w.,t Swhdon's Magazine
EXPRESS CYCLE SPECIALIST
*7&vw 0700< & ,VA6ZL PR9C PRA49&
No. 112
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July 1991
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Circulation 10,500
96 - 99 Manchester Road, Swindon
(0793) 534907 & 513705
YOUTH ISSUES The 1980s in West Swindon saw a huge baby boom. if that was the decade of pre-school children, the 1 990s will be the decade of teenagers. How are adults and young people going to work out how best to respond to their needs? Starting on page 15 we publish a collection of articles designed to stimulate a debate in the community, which hopefully will lead to positive action for the future.
Theft leaves Andy angry Westlea fireman Andy Cresswell is really livid. The motorbike he uses to get to work has been stolen - the second in 9 months. For Andy a motorbike is essential because the Westlea fire station is not manned at night. If he is on duty, he has to be out of bed and in the fire engine within minutes. When the first bike was nicked he rushed out of the house to find he had no transport; his colleagues
had to attend the emergency without him. It could be a matter of life and death forsomeoneif Andyisunable to get to work to makeup the team. Andy lives in Mears Drive, Shaw and the motorbike was stolen between 1230am and 3am onThursday 20 June. Anybody who sees a red Suzuki 125cc, registration B298 VHT, is asked to call Swindon Police.
Diana remembered The unveiling of a statue honouring Swindon actress Diana Dors became a family affairwhen herson jasonLake and granddaughter Megan pulled away the cloth covering her on 14 June. Film producer David Puttnam, originally billed to present the statue to the public took a minor part. The larger than life bronze statue is located outside the Shaw Ridge Leisure Park MGM cinema. The £25,000 work by John Clinch was paid for by site developers Carter Commercial Developments and portrays Diana from her 1956 film 'Yield to the Night.'Diana Dors died of cancer in 1984. Diana Dors' son Jason Lake holds upgrandaughter Megan with the help offamily friend Sixties heart throb less Conrad
Royal honour for Tom The Queen's birthday on 17June was also special day for a West Swindon sports shop owner. For Tom Taylor, a partner in the newly opened Westside Sports at Shaw Village Centre, it was his last day in the Royal Air Force and he had just heard that he had been honoured for his service with the Royal Victorian Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Tom, from Selby Crescent, Freshbrook, served a total of seven and half years with the Queen's Flight. For the last five he was Chief Technician responsible for organising the servicing and maintenance for the three aircraft and two helicopters in the flight. Working with twentysix other ground crew in two shifts, Tom had to make sure that the aircraft wereboth mechanically perfect and spotlessly clean inside and out. During his time with the