left, Ian Lawrence, The three climbers from Dan Hopkins and Gareth Griffiths Wanborough were joined by Ian’s brother-in-law Gareth. hard said Ian. “It was gruelling for To boost the charity RP Fighting everybody and we all reached the Blindness, donations can continue top at different times, but it was to be made at: incredible to get there. None of us were thinking straight and forgot to www.justgiving.com/IRLawrence swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Education News

Primary school in Toothill wins literacy accolade Oliver Tomkins Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School received a national award for its work to boost the resilience, wellbeing and self-esteem of all pupils.

The Quality Mark Award from education charity Achievement for All was received in midNovember in recognition of the work to improve progress in reading, writing and maths for pupils.

Headteacher Rhian Cockwell said: “AFA has enabled us to strengthen the impact we have on all children using a variety of approaches. Having Julie Warburton as the school champion has ensured a ‘joined-up’ approach to maintain communication between all and ensure learners are better supported.

“We were especially pleased to have recognition for our nurture programmes and that this was seen as a real strength in Oliver Tomkins with resources well deployed to

Youngsters at Oliver Tomkins Primary School holding the Achievement for All award with headteacher Rhian Cockwell, right, and deputy headteacher Julie Warburton

effectively support children. It also identified the number of out of hours clubs that are provided in a targeted way to support children’s learning; the children speak positively about our homework and reading clubs.”

Achievement for All works closely with parents, carers, teachers and individual children to secure the best outcome and attainment through personalised and specific targets. The unique programmes are delivered directly to schools and settings via a highly skilled and trained team of expert coaches and a specialist online support tool called The Bubble.

Kim Mole of Achievement for All, commented: “Oliver Tomkins has shown a high quality of leadership and teamwork. The quality and standard of children’s work in terms of content and presentation was of a consistently high standard across the school.”

Much loved school administrator retires Millbrook Primary School manager Gill Peachey, née Wilson, who retired after 30 years in December, must hold some kind of record.

During her earlier years at Windmill Hill Primary which opened in 1987 and amalgamated with Freshbrook Primary to create Millbrook in 2007, she estimated she helped remove more than 400 milk teeth.

She said: “Children would come to school and, as they do, fiddle with loose teeth, sometimes hurting themselves. The teachers didn’t like pulling them in front of the class, so they sent children to me. Of course you couldn’t do anything like that now.

“I would give them the tooth in an envelope to put under their pillow that night. One day a girl came to me in floods of tears because she had lost her envelope and asked if I would write to the tooth fairy asking her to leave the money.

Gill came to Swindon from a very busy job at IPC magazines in London’s Fleet Street, as assistant to the editor of Women’s Own and later Ideal Homes. She said: “In those days it was all cutting and pasting, not a computer to be seen.

If the editor didn’t like something, it all had to be done again.

“I started as a carer at Freshbrook playgroup, but when the job as school secretary at the new Windmill Hill Primary School came up I knew I’d love it. It involved just

about everything, from checking the delivery of new furniture before the school opened, to translating for Japanese families connected with Honda, and of course pulling teeth.

“At that time Freshbrook Primary School was growing very quickly and eventually had nearly 900 children, people said it was Britain’s largest primary. Windmill Hill under Mr Messenger took the pressure off and it quickly developed its own identity.”

Fifteen years later, when the baby bulge eased, the required number of primary places reduced and Swindon Council proposed to create one school in Freshbrook.

Gill remembers the distress amongst parents well. “Many were terribly upset at the idea their small school would shut. Eventually the decision was to combine the schools and Millbrook opened in 2007. But we had to operate on two sites until 2009 when the new building was

completed.

“I had always worked closely with Louise Spencer, the Freshbrook school manager, so we were able to keep administration running smoothly. We’ve had about six years of calm since the school settled into the current building and now we’re oversubscribed.

“For me and all the staff, it’s always been about the children and we always tried not to let outside stuff get in the way of the happiness and their desire to learn.

“I just love chatting and creating a positive atmosphere, welcoming new parents so that they are happy

about leaving their most treasured possession with us.”

The word went out to former and present pupils, staff and parents during the Autumn to send in their Peachey Pie Memories which Gill started to open at the beginning of December. “I’ve been reminded of so many moments such as when Jonathan Rabbitt told me he wanted to be a doctor when I was applying a plaster to his finger.

“I’ve opened so many lovely letters of appreciation and thanks, I’ll admit to some tears. I’m sure there will be a few more at the end of term,” said Gill.

Youngsters from Tregoze Primary School visited Link magazine in mid-November to discover the details of putting together a publication and how many similarities there are with their school work, such as communication and teamwork, writing to a deadline and making sure work is checked for errors before it is handed in.

The school is involved in the Erasmus Plus exchange programme with five other schools across Europe and the visit was part of a project to share writing. swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Community News

Energising Swindon in 2017

Swindon has an unbelievable amount going for it - a huge and busy voluntary sector and grassroots community groups, a hive of cultural activity, lots of interest in history and heritage, a growing media scene, many regeneration plans, and a great entrepreneurial spirit.

But we’re our own worst critics who seem to either delight in Lord Joffe, centre left, at a reception held by Justin Tomlinson MP and Robert putting ourselves down, or don’t Buckland MP in early November for members of voluntary organisations who took part in a whole day’s broadcasting on Swindon 105.5, sponsored by the bother to look at the good things Zurich Community Trust we’ve got, according to Lord Joel Joffe. snob and not acknowledge I lived felt frustrated or angry by the way He admits being somewhat Swindon.” they were being taken advantage of, negative in the past even though Since retiring from the House of or their ideas ignored. he made charitable giving a central Lords in 2015, Joel has been on “It was clear to me participants part of his businesses since moving needed to be brought together to to Swindon in the 1970s. The Zurich a mission to rediscover Swindon talk about how the voluntary sector Community Trust, (formerly Hambro by talking to a wide range of community representatives, council and the council could work together Life and Allied Dunbar community officials and business people. He “There is so much that works well; trusts), is now one of the UK’s said: “I was astonished by the Swindon really is a great town on largest corporate givers with a very range of community and cultural the verge of being much better.” high percentage of staff involved in organisations in the town - it’s a After several months of research payroll giving. huge social resource to tap into. in 2016, two gatherings of voluntary “I used to drive to work in the “But I was concerned that the organisations and council staff took town centre and back to Liddington level of citizen engagement was place under Joel’s watchful eye in but had little time to spend on the declining, some of the people September and early November. community, although I was aware Richard Hill, Voluntary Action Swindon was a busy place,” said Joel. already in the voluntary sector were increasingly demotivated, and some Swindon chief executive, and Patrick “But at times I would be a bit of a

Weir, Swindon Council’s head of localities and volunteering, jointly coordinate the working group of some 50 people which has been looking at: • sharing knowledge and taking action to stimulate volunteering; • celebrating Swindon and encouraging civic pride; • improving communications within and between sectors and in communities; • supporting employment for people with physical and mental difficulties; • innovation funding and skills development.

Richard Hill said: “It’s an ambitious initiative and everyone involved so far is contributing in a spirit of real collaboration, with positivity and a focus on the future, rather than dwelling on what has happened in the past.

“If we continue to pull together in the same way, concentrating and building on the positives of Swindon, then we’ll make a big difference to creating a stronger civil society in our town.”

To find out more and participate in the initiative, contact Richard Hill: richard@vas-swindon.org

Can Swindon become a model of fairness and opportunity?

January conference to bring people together Voluntary Action Swindon (VAS) and Swindon Equality Coalition are launching a new campaign to raise awareness of equality issues and promote fairness and inclusion in the town, and are seeking local people to take part in it.

“By raising and addressing equality issues, we aim to make Swindon a model of fairness and opportunity, where people can aspire and achieve to their best ability, and as a town we reach our full potential,” said Hannah Parry, development officer at Voluntary Action Swindon.

“The past year has seen awful events take place such as the homophobic terrorist attack in Orlando, the murder of Jo Cox MP and a significant rise in race-related hate crime in the UK and US. “There is still a need for debate in our communities about inclusion and we hope to bring this about with the support of the Swindon community”.

The campaign is called the ‘Swindon200 Project’ and will seek to sign up 200 people as ‘Equality Ambassadors’ who will help to shape and take this work forward

16

© Justin Smythe during 2017.

Hannah commented: “The name for the project was inspired by the 175th Anniversary of ‘New Swindon’ in 2016. We felt we should take the opportunity to celebrate our past and where we are today, and also think about what kind of town we want to live in and to encourage people to take an active and positive role in shaping Swindon for the future. This is about the power and potential of what can happen when people come together to affect and create change.”

This fits with Swindon Borough Council’s vision for the town launched in 2016 which says: ‘[Swindon] will remain, at heart, a place of fairness and opportunity where people can aspire to and

achieve prosperity, supported by strong civic and community leadership.’

Janey Templar-Milligan, member of Swindon Equality Coalition, said: “By raising awareness of equality, we also hope that more people will feel confident in coming forwards and raising issues that they may have personally faced.”

A specific website is being developed to signpost people to where they can find information and support and a series of short films on a range of equality issues is being produced in partnership with students at New College and local charity Viewpoint Community Media.

A new ‘Swindon Equality and Inclusion Charter’ will also

be launched at a community conference at the National Trust HQ on Saturday 21 January, which is open to members of community and voluntary sector organisations in Swindon.

VAS has been commissioned by Swindon Borough Council to deliver this work, which seeks to increase the number of Swindon residents’ engaged in equality issues, as well as the number of issues being raised. The Equality Act gives public authorities responsibility to ensure there is dialogue about issues of equality and inequality, making sure that as many people as possible have good access to services and do not experience unlawful discrimination.

Hannah added: “We are keen to partner with other local community and voluntary groups and large employers. So far, the National Trust have offered their support for this project and we are hoping that other large employers will offer their support for this campaign.

To become involved in this initiative, contact Hannah Parry: hannah@vas-swindon.org or call 01793 538398.

swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Family News

Places for 0 to 2 year olds after nursery expands

On the treadmill to recovery

At the MS Centre, from left, physio assistant Carolyn Hill, physio lead Carol Lawrence and Kristian Barker-White

It would be fair to say the baby unit at Imagination Nursery in Moredon, which opened in September, is booming.

The nursery has grown into a successful business after proprietor Becky Shore launched the enterprise in September 2015.

Becky said: “Starting a baby unit wasn’t part of my business plan, but when Swindon Council decided to close its children’s centres to create a family support hub, the opportunity was there to take over the part of the building which was occupied by Moredon Children’s Centre.”

She added: “Opening a nursery of

my own was always my dream and I’ve had such wonderful backing from my parents to start the business and Swindon Council have been very helpful.

“We can now take children from three months to two years and we’ve had some very appreciative comments from parents. They really like the homely atmosphere we set out to create. We plan everything around the children’s needs and involve the whole family in creating a nurturing environment.

To find out more, contact Becky on 07501 919 057 or becky@ imagination-childcare.co.uk www.imaginationchildcareuk.co.uk

An anti-gravity treadmill is revolutionising treatment for patients at Swindon Therapy Centre.

The new equipment, costing more than £30,000, was developed with NASA technology and is the first of its kind in Wiltshire.

Physio lead Carol Lawrence explained how it works. “It’s helpful because the machine supports the body weight which means that patients can exercise without impacting their joints.”

The AlterG treadmill also has a camera allowing both the patient and staff to examine foot placement and gait. Carol added: “This is useful for us to help retrain how people walk - allowing us to improve walking habits.”

Father of four, Kristian Barker-

White, a former competitor in the British Masters Judo squad, commented: “I suffer from osteoarthritis in my knees and I need to build muscle strength before I have an operation.

“I get a lot of pain but this treadmill lets me exercise without putting pressure on the joints. It’s brilliant.”

The equipment was funded by a donation from Christian Landolt, the owner of Whatley Manor Hotel.

The MS Therapy Centre, at Westmead Drive, Westlea has supported people with MS and other neurological conditions for more than 30 years. For details of oxygen therapy and physio-therapy services on offer, call 01793 481700. www.msswindon.org.uk

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Community News

Making the festive season brighter for the less advantaged Westlea 6 year old helps families in Bulgaria Generous and imaginative Isabel Fraser celebrated her sixth birthday in late November on the day 70 Christmas shoe boxes were collected by the Trussell Trust from Westlea Primary School.

Although the Salisbury based charity is well known for setting up and supporting the foodbank network across Britain, working with the Foundation for Social Change and Inclusion, they also work to break the cycle of poverty in Bulgaria, the EU’s poorest country, where child trafficking

and prostitution is widespread.

Supporters were asked to collect small items like toiletries, gloves, pencils and paper and toys and useful items such as candles and sewing kits suitable for recipients in 12 categories.

Isabel excelled herself by making up 12 boxes. Westlea headteacher Rose Carberry said: “Isabel was so generous and showed amazing thought in putting the boxes together so that boys and girls in different age groups who open them will be delighted.”

Sending gifts to Romania

Marion, second from right, with volunteers who helped her pack the gifts for collection to Romania

Marion Jeffels from Abbey Meads coordinated a collection of Christmas gifts on behalf of the St Francis Of Deva Foundation in Romania, which she has done for several years.

Marion funds the Christmas gifts whilst friends across Swindon collect nearly new clothing to be distributed to children looked after in the care home and the community of Bacau.

Romanian and Hungarian people in Swindon help her overcome the language challenge.

Marion said: “Eva and Georg CIobotaru, the houseparents in

Bacau, have hearts of gold for all the orphan children. I have visited them and really feel humbled by their life with all these boys and girls whose parents have abandoned them.

“The gifts and clothing are picked up and delivered by Crespo, a brilliant Romanian company who ensure the parcels are at St Patrick’s House.”

Marion also helps supply fresh fruit to St Francis Of Deva Children in Szovata. If you would like to provide support to the St Francis Of Deva Foundation, mail: marion. jeffels@icloud.com

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Director of SMAG, Hadrian Ellory van Dekker with a model of the proposed new museum and art gallery

A vision of Swindon’s proposed new £22m museum and art gallery has been unveiled. Partners and stakeholders have lifted the lid on details of an ambitious plan which promises to revitalise the town centre and secure Swindon’s place as a cultural hub with the creation of an iconic landmark.

Architects were challenged to submit their proposals to transform the site of the former Wyvern Theatre multi-story and ground level car park into the home of a museum and art gallery housing the town’s nationally significant collection of British 20th Century modern art, which includes works

by Lucian Freud, Henry Moore, LS Lowry and Graham Sutherland.

The new building will sit on the footprint of the now demolished multi-story car park overlooking a

large plaza next to Princes Street.

The architects were also asked to create a landmark destination that would form the centrepiece of Swindon’s new cultural quarter, become a significant source of pride and wellbeing for residents and businesses, and attract visitors to Swindon from the wider region and beyond. The winning design, realised in a 3d model, was put on show at Swindon’s current Art Gallery and Museum on Bath Road.

As part of its fund-raising strategy the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery (SMAG) Trust will be applying to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in November for a grant of around £10 million towards the £22 million project.

Make Architects, whose founder Ken Shuttleworth lives in Wiltshire, were selected to develop the design

concepts to submit to the HLF as part of the bid. Make’s proposal, designed with Arup, Steenson Varming and Alinea, presents a cutting edge venue that includes learning centres, event spaces, cafe and dining areas, a viewing gallery and a generous public realm.

Alongside these are four flexible independent gallery spaces.

The founder of Make Architects, Ken Shuttleworth, said: “Our team is extremely excited by the immense potential of the site. We believe the development of the space is a fantastic opportunity to create a beautiful cultural destination in the heart of Swindon that safeguards, enhances and celebrates the area’s collections, and creates a new and engaging public realm that draws and excites visitors.”

Director of SMAG, Hadrian Ellory

van Dekker, said the design reflected the town’s cultural heritage, was sensitive to the demands of the site and fulfilled the requirements of housing and displaying the town’s collection.

“This was the design that really stood out for us. We didn’t want something safe, or just another glass cube, we wanted something that shows the architects have really thought carefully about the site and how best to show off our wonderful collection.”

Swindon Borough Council has already pledged £5 million towards the project. The Swindon Museum and Art Gallery trust will submit their application for around £10m of Heritage Lottery Fund money in November 2017, where the bid will compete for a national annual allocation of £50m.

e ale s s v i s r S gain etail s a Ma Ye y Bar full d w spla for e N i re D to Ex n S ll i Ca

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Swindon Wide MUSIC Friday 6th, 9pm Penfold continue to provide audiences with foot-tapping popular covers. Free entry. Rolleston Thursday 12th, 8pm Lounge Act at The Victoria - Jon Amor, Mike Barham & more.

The Victoria welcomes acoustic performers for a chilled out night of locally sourced musical delight. £3 otd.

The Victoria Saturday 14th, 7.30pm Swindon Recital Series. A stylish evening of classical Cabaret, exploring the lighter (and darker) side of the early twentieth century, featuring Polly Leech, Jennifer Coleman and Paul Turner. £16; concessions £2.50 off. Arts Centre Saturday 14th, 7.30pm

WHAT’S ON SWINDON CHILDREN & FAMILY Until Sunday 8th, 1pm & 5pm & 7pm

Cinderella. The Wyvern Theatre’s 2016/2017 panto will be the fairest in all of Swindon, when the enchanting tale of Cinderella takes to the stage, starring Ryan Thomas, £19 - £31.50; concessions £2 off.

Wyvern Friday 27th to Saturday 28th, 7.30pm Thames Water Panto - Aladdin, Jam and Jerusalem. Staff from Thames Water return for their 20th year. This time they are making a pantomime, about making a pantomime. £13. Wyvern

DRAMA Tuesday 17th, 7.30pm

Supreme Queen have been paying homage to the world’s most theatrical and dramatic rock band, Queen since 1995. £25.50. Wyvern Saturday 14th, 7.30pm Ben and Tom Waters Celebrated father/son piano and saxophone duo playing boogie woogie, rock ‘n’ roll and blues. £17.50. Arts Centre Thursday 19th, 7.30pm

From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads.

Adrian Berry’s acclaimed sell-out production returns in this tale of a young David Bowie obsessive. £15. Friends discount £1. Arts Centre Wednesday 25th to 28th, 7.30pm

Saturday

Phoenix Players: Cat’s Cradle

By Leslie Sands. An almost forgotten kidnapping and perhaps murder that was never resolved. £11; concessions £1 off. Arts Centre

FILM Wednesday 18th, 7.45pm Marshland (15) Swindon Film Society. Arts Centre Swindon Film Society (SFS) films are for members only. It is possible to Chicago Blues Brothers. This awardjoin at any film screening. winning spectacular is Europe’s biggest and best-loved production Friday 27th, 7.15pm of the Blues Brothers. £26. Wyvern Saturday 21st, 7.30pm Think Floyd. Renowned for their stunning celebration of one of the world’s greatest musical icons, with over 20 years experience faithfully recreating the sound of Pink Floyd live. £25.50. Wyvern Saturday 28th, 8pm StillMarillion. Established tribute to the Fish era of prog rock band Marillion. £8 adv & otd. The Victoria

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Tangerines (15) Highworth Community Cinema presents this academy award winning film set during the war in Abkhazia in the early 1990s. £5. St Michael’s Hall

swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Swindon Wide

SWINDON COMEDY Wednesday 11th, 7.30pm John Shuttleworth - My Last Will and Tasty Mint Shuttleworth hits the road for his farewell tour. £12.

Arts Centre Friday 13th, 7.30pm The Adult Panto - Puss and Dick The Market Theatre Company give the older generation an alternative to family pantomime. £20. Group discounts available. Wyvern Theatre Wednesday 18th, 8pm

Ross Noble. Everybody’s favourite randomist is back, again, following a sell-out visit in 2016. £27.50.

Wyvern Friday 20th, 8pm Andrew Lawrence. Live at the Apollo comedic star known for his politically incorrect humour. £16.50; concessions £2 off. Arts Centre Saturday 21st, 8pm Shazia Mirza follows an acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe run by taking her new show on tour. £16.50. Arts Centre Friday 22nd, 8pm

Whitewed Directory Wedding Shows Planning your big day is really exciting. These events are a great way to meet your prospective quality wedding suppliers in a relaxed atmosphere and to find out everything you need to plan the perfect day.

Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester: 8 January, 11am-3pm Chiseldon House, near Swindon: 8 January, 12-4pm The Crown of Crucis, near Cirencester: 15 January, 11am-3pm Westonbirt School, Tetbury: 22 January, 11am-3pm Marsh Farm, Royal Wootton Bassett: 29 January, 11am – 3pm Wellington Barn, near Calne: 5 February, 11am-3pm Swindon Marriott, Swindon: 12 February, 11am-3pm Neeld Hall, Chippenham: 12 February, 11am-3pm The Manor Barn, near Salisbury: 19 February, 11am-3pm Village Club, De Vere Swindon: 19 February, 11am-3pm Wrag Barn, Highworth: 5 March, 11am-3pm

Rendezvous Special For Two 1/4 Aromatic Crispy Duck OR Barbecue Ribs, Crispy Seaweed & Mini Vegetable Spring Rolls Choose 3 Dishes of your choice from our selection: Sweet & Sour Chicken (HK Style) Beef with Green Peppers in Black Bean Sauce Prawns with Ginger & Spring Onions Spicy Salt & Garlic Chicken Lemon Chicken Chicken Curry Chicken Chow Mein Satay Roast Pork HHH Egg Fried Rice, Prawn Crackers & Fortune Cookies

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Each wedding show is different and you’re sure to come home buzzing with ideas and inspiration.

For more information visit www.whitewed.directory

Omid Djalili - Shmuck for a Night. Award winning comedian and actor known for his legendary stand-up performances is back on a nationwide tour. £27.50. Wyvern

VARIETY Friday 20th, 7.30pm Circus of Horrors. The Circus of Horrors celebrates its 21st anniversary as it takes to the road with its latest incarnation; The Never-ending Nightmare. £26; concessions £3 off. Wyvern

DANCE Monday 30th, 3pm & 5.30pm Swindon Schools Dance Festival.

Primary and secondary schools from throughout Swindon and beyond come together to perform dances they have been preparing together, having been inspired by number one singles. £10; Under 16s £3 off.

Wyvern

Wanborough Farmers’ Market Saturday 21st, 9am Meat, vegetables, cakes and pies, honey, rapeseed oil, plants, milk and fairly traded goods. For more information call Sue or David Birley on 01793 790438 or email sbirley@gn.apc.org VENUES Arts Centre, Devizes Road SN1 4BJ. Tel: 01793 524481 The Rolleston, 73 Commercial Road, Swindon SN1 5NX. Tel: 01793 534238 St Michael’s Hall Lechlade Road, Highworth, SN6 7HQ. Tel: 01793 763907 Roves Farm, Sevenhampton, Nr Highworth SN6 7QG. Tel: 01793 763939 Swindon Information Centre, Central Library SN1 1QG. Tel: 01793 530328 Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, Bath Road SN1 4BA. Tel: 01793 466556 The Victoria, 88 Victoria Road, SN1 3BD. Tel: 01793 535713 Wyvern Theatre, Theatre Square SN1 1QN. Tel: 01793 524481 Confirm date, time & price with venue

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Swindon Wide

The last Link, back in the day Thirty years ago in January 1987 the Link in a newsletter format was published for the last time, writes former publisher Roger Ogle.

The very first, un-named, newsletter had appeared in December 1978 when Toothill resident Geoff Richmond put together an 18 page edition which was distributed to the first 600 homes in Toothill and Freshbrook.

The second edition in early 1979 carried the title Toothill Link, thanks to 12 year old Malcolm Patrick, though the place name was soon dropped as the western expansion grew to include other areas.

For the following eight years The Link appeared every 6 to 8 weeks, produced by a small group of volunteers coordinated by myself.

This was the pre-computer era when electronic communication was still science fiction. It was all very physical, with stories typed on paper, cut and pasted onto layout boards before printing.

For the first few editions the pages were hand stapled together before distribution by more volunteers.

Looking back at those very early editions, the appearance was very primitive. But in a rapidly expanding area community communication was essential so that people knew

what was going on and were kept informed about how to get involved.

The Link quickly became a point of reference for West Swindon which we promoted to create a distinct identity and to get away from the idea of the ‘western expansion.’

And we never miss the opportunity to remind readers that in 1984 Link Centre was named after the newsletter.

By late 1986 it was clear that a newsletter appearing eight times a year was inadequate and volunteer distribution to more than 8,000 homes, was not sustainable.

Another 3,000 homes were to be built to the west of the town and plans for town expansion to the north were taking shape.

Without any serious journalism experience and even less business sense I took the fateful decision to leave a secure job at Thamesdown Borough Council (now Swindon) to publish Link as a monthly from April 1987 with the same objectives: • available free of charge to every home in the target area; • providing very local news and information about opportunities to be part of their locality; • celebrating the efforts of people to build their communities.

Advertising has always been

crucial; apart from financial support from Thamesdown Council and Hambro Life Charitable Life, who funded the first two editions, every publication since March 1979 has paid for itself.

Despite developing into two related publications distributed free to 40,000 homes, in West & North Swindon and since September to Old Town, south and east Swindon, as well as a very busy presence online including Facebook and Twitter, the basic elements of the early days of The Link remain at the core of what it is today.

I believe The Link has always punched above its weight, its success built on a high level of relevant editorial and visual content, a passion for the target community, accuracy, absence of sensationalism and bit of wit included for good measure.

In the shadows has been my wife Ruth, very much the backbone of

the business and long enduring of the commitment required to deliver a quality publication.

The hard work needed to produce The Link has been more than offset by meeting the people who have worked so hard to create the communities they live in. After 38 years involvement, The Link is in good hands since being bought

by James Phipps in 2014 and now edited by Jamie Hill.

Although no longer in the frontline I’ll be contributing an archive column, revisiting past stories with photographs reminding readers what they used to look like.

Lottery supports application to look after church’s unique features St. Mary’s Church in Lydiard Park, on the third attempt, has received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to conserve its historic interiors.

The project will save the building’s medieval wall paintings and star spangled ceiling, repair the 17th Century monuments including ancient carved woodwork and the famous Golden Cavalier.

The grant of £131,700 towards the £186,700 phase will enable the church to complete its development plans and progress to applying for a full grant of £746,700 in 2017/18.

Public access will be improved and the hidden south porch will be reopened with a welcoming interpretation and activity area.

The church plans a wide range of educational activities and events as well as offering training and volunteer opportunities for local people, families, school children and higher education students. These will include hands on conservation workshops and skills training.

St. Mary’s stands behind Lydiard House and is famous for the richness of its monuments to the St.

Paul Gardner and heritage advisor and Friend of Lydiard Park Sarah Finch-Crisp inside St Mary’s

John family who lived at Lydiard for over 500 years. It currently attracts over 8,000 visitors a year from both this country and abroad, and is well used by local schools researching heritage on their doorstep.

Project champion, Rt. Reverend Dr Lee Rayfield, Bishop of Swindon said: “We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this support. St. Mary’s is a national treasure and preserving its unique features will benefit local people

and the nation’s heritage.”

Project manager Hilary Gardner commented: “It is wonderful news and we are immensely grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund. We’re very excited about taking our plans forward, especially working with the many organisations from across the town – The Friends of Lydiard Park, schools, colleges, local craft organisations, the Swindon Festival of Literature, Prime Theatre and many more – that have

enthusiastically supported the project and pledged their support and involvement.”

Paul Gardner, chair of the fund raising campaign, added: “We have successfully raised the match funding of £55,000 needed for this stage of the project and thank the Heritage Lottery Fund wholeheartedly for making this crucial award.

“HLF backing means our project is regarded as credible and will draw in grants from other sources.”

Nerys Watts, head of HLF South West said: “St Mary’s is an important part of Swindon’s history and home to a unique and nationally significant collection of medieval wall paintings.

“Thanks to National Lottery players we’re delighted to support this vital first step towards securing the future of the collection and its historic Grade I Listed home and enabling even more people to enjoy the stories they hold.”

For further information, contact Paul Gardner at gp.gardner@ btinternet.com or call 07831 868429. swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Charity nights going strong at Swindon restaurants

Started in 2008, popular Indian restaurant Bengal Square in Peatmoor has consistently run charitable fundraising nights donating all profits to worthy causes across the Swindon area.

Now, the restaurant is expanding this charitable evening to their newly reopened sister site Mantra in Old Town.

Held every Monday and Tuesday at Bengal Square, and every Tuesday at Mantra, the charity nights have raised over £100,000 to date which has been shared amongst local causes from youth football teams to Macmillan cancer research.

as much as you like for only

Owner Hanif Robbani said: “We donate all profits raised on the evening to the cause of choice, and this can be further added to if the organisers hold a raffle, quiz or auction.

(available at both restaurants)

“Donations from ourselves of £350+ are not uncommon and the best night we’ve ever had raised a grand total of over £3,000.

“We are happy to host events for any worthwhile cause and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a charity.”

To host a fundraising event at Mantra, email your event details to: info@mantraswindon.co.uk Or to host your event at Bengal Square email: info@bengalsquare.co.uk

NW January 2017 Master Pages.indd 26

Every Thursday & Sunday

All Inclusive Eat & Drink

£19.90

2 Roughmoor Village Centre, Peatmoor, Swindon SN5 5DJ

01793 887799 01793 882233 info@bengalsquare.co.uk www.bengalsquare.co.uk

15/12/2016 11:21

Swindon Wide

guide to live music in Swindon for January Swindon’s live music scene is as diverse and widespread as any in the country. Whether you like chilled out acoustic music, blues, folk, pop, dance, electronica, rock or any other genre you can think of, the scope for musical entertainment is endless.

That’s Christmas over and done with for another year then. So what do we do now? Well, the Swindon music scene never sleeps, and January has a few hidden gems up its sleeve to wash away those postfestive blues.

If you want to get your 2017 off to a rocking start, head down to the Wyvern Theatre on 14 January as Supreme Queen roll into town.

Paying homage to the world’s most theatrical and dramatic rock band, Queen since 1995, Supreme Queen have had a huge impact on audiences across the UK, Europe and Asia.

Front man, Scott Maley plays an uncannily realistic ‘Freddy’ with just the right look, stage persona and, most importantly of all, the most incredibly powerful voice. Scott is joined on stage by an enormously talented band including Nathan Mathers who brings all the electric

Supreme Queen will be breaking free at the Wyvern Theatre on 14 January

guitar virtuosity required to play a very convincing Brian May, and an attention to detail that is truly impressive. Tickets are available from swindontheatres.co.uk If you’re in need of a four day weekend to get you through the rest of January, The Victoria in Old Town have some great acts on Thursday nights to get you dancing and smiling through those Fridays.

The Shadow Monkeys will be a particular highlight on 19 January

with their mix of rock and pop songs for all.

If acoustic acts are more your thing, those devilishly charming chaps over at Songs of Praise are putting on the best in local and travelling unplugged talent at The Rolleston Arms on Commercial Road every Wednesday night, featuring our very own reporter Mike Barham on 4 January, charming acoustic vibes from Nick Felix on 11 January, upbeat

songwriting from Chris Webb on 18 January and joyful tones of Alison Hustwitt on 25 January. All are free entry and a soothing interlude for any manic week. And a great opportunity to check out local acts.

Alternatively, The Rolleston Arms have a series of excellent cover acts every weekend through January, starting with Built For Comfort performing their excellent repertoire of R‘n’B and blues on Friday 6 January and seeing the month out with popular covers from the Blind Lemon Blues Band on 28 January.

On the more rocking side of the spectrum, the Queens Tap on Station Road will be playing host to their own collection of top quality rock covers bands, starting with Swindon’s infamous Penfold on Friday 6 January and completing the month with Metal Gods providing the noise abuse on Friday 27 January and Saturday 28 January sees Last Call rock into town.

There is a world of music to discover in Swindon, besides just our picks here, so for more information on events in the town and beyond, visit: www.theocelot.co.uk

Toasted seed and tahini slaw Mixed toasted seeds add extra crunch, flavour and nutrients to coleslaw. You needn’t stick to cabbage and carrots – try grating any other root veg you have to hand. This one’s good served with chicken wings and potato wedges.

Ingredients 4 tbsp mixed seeds (e.g. sunflower, sesame, pumpkin) 4 tbsp plain yoghurt 1 garlic clove, crushed or grated 1 tbsp light tahini paste juice of 1 lemon ½ Savoy cabbage, core and tough ribs removed, leaves very

finely shredded 2 carrots, coarsely grated 1 small or ½ larger onion, very finely sliced salt and black pepper Method l Toast the mixed seeds in a dry frying pan for 1–2 minutes over a medium heat, until fragrant. l Mix the yoghurt, garlic, tahini and lemon juice in a large bowl. l Add the cabbage, carrot, onion and toasted seeds, season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine.

This serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Poetry to make you stop and think Poetry column by Poetry Swindon’s Maurice Spillane

I am preparing for an annual poetry reading in Liddington. This year I have four young people as side-kicks.

They selected poems that suit their personalities and I have to tell you that rehearsals have been a hoot.

It’s one thing reading but if you want to get real satisfaction from a poem you have to say it out loud.

Simple things like projecting your voice, lilting the lines so they don’t sound “dum-de-dum” and adding a bit of acting and passion to the mix. Young people are thought to be shy in public but they have no inhibitions when it comes to acting.

My four are really up for some great craic this evening!

I wish it was the same for poets.

Many are dreadful readers, even with the finest of work. I have never understood why they don’t seek feedback.

www.riverford.co.uk/recipes It is one of the reasons why Open Mic is a great concept.

You can ask for feedback from another poet in a quiet corner. If you do come to Open Mic on 16 January and want support, seek me out!

We will be reading some of Mary Oliver’s poetry in Liddington.

If you don’t know her I recommend you look her up on the web site www.poetryfoundation. org. “The Uses of Sorrow” is a short poem by Mary that makes you stop and think:

Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness.

It took me years to understand that this, too, was a gift.

• Open Mic at the Beehive Pub on Tuesday 10 January at 7:30pm • Open Mic at Poetry Swindon is on Monday 16 January from 6pm at Richard Jefferies Museum • “Write Poetry” classes with Hilda Sheehan starts Monday 30 January at Richard Jefferies Museum www.poetryswindon.org swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Swindon Wide

Trust Swindon’s history to produce the unexpected - The Ovaltineys flat with his cat and - wait for it - 451 typewriters, and is the country’s leading authority on the machine’s intriguing social history.

Word processors and computers may have made typewriters obsolete, and the future of local libraries is also uncertain, thanks to swathing cuts proposed by Swindon Borough Council.

So a history of the spread of reading rooms in the expanding new town of Swindon is a timely article indeed.

The reading rooms were an extension of the pioneering Mechanics’ Institute, which effectively gave the town a public library, six years before they were officially invented.

The history books say Britain’s first public library was opened in Birmingham in 1850, but Swindon railwaymen had access to one as early as 1844, and since the vast majority of the town were GWR employees or related to one, it was a public library in all but name.

With our councillors unable to provide an adequate library service to Swindon residents in the 21st century, it is thought-provoking to discover how we led the country in library provision in the 19th and

20th centuries.

Swindon Heritage was conceived as a showcase for the town’s proud history, and we think our latest edition provides plenty of reasons to be proud of our achievements, and also reasons why the town should set its ambitions higher in the present and in the future.

Subscribe or buy individual copies of Swindon Heritage magazine at www.swindonheritage.com

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The Winter 2016 edition also includes an in-depth interview with a remarkable Swindon man, Even as the editor of Swindon Heritage I have become accustomed Lord Joffe of Liddington, who was a personal friend of Nelson Mandela. to it delivering surprises, and As a key lawyer during the our latest magazine – our 16th historic Rivonia Trial in the 1960s, quarterly edition – has a few of Joffe helped to save Mandela from them up its sleeves. the death penalty, and he told us The first is the cover story about the story of his own journey as The Ovaltineys, an instantly a political refugee, which ends recognisable advertising jingle to in Swindon, where he helped to people of a certain age, but one that was groundbreaking in its time. reshape the face of the town.

Now 84, he was a co-founder of Effectively the first mass Hambro Life, a key local employer communication advertising that later became Allied Dunbar, campaign on Britain’s first and he told us why the town has commercial wireless station, Radio inspired him to work for the future Luxembourg, we were surprised to of local people. discover The Ovaltineys were the The magazine also tells of a invention of a Swindon-born man.

Swindon engine driver who helped Harry Hemsley, who was born in to thwart an attempt on the life Regent Street in 1877, wrote the tune, did the voices and even drew of Queen Victoria in 1882, and looks at the rebirth of a former the portraits of The Ovaltineys.

Rodbourne cinema.

But there’s even more to his Meanwhile, we take a look at the story because he was also an accomplished entertainer and came life of a ‘forgotten’ Swindon author and his role in the Spanish Civil from a famous showbiz family.

War, discover a local connection His father, William, a former to Britain’s worst ever maritime Swindon railwaymen who started disaster, and visit a Stratton man painted sets in the Mechanics’ with a remarkable collection.

Institute theatre, went on to Nick Fisher lives in a tiny studio become the foremost set designer History column by Graham Carter of Swindon Heritage magazine

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16/12/2016 09:36

Studley Grange Butterfly World and Craft Village Chocolate Comforts, unit 26

Our chocolates are hand made in our shop from Belgian chocolate in many varieties.

We have a large choice of gift boxes for you to choose and select your own mix of chocolates.

Adult and children’s parties for you to create your own chocolate.

Why not make your own chocolate truffles?

Tel: 01793 848222 e-mail: chocolate@studleygrange.co.uk

Cake Creations, unit 25

Come along and create your own cup cakes or purchase our stock lines.

Adults and children’s parties.

Traditional anniversary cakes made to order.

Bring along a photograph and we will reproduce it on the icing on your cake.

Studley Grange, Hay Lane, Wroughton, Swindon SN4 9QT M4 Junction 16 (1/2 mile towards Wroughton)

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14/12/2016 17:19

Prospect launches Feel-good-a-thon

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Prospect Hospice have launched their Feel Good-a-thon campaign and are encouraging people to do anything that makes them feel good - from a bake-a-thon to increasing the amount of steps taken daily throughout January.

Funds raised will go towards providing essential therapy services that boost the wellbeing and care of the hospice’s patients.

Prospect Hospice fundraiser Louise Brooks said: “We’re asking people to take on a challenge, try something new and do anything that makes you feel good, while raising vital

funds so that we can continue to make others feel good too.”

Louise is asking local people to get in touch with the fundraising team to let them know what they’ll be doing as part of the Feel Good-athon in January. email fundraising&events@ prospect-hospice.net or call 01793 816161 and one of our fundraising team will be in touch to provide you with all the help you might need and there are also plenty of tips on how you can get started on our website.” www.prospect-hospice.net

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15/12/2016 11:26

Sport and Leisure

Club invites new members to get their skates on and join in the fun

Swindon’s Ice Figure Club pictured at the Children in Need fundraising event.

Swindon’s Ice Figure Club is inviting anyone interested in trying out a new sport to get their skates on and join in the fun.

The Ice Figure Club, which runs from Swindon’s Link Centre, is a NISA affiliated skating organisation, set up to encourage, cultivate and promote amateur ice figure skating

at all levels up to the age of 18.

There is also an adult section, ideal for anyone wanting to brush up on their skills, which is run every other Tuesday evening.

The club has had an exciting year, recently taking part in a fashion shoot by London-based photographer Tom Johnson.

And club members were also invited by BBC Points West to skate on live TV at the outdoor rink at Cribbs Causeway as part of their Children In Need fundraising event, where the club raised more than £1,200 by working together to cycle the 140 miles distance from Swindon to London and

back on exercise bicycles at the rink. Members also gave Pudsey a skating lesson.

The club holds regular competitions, and social events.

For information about how to join the club log on to Swindon Ice Figure Club’s website at: www.sifc.co.uk.

Welcoming Keith - the cyclist’s friend On Two Wheels by Rob Derry of Swindon Bicycle Users Group (BUG)

Due to some irregularities as reported in the media recently the councillor responsible for transport, Dale Heenan, has left his position on the cabinet.

The new member of the cabinet responsible for transport is Councillor Keith Williams who, we are delighted to report, is a keen cyclist. He has been a big supporter of Swindon BUG over the years and we’re very much looking forward to working with him to bring better facilities for the cyclists of the town – whether that is current, lapsed or potential cyclists. Congratulations, Keith, on your new role.

Cycling safety has made the media as well over the last couple of weeks with calls from Chris Boardman (a man who I may have mentioned once or twice in this column over the last year) for cyclists to be given more priority at junctions by vehicles turning in to and out of side roads. It has been a bugbear of mine for a long time that a lot of cycle paths that run alongside roads do not have this priority already. I’ve said it before but when you’re cycling you work

Wildcats coming out fighting in 2017 hard to build up momentum, and you don’t want to give it away if you don’t have to.

But there is a more serious side to this debate other than inconvenience. The majority of deaths of cyclists in towns and cities are caused by large vehicles at junctions, many of them turning left. Whether the cyclist is in the right or wrong is hardly the issue here – this is about having a system of traffic management that mixes very large, heavy vehicles with people on a bike. There is only ever going to be one outcome in that coming together.

It just remains for me to wish you all a Happy New Year for cycling and to say thank you for reading the column over the last year. www.swindonbug.co.uk

The Wildcats ice hockey column with Mike Wray

Wildcats player-coach Aaron Nell believes the ‘Cats will turn the corner in their battle to overcome their mini-injury crisis which has seen them down to the barebones on occasions in the run-up to Christmas.

With Aaron and Welsh D-man Callum Buglass both ruled out until next season (with dislocated shoulders), the 27-year old forward has spent the past few weeks leading his side from the bench but believes there is light at the end of the tunnel with the addition of new signings and is adamant that things can only get better.

“The good news is I do feel we have turned a corner in the last few games, having brought Ryan

Aldridge and Phil Hill.

“After all the years I’ve spent in the game I know that sometimes you just get these spells of problems but we’ve had a run of defeats, been short benched but now we’re heading back in the right direction and looking to make the play offs.

“Sometimes you have to remember that things don’t go in straight lines and that’s often the case at most clubs during the season but traditionally we’ve been more consistent after Christmas and I’m getting more used to coaching from the bench.

“Of course I’d rather be on the ice, but the guys are doing really well with the new shape of the team and we’re aiming at being successful in the run up to the play offs and it gives us a real purpose to aim for.” www.swindonwildcats.com swindonlink.com n January 2017

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16/12/2016 10:40

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14/12/2016 17:21

Sport and Leisure

Link gym is now bigger and better than ever thanks to £1million revamp

The fitness team at Link Centre, from left, Georgina Marsh, Jordan Bonello, Scott Atkinson, Simon Graw, team leader Wendy Humphries, Linda Barrett

The £1 million expansion of the gym at Link Centre in West Swindon has opened its doors to the public.

Now occupying the whole of the second level on the south side of the building, the fitness facilities are at least five times larger than previously with 120 machines, an astro-turf functional fitness area including tyres, battle ropes,

kettle bells, as well as brand new changing facilities.

Link Centre sales manager Rich Franklin said: ”We’re very excited to introduce our brand new functional training area, cardio theatre and free weight section.”

And the refurbishment is not yet completed. By the end of December, the Group Cycle room will have

had a make-over, and by the end of February, the floor of the former Gradwell Hall will have been repaired, sanded and revarnished, the décor improved and new heating and ventilation systems upgraded. Now’s the time to give yourself a treat for 2017 by trying out the new gym with the help of the fitness team led by Wendy

Humphries.

Taking out membership would be an excellent gift for someone you love, or yourself - what better opportunity to lock in a new year’s resolution in advance by committing to a fitness regime in 2017? Drop into Link Centre for details of joining the gym or log on to: www.better.org.uk/membership

Fitness centre is causing a buzz

Swindon’s newly opened Buzz Gym is proving a hit with customers looking to burn off the festive excesses.

The 24-hour facility, in the Brunel Centre, boasts luxury showers and changing rooms.

Buzz Gym Owner Adam Stowell said: “Our aim is to create a buzz in the club, from our luxury fit out to our live DJs and unique challenge zone, Buzz Gym brings a new fresh face of fitness to Swindon.”

The 15,000 sq ft gym is divided into distinct fitness zones.

The Challenge Zone: this contains training rigs, sprint tracks, sleds and tyres. Friendly competition is encouraged.

The Strength Zone: The extensive strength zone comes with Olympic platforms, racks, dumbbells up to

60kg and plate loaded equipment.

The Resistance Zone: Great for beginners, the Resistance Zone contains easy to use resistance machines for working individual body parts and cable stations for more flexible resistance training.

The Cardio Zone: A large area full of cardiovascular equipment including treadmills with integrated TVs, climbmills, cycles, and elliptical machines plus the Boxing Zone.

With two studios the gym offers free classes using dedicated external studio instructors which include Les Mills Grit and Sprint, spin, Buzz Pump, yoga, pilates and zumba.

Buzz Gym offer low-cost, nocontract gym membership.

Book for £19.99 a month. www.buzzgym.co.uk/swindon-gym

Patron of the GLL Sports Foundation, Sally Gunnell OBE

Support offered to boost athletes Budding athletes are being invited to apply for financial, training and sport science support.

The GLL Sport Foundation was launched in 2007, after it became apparent that some young talented athletes have been forced to give up on their dreams because of the high cost of training, travel and competitions.

National research showed the annual cost of attaining high national sport rankings averaged £6,000.

In many cases, talent was being lost due to financial hardship with an associated negative impact on local young people, communities

and sports clubs. The GLL Sport Foundation is an organisation operated by Charitable Social Enterprise GLL and is supported by Olympic gold medal winner Sally Gunnell OBE who agreed to be the Foundation’s patron.

Since its inception the Foundation has provided more than 10,600 athlete award bursaries totalling over £6.1 million of support.

Apply now to become part of the largest independent athlete support programme in the UK. Applications are open until February 20 2017.

To find out more contact Cheryl.

Pottinger@GLL.OR or apply online at www.gllsportfoundation.org swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Sport and Leisure

Exercise, dieting and a healthy body As the new year rolls in, we all look at that figure in the mirror and decide to do something about it. Some achieve, some falter but January is the month for hitting the gym and working off those Christmas gains.

Swindon has a multitude of gyms and sports centres you can visit, with GLL opening their new gym at the Link Centre in West Swindon (see page 33) just before Christmas acting as a prime example, as well as the new Old Town gym; Anytime Fitness and Buzz Gym in the Brunel Centre.

But all of the equipment and space in the world isn’t effective without focusing on what you want from it and having people around you who can help achieve your goals, or without fuelling yourself correctly and eating well.

Pride of Swindon award winner Ricardo Defazio, a local personal trainer and life coach, had these wise words for those looking to get fitter in every way in 2017.

He said: “2017 is your new start point. It’s time to stop searching for happiness, in a book or your phone. It’s about becoming the fire of happiness within. 2017 is a new start in our solar system. Let all the ups and downs from 2016 lie in the past, and keep taking small steps forward to a new you.

“I cycled a lot in 2016, over 4,000

34

miles across Europe after 15 years off the bike, and came up against a mountain of different issues, but I noticed that the bigger the climb, the better the view at the top, and decided to take this into my everyday life.

“We all find ourselves in difficult places at times, but remember

Richard Parker’s six-year-old son Ben beat him in a Santa Dash at Coate Water in 2015, he vowed to transform his lifestyle so he wouldn’t feel like such a turkey again. Two years on, the dad-ofone from Stratton, has certainly fulfilled his promise and shed three stone to boot. Richard and Ben,

time is always on your side. Get to know yourself and your ability.

Sometimes life will take over and you may not discover what lies within. So from me to you, start the new year knowing the old you, and start your new journey with small steps. Nothing is more powerful than a changed mind, remember that.”

If you needed more motivation to get fit in the new year, how about this; When Swindon resident

now nine, recently took part in a 5km Reindeer Run and crossed the finish line together in under 30 minutes early in December.

The positive changes were kickstarted by the innovative Football Fans in Training (FFIT) scheme, run by the Council in partnership with Swindon Town Football in the Community Trust.

Richard, 42, who works as an administrator at Zurich, said: “I feel fantastic. My life has totally

changed for the better and I got so much out of the scheme. I’ve sorted my fitness out, I’ve lost loads of weight and I’m happier now than I’ve ever been.”

“I didn’t pay any attention to what I ate or drank and the portions were also far too big. I ate fruit and vegetables but I didn’t have enough of them and snacked on crisps and chocolate. I also liked to sink a few pints and would often polish that off with a kebab.”

Although the scheme put Richard through his paces, he thrived on the challenge. He said: “I absolutely loved it and you learn so much. There was a great sense of camaraderie and we all spurred each other on. The competitive aspect was brilliant too and going on to win the tournament in Scotland was such an amazing feeling.”

Alternatively, should you wish to take up exercise away from the gyms and classes, Swindon has a broad selection of fitness retailers that can help you get active on your own terms. Hargroves Cycles would be an ideal place to start, with a broad array of bikes to suit any budget and purpose, not only saving you money on fuel, but also making fitness a benefit not a chore. Visit them in store on Penzance Drive or head to: www.hargrovescycles.co.uk

swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Sport and Leisure

Expand your mind and cultural horizons How about volunteering?

The Oink Gallery in Old Town

Swindon has always maintained a respected, diverse, artistic and cultural offering for its residents.

These range from large events such as the Swindon Fringe Festival, Swindon Shuffle, Swindon LitFest and the Old Town Festival, (all of which will be returning in 2017) through to almost nightly live music, theatrical and creative offerings. The town has an abundance of venues such as Swindon Arts Centre, The Victoria and Oink Gallery in Old Town, The Bohemian Balcony at the old Palladium Cinema in Rodbourne

and the Shoebox and Wyvern theatres in the town centre.

If you feel the urge to learn new skills in 2017, both Swindon College and New College offer a huge array of courses for learners of any age and level of experience, whilst UTC offer an alternative for the more technically minded to hone their skills. And of course there is always the option of enrolling with Oxford Brookes University.

Make 2017 the year of expanding your mind with a show, a visit to a gallery or by learning new skills.

Volunteers provide vital support to organisations in Swindon and the people they are working to support.

Are you free on Saturdays?

Uplands Educational Trust are looking for people to help support their Saturday Youth Club for young people aged 11-19 with disabilities, either physical or learning. You will be helping with trips, arts & crafts and sport and more.

Want a home based role and are passionate about adult education? The WEA is an adult education charity and they would like to be able to offer courses in Swindon. They are looking for a volunteer who can support the Area Education Manager with tasks such as choosing courses that could be run, distributing publicity and supporting the tutor in the classroom. This role would suit someone with tutoring or teaching experience Looking to gain admin experience? Adult Community Health – Swindon based at the Great Western Hospital has various departments where you could assist staff with administrative

/ clerical type duties. There is a range of tasks that you can get involved with to suit your skills and experience Do you want to help promote equality and support for the LGBT people? Swindon and Wiltshire Pride have a range of roles on offer to support the planning of the annual Pride event, including looking for event sponsors, writing press releases, researching and applying for funding.

Enjoy singing? Why not help with Alzheimer’s Society Singing for the Brain group in Freshbrook on a Monday. You will be helping set up, welcoming attendees and helping them join in the session as well as making refreshments.

To find out how you can get involved in these or any of the many other volunteering opportunities please contact Volunteer Centre Swindon on 01793 420557 or email info@ swindonvolunteers.org.uk .

We are at 1 John Street Swindon and we would love to see you between 11am -3pm Monday to Friday. You can also find these at the Do-it website: https://do-it.org

Need a financial health check for 2017?

UTC Swindon

How to keep those resolutions Now this is the hard part. You make those resolutions, you swear you’ll keep them, yet when February rolls in you find yourself back into old habits. So how do you keep resolutions? Especially the ones like drinking, smoking and weight loss.

Seeking out help to keep those commitments and achieve your goals is always advisable, and should be sought in a positive way.

There is never any harm in finding someone to talk to about your issues and how you want to resolve them, ranging from weight loss to giving up cigarettes and anything else you want to rectify in 2017.

Counselling services are one way of keeping yourself goal-orientated, and should not be feared, especially with the compliment of skilled counsellors working in the Swindon area, such as Elaine Watt who runs Focussed Counselling in

West Swindon or counsellor Simon Vizard, both of whom our readers may have seen regular advice from in the magazine.

For those tackling relationship and emotional challenges, Relate offer free counselling options Another alternative, if you feel your resolutions need a different approach, could be hypnotherapy.

Professionals across the Swindon area, including The Hypnotherapy Studio in Cricklade and Lucy Brown Hypnotherapy in North Swindon, can offer a counselling service with a difference and help you focus on your aspirations for the new year.

The NHS Choices website offers helpful advice on a number of subjects, as well as a list of counsellors in your direct area.

Visit the site at: www.nhs.uk/ conditions/Counselling

The end of the tax year may seem like a long way off, and you’re probably thinking “why should I worry about April? I have enough on my plate already.”

Taking stock after the Christmas spending spree is always a good idea, as some of us reach for the credit cards to get us through the festive period. However, when the new year rolls in, budgeting and financial stability are key to keeping the stress of a seasonal financial hangover away.

Peter Bromiley ACA, director of Swindon based AMS Accountancy, shared some tips on managing finances in the new year. He said: ”The tax year ends on 5 April so, if you want to make any investment

decisions or pension contributions, it’s a good idea to be thinking about them in January.

“Work out your likely taxable income, maybe get help from your accountant regarding possible tax-saving actions, and – if you need your Financial Advisor to do something – tell them as early as you can in 2017 as they’ll be rushed off their feet in March.”

The best thing to do if you have any financial worries is to not try and struggle through on your own.

Seek advice as soon as you feel in difficulty from a professional financial advisor or your bank, who will be able to provide you with information on how to solve most issues. swindonlink.com n January 2017

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14/12/2016 17:23

Motoring

Skoda Octavia Scout – Practical Power & Purpose

Geoff Maxted of Drivewrite.co.uk takes The Skoda Octavia Scout for a spin

The Skoda range in general is competitively priced, well made and always surprisingly commodious.

The Skoda Octavia Scout featured here is no different and is worthy of consideration, especially for country dwellers. If you need a little more ground clearance and the benefits of intelligent four-wheel drive then the Scout is for you.

Don’t get carried away though.

Although this is a name that conjures up visions of exploration and wilderness, the Octavia Scout is

not a totally serious 4x4. Scout gets the automatic Haldex clutch system also found on the Octavia 4x4 estate. The test car came with 2.0L 181bhp diesel engine and a sixspeed DSG auto gearbox with wellspaced ratios that suit the car’s performance. There are no paddles but extra control is available via a sequential shift on the gear lever.

There’s a choice of modes. Normal and Eco do as you would expect whilst Sport adapts the engine and steering to suit a ‘sporty driving

style’. Sport is better when shifting manually. For general use though, I chose to keep it in Normal, but preferred the extra weighting of the Sport steering, selected via the Individual mode. Overall I achieved a creditable 44mpg.

The Skoda Octavia Scout is practical, comfortable and versatile.

The boot is immense and comes with a carpet lining that can be flipped to reveal a rubber surface for muddy boots, dogs and the like.

Our car had the optional spacesaver spare tucked away beneath.

With 17” ‘Polar’ alloys and a tyre profile suited to mixed surfaces, including a muddy field, the ride remained relaxing and comfortable.

The Scout’s modified suspension raises both the ride height and ground clearance over the standard version, with added rugged body cladding. This car would easily handle muddy camp-sites and the occasional farm track with ease.

The cabin is restrained yet well designed. Our car had all the mod-cons including Bluetooth, Aux, USB, climate, cruise and so on with an old-school CD player tucked away in the glove box. Trim, layout

and finish is good, especially the Alcantara and leather seats on the tested model. The dashboard is clear and easy to use with lots of info available amongst the trip computer settings.

The steering wheel is good to hold with some controls at your fingertips. I like the little touches for storage and convenience.

The Skoda Octavia Scout is a very good car indeed. Out on the road it provides a very nice, if not especially involving drive. Our model had the optional ‘Lane-Assist’ which nudges the steering wheel if you change lanes without indicating because the car thinks you’re wandering. It’s a good feature that most people will appreciate and is just part of the comprehensive safety package.

This is the model to buy if you need a slightly higher ride and the ‘rough road package’ that adds underbody protection, improved approach and rear-departure angles and model-specific front and rear bumpers. If that floats your boat or indeed tows your boat, then I highly recommend the Skoda Octavia Scout as the perfect all-rounder.

Squash is bouncing back thanks to dedicated coach The future of squash in Swindon is looking bright, thanks to the relentless efforts of Wiltshire Junior Squash Director Dax Mellor.

His drive to develop the sport in the town had faced a number of challenges, not least of which was the closure of South Marston Hotel and Leisure Club in July with the loss of four championship courts.

Other municipal facilities around the town offer squash but leisure centre operators have not kept them well maintained.

The South Marston venue had also been home to the Junior County Programme and its loss now means that county activity in Wiltshire has to be spread over several venues.

Despite the setbacks, Dax remains upbeat and is optimistic that plans to incorporate a new six court facility into the development of Broome Manor golf site will provide the infrastructure the sport needs.

“We have come a long way. When we organised our first county training day in 2012, a total of six youngsters turned up. Numbers have since gone through the roof.

Our junior county programme now delivers squash to more than 300 children, well over half of these play

weekly squash in and around the Swindon area” Dax’s determination to boost participation has resulted in this surge and the number of people now looking to take part has outstripped the facilities the town can offer.

The need for a new facility became more pressing following news that GLL will no longer be adding a fourth court to their Oasis site.

However, since the refurbishment back in August membership has doubled at the Oasis Squash Club reinstating it as Wiltshire’s largest squash club with now well over 100 members. Schools programmes have proven particularly popular in boosting numbers at a grass roots level; “Squash has a broad appeal.

It’s new to most children, so they are all starting from a level playing field. This gives a chance for the children who don’t see themselves as being sporty to compete on equal terms. It’s also a sport which is quite forgiving.”

Dax also secured funding from Wiltshire Council’s Sport Stars project to establish the Wiltshire Squash 4 Schools programme which

delivered to 18 primary schools last year. Under the scheme, coaches deliver six hours of Mini-Squash tuition to Key Stage 2 pupils as part of the PE curriculum. Pupils are then invited to attend a free taster session at their local club which proves popular with both the children and parents. With already over 30 schools signed up to receive the schools programme it promises to be a busy year for Dax. For more information about how to get involved in squash in Swindon or the Squash 4 Schools programme contact Dax on dax@ topsquash.co.uk

A mini-squash session being delivered at a Swindon primary school. And above, Dax Mellor, who is driving the squash revival swindonlink.com n January 2017

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16/12/2016 10:50

Sport and Leisure

Kite flying over Swindon Matt Prior, Wiltshire Ornithological Society conservation officer, writes: Many people have noticed large birds of prey flying over north Swindon over the past couple of years. These are two main species, the buzzard and the red kite.

The red kite is of particular note because it has made a dramatic comeback from near extinction. ©Steve Birt This distinctive bird has a huge wingspan A spectacular image of a red kite of 1.7 metres and a in flight over Swindon by Steve Birt characteristic forked tail matter of time before they breed which it twists both horizontally and vertically enabling it to fly with within the urban area.

Some people are concerned about great agility as it searches for food.

In the 17th Century red kites were the rising population of birds of prey because they think that they will the most abundant bird of prey attack their pets or the numbers of over London but they suffered a dramatic decline because they were song birds that visit gardens will be affected. persecuted by people mistakenly These concerns are completely thinking that they were taking unfounded. In fact being top livestock and game birds. They predators, numbers of birds of prey became extinct in England in 1871 are actually an indicator of the and by the first half of the 20th health of the environment.

Century there were only a handful Red kites are different from other of pairs left in Wales. In 1989 red birds of prey in that their diet is kites were re-introduced to the mostly made up of carrion, and Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire road kill forms the major part of and concerted conservation their diet and they will also feed efforts enabled their population to on earthworms in fields. From gradually increase and in recent a birdwatcher’s perspective it is years their numbers have exploded with now over 2,000 pairs in the UK. fantastic to see these superb birds overhead. If they do eventually Red kites have now reached breed within Swindon it will be a Wiltshire in good numbers and truly notable event. are breeding in the countryside Keep looking up and hopefully you just outside the town but with too will also get to see a red kite the increased number of sightings over Swindon. in north Swindon it seems only a

Experience a slice of chocolate heaven Cake Creations and Chocolate Comforts at Studley Grange Craft Village, close to M4 junction 16, has recently installed new equipment to enhance visitor experience.

If Willy-Wonka’s factory comes to mind, the shop shelves layered with luxury chocolates and cakes comes close. And customers can have a go at chocolate making and cup-cake decorating in this Aladdin’s cave of delicious sweet treats.

All the chocolates are handmade on site with the finest Belgium chocolate, which can be enjoyed as a treat or purchased in a gift box.

Chocolates can be made bespoke with a name or personal message.

The collection of butterfly and animal themed items are also perfect for children.

Cake Creations make cakes for memorable events such as birthdays

38

and anniversaries, and can include photos printed on the top.

Regular workshops are excellent for any age to get creative by making personalised cup-cakes or chocolates for special occasions such as Mother’s and Father’s Day, Valentines and Easter.

Children’s parties are catered for, and a chocolate making or cup-cake decorating class is perfect for adult groups or a team building event.

Cake Creations and Chocolate Comforts are open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm. www.studleygrange.co.uk/ craftvillage

swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Sport and Leisure

The Swindon elephant revealed A lifesized elephant in painted plaster by internationally acclaimed sculptor David Lomax was unveiled in front of 150 guests at the base of a hill in Liddington, to the east of the town, on 4 December.

The artwork of the Hoarusib Bull, which David encountered looking after his harem in the desert of Namibia in the 1980s, was made for renowned conservationist John Aspinall in 1992.

The plaster creation was used to cast twelve foot tall bronze statues, each weighing four tonnes which were shipped to Los Angeles, Australia and Mexico.

The plaster cast lay in hibernation for nearly 25 years, until Lord and Lady Joffe visited David’s studio and discussed giving it a home.

The guests at the unveiling ceremony were asked to support the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.

Amanda Butler from Peatmoor, acts as a volunteer ambassador for the charity in the Swindon area.

She said: “From recent studies, there may not be any elephants in the wild in ten years, it’s a tragedy taking place in front of our eyes.”

Of David Lomax’s sculpture, Amanda added: “It’s absolutely

David Hawkins

Tree Surgeon ALL TREE WORK COMPLETED TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD

Hedge cutting • Stump removal Fruit tree pruning • Tree planting Fully insured Free estimates Over 20 years experience

01793 976084 07967 594707

david.hawkins100@hotmail.co.uk The David Lomax sculpture in Liddington, as if emerging from a forest in Africa. Below, Joel and Venetta Joffe at the unveiling

magnificent, fantastic to see it standing with one leg slightly raised as if it’s moving in the landscape.

The texture is so realistic and the eyes captivate you in their gaze.”

The sculpture is situated on private land and will be available to view on special occasions, or by invitation.

To enquire about a viewing, mail: joel@lidmanor.co.uk

CLIFF WHITEWAY SERVICES For all your home & garden needs Patios Decking Paths Turfing Walling Fencing Driveways For a free quote call Cliff on

Tel: 01793 731418 Mobile: 07808 355487

Established locally for over 8 years References available

FREETH FENCING & GARDEN SERVICES LTD Est. 1990 35 Spencer Close, West Swindon ❖ Fences, gates & sheds supplied and erected ❖ Landscaping ❖ Trees pruned and felled ❖ Rubbish removed ❖ Patios and shingle laid ❖ Wood chip & compost supplied ❖ Turfing and grass cutting ❖ And all aspects of garden maintenance

Tel: 01793 875451 or 07940 247152 www.freethfencingandgardenservicesltd.com

LANDSERVE

Garden Maintenance & Landscaping North Wiltshire

Tree Stump Removal Specialists www.Stumpbusters.co.uk Competitive rate Fully insured • Free quote NPTC qualified Office: 01793 772600 Mob: 07799 693139

Professional care `````` for your garden Grass cutting - regular maintenance Landscaping - Patios & Paving - repairs & cleaning Decking and Fencing Hedge cutting & pruning No Job Too Small. All works insured

Call Martin Emery MI Hort.

for free quotation on 01793 703306 or Mobile 07771 956294

D.A. DRIVEWAYS & PATIOS ❐ Block Paving ❐ Landscaping ❐ Fencing ❐ Decorative Stone ❐ General Maintenance For a professional and affordable service, free consultation and written quotation

Tel: 01793 878062 or 07866 523898

HERITAGE TREE CARE

PROFESSIONAL TREE SURGEONS Comprehensive service Qualified staff Fully insured • Pruning and Shaping • Felling and Removal • Hedge Cutting • Stump Grinding • Tree Planting

Free quotations and advice Call Ian Walding (N.C.Hort N.D.Arb)

01793 790210 07971 566880

Email: treeman@iwalding.freeserve.co.uk

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REPAIR & IMPROVE YOUR GUIDE TO HOME MAINTENANCE

DJR General Builders Ltd

• Extensions • Driveways • Conservatories • Patios • Garden Walls • Fencing All general building and landscaping projects undertaken NO JOB TOO SMALL Call Stewart on

01793 670115 or 0784 182 6390 for a Free Estimate

217129

24 YEARS EXPERIENCE Installation & Servicing NG & LPG ✓ Boiler & System Upgrades ✓ Breakdown & Maintenance ✓ Bathrooms, Showers & Wet Rooms ✓ Power Flushing / Descaling ✓ For ALL your plumbing, heating & gas requirements call Assured on

07845 90 80 60 or 01793 700 820

www.assured-plumbing.co.uk

D E Carpentry

Owen Cleaves

For all your carpentry needs k Door hanging

No job too small!

k Kitchen fitting k Real wood and laminate flooring k Fitted wardrobes k 15 years experience

Call 01793 514069 or 07885 972172

LEAKS TAP REPLACEMENT PUMP REPLACEMENT BURST PIPES BATHROOM INSTALLATION GUTTERING REPAIRS

e: ellisj10@sky.com

Tel: 07562 664646 01793 932239

www.delliscarpentry.co.uk

email: myplumberswindon@gmail.com

Do better business!

Promote what you do on paper and online @ swindonlink.com Call Sue Roberts to discuss our combined advertising packages

01793 781502

All aspects of building and maintenance work carried out to private and public properties.

Please call for a free quotation.

01793 871660 (Office) Mob: 075151 25060 derek.richardson5@virginmedia.com

• Plastering • Tiling • Coving • Dry-Lining & Plasterboarding • Rendering • Screeding • Fencing Free quotations and a friendly service

Call Luke on

07853 966003

24 The Elms, Nine Elms Swindon SN5 5XA

or email: hainesplastering@gmail.com

GASTECH

ACP

THE INDEPENDENT GAS SPECIALISTS

• Servicing, Repairs, Installation • Central Heating (including Combination boilers and Warm Air) • Landlord Safety Checks • Cookers, Fires, Water Heaters

142573

SERVICE CONTRACT SPECIALISTS

FOR GAS SERVICE CALL 01793 848800 6 Templars Way Industrial Est, Marlborough Rd, W. Bassett SN4 7SR

www.gastechwilts.co.uk

Home Improvements & Building Services • General building maintenance • Garage conversions • Bathrooms and Kitchens • Carpentry • Wall & floor tiling • Plastering/Plaster boarding/Coving • UPVC doors, windows & repairs • Fascias, soffits, guttering • Patios and fencing Insurance work undertaken For a prompt professional service contact Andy: 07969350160 /01793 435513 www.acphomeimprovements.co.uk

MILESTONE Building Services

Chrome sockets and switches Home extensions/rewires Replacement fuse boards Kitchen & bathroom electrics Data cabling/office conversions Garage/garden power Decorative lights Fault finding/repairs Free help and advice

Fully insured to £2m

Call Dan: 07791 791513 Email: dan@boylectrical.co.uk Visit: www.boylectrical.co.uk

Fitted Kitchens Bathrooms & Bedrooms Tiling & Worktops Laminate Flooring Skirtings & Architraves Dados & Coving Doors & Decking And much more

Complete Property Renovations & Alterations Kitchens / Bathroom Tiling / Flooring Brickwork / Blockwork Paving / Patios Fencing / Decking & Ground Works Carpentry / Plumbing All Building Works Undertaken No job too small • Free estimates

For a FREE no obligation quote call now on 07874 021004 or 01793 701797

Contact: Dean Scanlon Telephone: 01793 422032 Mobile: 077 8968 1536

Misted or Broken Windows?

Semi-retired Plumber

DOUBLE GLAZING REPAIRS ● Repairs to all upvc doors and windows ● 24 hr boarding up service and lock change ● Hinges, Window/Door Locks and Handles etc.

Call Jamie for free advice and quote on all aspects of upvc.

We will beat any like for like quotation

01793 940089 or 07526 647673

upvc-swindon@hotmail.co.uk 40

Haines

Plastering & Home Improvements

Competent, reliable and fully insured.

SURESTOP SWITCH

installed for hard to get at or seized stop cock

• Leaks & burst pipes • Blocked drains, sinks & toilets • Immersions & hot water cylinders • Tap washers & ball valves • Complete bathrooms refitted • Dishwashers & washing machines plumbed in • Radiators changed

Tel: 01793 324116 Mob: 07788 621772

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41

YOUR GUIDE TO HOME MAINTENANCE

J&R Plumbing FOR ALL YOUR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS • Kitchen/Bathroom Installations • Painting & Decorating • Plumbing • Tiling • Minor Electrical • Carpentry • Garden landscaping/Maintenance • Patios & Decking

Tel: 01793 721677 Mobile 07919415849

Providing plumbing services to clients throughout Swindon 30 years experience Friendly, reliable service OAP discount on request Tel: 01793 271185 Mobile: 07813 950899

Quality Plumbing & Heating Est. 30 years • Central heating installation • Boiler servicing & repairs • Replacement boilers • Bathrooms & tiling • Power showers • Outside taps Reg: 128966 All plumbing work undertaken Reliable service, realistic prices

Kevin Rolfe Tel: 01793 881905 Mobile: 07973 663367 www.swindonheating.co.uk

SWINDON GAS SERVICES www.swindongasservices.co.uk

01793 847517 ★ boiler changes ★ boiler breakdown ★ full central heating systems ★ heating system upgrades ★ power flushing ★ bathroom suites ★ all types of plumbing work undertaken ★ no call out charge ★ 15 years experience 550065

J’s Electrical • • • • • • • • • •

Extensions Garage & Loft Conversions Conservatories Garden Walls Patios & Fencing Plastering Wall & Floor Tiling Laminate & Wood Flooring Block Paving Painting & Decorating All our work is carried out to your complete satisfaction

Contact: Pete

Tel: 01793 932 570 Mob: 07790 283 186

✭ Extra sockets and lights ✭ Shower and cooker installation ✭ Fuse board replacement ✭ Complete re-wiring ✭ Security lighting ✭ P.A.T. testing ✭ 24 hours

Haydon Wick Heating Services

All heating and plumbing works undertaken • Full central heating systems • Boiler changes / services and repairs • Power flushing • Full bathroom / ensuite installations • General plumbing works • Free quotes and realistic prices

NO JOB TOO SMALL Mobile: 07985 195893 Tel: 01793 320447

Tel: 01793 748333 Mob: 07733897039

Also general plumbing, tiling & plastering

hwheating@googlemail.com

Approved Electrician Approved Electrician Part P Registered Part P Registered

• Extra Sockets/lights Extra Sockets/lights • • Fuse Board Upgrade

• •

• Fuse Board Upgrade andInspection Inspection • Testing Testing and • Complete Complete Rewires Rewires • No job too small!

• No job too small!

Connected Connected Electrical Electrical && Property Services Property Services Call Geoff : 07824 314080 or Tel: 07824 314080 or 01793 703308 01793 703308 Email: connectedelectrical01@gmail.com

Email: connectedelectrical01@gmail.com

Building/Groundworks & Hard Landscaping Extensions, Garage & Loft Conversions

188262

Driveways & Patios All building work undertaken All work guaranteed, FREE quote and advice Mob: 07956 301957 Tel: 01793 348597 www.haynesconstruction.org.uk

Tool Hire & Sales DIY & Trade

01793 640200 Cheney Manor, Swindon

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JS

CARPENTRY

l l l l l l

Property Services

General carpentry Fitted kitchens/bedrooms Laminate and solid flooring Replacement doors Skirtings/architraves General building maintenance

Free estimates Call Jamie on 01793 704 309 or 0777 594 8833 www.jspropertyservices.co.uk

DECORATOR INSIDE AND OUT

PR

ID

EP

r rat o

ain ter

REDUCTIONS FOR OAPs

www.grservicesswindon.co.uk

DECORATOR

DECORATOR

Call Glen on: 01793 487450 07774 841879 email: grservices@hotmail.co.uk

Call 01793 334823 or 07788 572043

01793 979282 or 07453 966627

TILING WALL & FLOOR SPECIALIST Please call Leon for a free quote

TEL: 01793 330975 MOB: 07919 255673 Email: leon.jack@hotmail.co.uk

Kitchens, Bathrooms and Conservatories

Doctor Glass repairs & replaces cracked, broken or misted double glazed windows

Call 01793 721455 or 07976 885203

www.trevorwyse.com

Also hinges and locks Call: 01793 854448 or 07976 219671

DECORATING & CARPENTRY • Interior/exterior painting and decorating • Wallpaper • Tiling • Coving • Laminate flooring • Doors & skirting replacement • Kitchen & bathroom refits • Internal alterations No job too small • Rooms left tidy daily Free no obligation 24 hour quotations

Call Andy: 01793 729354 or 07900 835116

MJP Home Creations Creation Born Of Perfection Specialists in kitchens bathrooms and wetrooms Design and installation, plastering, plumbing, electrics, underfloor heating and tiling

Contact Matthew Pollard: 07779 318717 info@mjphomecreations.com See our customer testimonials: www.mjphomecreations.com

42

FLOOR & WALL TILING SPECIALISTS Free Quotes Call Lee on 0771 8102 921 Call Mike on 0778 8444 084 or 01793 520526 Find us on Facebook

GBD Services

&D eco

INTERIOR & EXTERIOR

GILES BROS

40 years experience No VAT Free estimates For professional, reliable and friendly service call

01793 321981 07775 840236

FREE ESTIMATES

Painting and decorating Carpentry services Grounds maintenance Turfing, fencing, patios Kitchen & bathroom installations Wall tiling Fascias & guttering Roof repairs Friendly, reliable & competitive

Quality painting and decorating at an affordable price

• High class painting and decorating •30 years experience •Competitive rates •Interior & exterior •References available •Reliable friendly service, all work undertaken For free quotation call Paul on

G R SERVICES

H

INTERIOR H EXTERIOR H WALLPAPERING

• 20 years experience • Competitive rates • No job too small • Reliable & friendly service • Free estimates

Call Stuart on 01793 727659 or 07809 368051

STYLISH BATHROOMS Approved installer for BATHSTORE and WREN. 5 year guarantee on all workmanship.

Fully insured CRB Police checked

01793 320773 07779 006360

darrenbakerstewart@ rocketmail.com

PLANS DRAWN Loft conversion & extension specialist. Complete house design and commercial work undertaken.

From initial concept to full working drawings my service includes: • written specifications; • contractor tender documents; • all forms and paperwork carried out; • liaison with relevant authorities; • Party Wall Act paperwork and advice given.

7 DAY DESIGN SERVICE for most domestic work Established 1980. All areas covered

Call Bob on 07778 324228

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YOUR GUIDE TO HOME MAINTENANCE Services

(Household Maintenance) Handyman

• Specialise in wet rooms • Supply and fix service • Complete bathroom service • Underfloor heating • Wall & floor tiling • Plastering • Free estimates Contact Mat: 07738 298803 or 01793 728283 mat@middlesextilingltd.co.uk www.middlesextilingltd.co.uk

• Plastering • Carpentry • Garden maintenance • Decorating, Coving • Groundwork • Tiling • Bathroom & Kitchen installation • Fencing & Patios • Power jetting • Building, installing partition walls, loft boarding & repairs Competitive rates, flexible hours, reliable, no job too small For a free no obligation quote call Gary on

Mobile: 07764 511933 or Tel: 01793 879069

BSJ PLASTERING & DECORATING SERVICES

Plumbing

All areas of Plastering, Decorating and Refurbishment undertaken

❉ Quality bathroom suites fitted - tiling, electrics, flooring, all taken care of ❉ All types of plumbing undertaken - leaking taps, pumps, tanks, burst pipes, machines installed 302877 Free estimates

• Ceilings and Walls Plastered • Coving • Rendering • Painting & Decorating - Internal & External • Complete Home Improvements undertaken • Free quotations

Please contact Brian Jones

Mobile: 07976 572905 Home: 01793 725834 Professional, reliable and friendly service

www.swindonplasterer.com

& Heating

01793 876600 07748 964433

RJ PeaRce Plumbing & Heating ltd Over 20 years experience in plumbing & heating work • Central heating • Bathrooms & showers

7 YEAR GUARANTEE on Worcester Bosch Ri Si and Cdi boilers

• Competitive rates • All work guaranteed

Accredited Installer

• No job too small

Approved Plumber

mjplumbing64@gmail.com

For further details call Richard on 01793 879156 or 07747 723606

203455

UNITS 19-20 KENDRICK INDUSTRIAL ESTATE SWINDON WILTS SN2 2DU

TEL: 01793 536784 SANSUM SAND & GRAVEL SUPPLY TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND TRADE CUSTOMERS BRICKS, CONCRETE BLOCKS, CELCON BLOCKS, BLOCK PAVING, PATIO SLABS, SAND, GRAVEL, TOP SOIL, BARK, CANTABURY SPAR, LANDSCAPE FABRIC, DRAINAGE CHANNELS, BUILDING CHEMICALS, ROCK SALT AND CEMENT

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SERVICE SECTOR YOUR GUIDE TO LOCAL SERVICES

ACCOUNTANCY

CJD

ACCOUNTANCY LTD

Craig Dell FCCA

Chartered Certified Accountant Over 20 year’s experience for all your accountancy & taxation needs including: • Self Assessments • Sole Traders • Partnerships • Limited Companies • Available evenings and weekends • Fixed fee quotes • No VAT • First consultation free

BOOK-KEEPING Can’t face doing the books after a hard day’s work?

Call Leonard Fuller, A.I.C.B, qualified bookkeeper with over 20 years’ experience.

Tel: 01793 343255 M: 07557 399987 Email: cjd.accountancy@virginmedia.com

Tel: 01793 700637 or 07963 637748

www.cjd-accountancy.co.uk

www.bookkeepingswindon.co.uk

HALE SKILLS

CLEANING DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL WORK No call out fee!

Fixed prices and 6 months guarantee on parts • New locks fitted • Alarms fitted • Free security surveys • Doors opened • uPVC door repairs • Perimeter fencing Call Matt for a quote on 07734 253189 or email mattwest 61@live.co.uk

COMPUTER SUPPORT

Homes That Sparkle From People Who Shine Affordable & reliable cleaning programmes, tailored to meet your needs and budget Regular cleans, Spring cleans, Moving in or out cleans Trained and insured staff Equipment and supplies provided Quality Service Guarantee

Call us now for free, no obligation quotation Tel: 01793 511885

Shaun Guard

TV AERIAL SERVICES

• Washing Machines • Cookers • Dishwashers • Dryers • Vacuum Cleaners

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Over 30 year’s experience

Call 07963 131429

Poor Reception Solved Aerials Repaired & Supplied TVs - Hung on your wall and tuned Extra TV Points - For aerial and Sky (In HD!) Sky TV - Also Foreign Language TV

Call Swindon 01793 474720

or 01793 490668

e.mail: haleskills@gmail.com

APPLIANCE REPAIRS

Nice ‘n’ Gleam Est 2002

For all your computing needs • Hardware & Software Installs & Upgrades • Repairs • Maintenance • PC Security • Home or Business Networking • Wireless Setup • On Site Service, Home or Business For a dedicated local service with a Microsoft Certified Professional, with over 25 years experience, call 01793 320 439 or 07799 337 918 E: info@compucareuk.com www.compucareuk.com

OVEN CLEAN Domestic & commercial Fully insured Professional service Prices from Ovens £35.00 Carpets £30.00 Free no obligation quote Call Martin on T: 01793 611036 M: 07771 821757 W: nicengleamovenclean.co.uk E: info@nicengleamovenclean.co.uk

Computer problems?

Let us help We provide a range of computer services for both home and business including: • • • • • • • •

44

Working in and around the Swindon area

PC repairs and maintenance System upgrades, networking Custom built computers Windows home server installs Virus removal Data recovery Internet solutions Web design With over 15 years experience, you can rely on us

• NEW BUILDS & EXTENSIONS • PLUMBING • JOINERY • FASCIAS & SOFFITS • GARDENING & MAINTENANCE • PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

Tel: 01793 325685

www.jpsm.co.uk

Call 07970 061123 Email errol@jpsm.co.uk

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SERVICE SECTOR

45

YOUR GUIDE TO LOCAL SERVICES

FURNITURE WANTED

A charity providing furniture, white goods and household items to local people in need Call the collections line on 01793 683146 HELP US TO HELP OTHERS

M & J Upholsterers RE-UPHOLSTERY & ALL SUITE REPAIRS Re-upholstery of 3 piece suites, dining & fireside chairs etc.

Also new seat interiors Seams - Zips - Springs

LEATHER CLEANING

Electrical Automation • Up & Over • Roller • Sectional • Repairs •

Repairs carried out in situ Established 1972

Call 07709 453949 emanjayupholstery@gmail.com

Abacus Cleaning Services Carpets, Rugs and Fabric Upholstery

Hard Floors Cleaned & Sealed Carpet & Upholstery Protection Treatments Insecticide & Anti-Static Treatments Spot & Stain Removal Fully Insured, NCCA member

Independently owned & operated To arrange for a free estimate call

01793 421802 www.abacuscleaningservices.co.uk

THE CLEANING & IRONING SERVICE House cleans from £16 per house.

Around £26 for a 4 bed.

Weekly, fortnightly or monthly cleans.

One-off Spring cleans Ironing £17 per basket, collected and returned the next day

Call 01793 875665 07780625244

Unit 8, Central Trading Estate Signal Way, Swindon SN3 1PD

Installation & Repairs New Doors • Automation No Obligation Quotes Est. 1981 Showroom: Maxwell House, Maxwell Street, Swindon SN1 5DR Tel: (01793) 618499 or 513796 swindondoorservices@btinternet.com

Tel 01793 847545 Email enquiries@dimensions.org.uk www.dimensions.org.uk

OVEN CLEANING

www.garagedoorsupplies.co.uk

SWINDON ROOFING COMPANY

01793 239 559

info@swindonroofingcompany.co.uk www.swindonroofingcompany.co.uk

OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE

OVEN CLEANING

ALL WORK COMES WITH A CERTIFICATE OF GUARANTEE

Plus hobs and extractors Fixed pricing examples Single Oven £45 - Range £75

FREE SCAFFOLDING NO EXTRA COST

No hidden extras, includes racks, doors, glass 20 years experience No toxic chemicals in your home Reliable & Friendly Free Quotation To book your oven clean call

THE COMPANY YOU CAN RELY ON!

01793 877677 or email:

office@enlan.co.uk

34 Queens Road Royal Wootton Bassett Swindon SN4 8AW

Before

After

GUTTERS CLEANED FROM £20

WHITE VAN MAN SINGLE ITEMS MOVED ANYWHERE IN SWINDON FOR ONLY £35 • Full house removal • House clearance • Disposal of unwanted items • Any distance long/short • Fully insured NEW: Licensed to remove fridges

Call for a FREE quote Mobile: 07796 236436 swindonlink.com n January 2017

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Puzzle 7

10

10

12

13

14

15

15

20

16

21

22

23

26

22 Good; 26 Very Good; 31 Excellent.

11

25

17

18

22

23

24

25

19

26

28

31 29

30

31 34

31

ACROSS

DOWN

1.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

15.

16.

2. Literate person (6) 3. Lump (6) 4. Desert-dwelling rodent (6) 5. Mortal (6) 6. Stint (6) 7. Heavy food (6) 12. Potato (inf.) (4) 13. Defensive trench (4) 14. Slim (4) 17. Boy’s name (4) 18. Bog fuel (4) 19. Action (4) 21. Capital of Greece (6) 22. Call in question (6) 23. Jovial (6) 24. Intensify (6) 25. Habit (6) 26. Merchant (6)

20.

24.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

I

E

S

I

D

T R Y

There is just one simple rule in Sudoku. Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9, and so must each 3 x 3 box. This is a logic puzzle, you should not have to guess.

6 9 4 1 6 2 7 2 8 9 6 4 1 2 3 5 4 8 9 6 4 8 2 7 5 8 2 7 5 6 6 3 9 2

SOLUTIONS

8

32

Wasteful (8) Rouse (6) Tumble (4) Furrow (3) Coiffure (inf.) (6) Milk pudding (8) Push forward (6) Scooped up with the tongue (6) Having an assignation with (6) Ten-year period (6) Put to death (8) Polish composer (6) Little devil (3) Chat (4) Mystery (6) Outstanding event (8)

V

SUDOKU

27

32

Any word found in the Concise Oxford Dictionary is eligible with the following exceptions: proper nouns; plural nouns, pronouns and possessives; third person singular verbs; hyphenated words; contractions and abbreviations; vulgar slang words; variant spellings of the same word (where another variant is also eligible).

Using all 16 letters of the phrase above, form four words each of four letters which, when placed correctly in the grid, will form a magic square in which the words can be read both horizontally and vertically.

Impugn; 23 Genial; 24 QUICK Deepen; 25 Custom; CROSSWORD 26 Dealer.

Across – 1 Prodigal; 8 Excite; 9 Fall; 10 NONAGRAM Rut; 11 Hairdo; 12 derv; dire; direst; dirt; Semolina; 15 Propel; dirty; diver; divers; 16 Lapped; 20 Dating; DIVERSITY; divert; 24 Decade; 27 drey; driest; drive; Executed; 28 Chopin; dyer; erst; iris; resit; 29 Imp; 30 Talk; 31 rest; revisit; ride; rise; Enigma; 32 Landmark. rite; rive; rived; rivet; sire; sired; stir; stiver; stride; strive; strived; tidier; tier; tire; tired; trey; tried; tyre; tyred; verity; verst; vert; very; vestry.

11

ADVANCE EVE’S SCENE

MAGIC SQUARE aces; cave; even; send.

9

How many words of four letters or more can you make from this Nonagram? Each word must use the central letter, and each letter may be used only once. At least one word using all nine letters can be found.

Target scores:

Down – 2 Reader; 3 Dollop; 4 Gerbil; 5 Lethal; 6 Scrimp; 7 Stodge; 12 Spud; 13 Moat; 14 Lean; 17 Alec; 18 Peat; 19 Deed; 21 Athens; 22

7

3 4 6 2 7 9 5 1 8

6

5 7 9 8 4 1 3 6 2

6

1 2 8 6 5 3 7 4 9

5

8

4 1 7 5 6 8 2 9 3

5

9 3 2 4 1 7 8 5 6

4

6 8 5 9 3 2 4 7 1

3

7 6 3 1 8 4 9 2 5

2

MAGIC SQUARE

8 9 1 7 2 5 6 3 4

1

NONAGRAM

2 5 4 3 9 6 1 8 7

QUICK CROSSWORD

Treated Landscape Sleepers (Pine for longevity) 2.4 metres long by 200 x 100mm • • • • • • •

Gates Fencing Decking Trellis Panels Wood Preservatives Garden Tools Raised Garden Beds

T: 01793 783879

E: jez1@webbswood.co.uk

W: www.webbswood.co.uk

Find us on facebook.com/webbswood Proud sponsors of Swindon Supermarine FC

Southdown Farm, Faringdon Road, (A420) Longcot, Oxon SN7 7UA 46

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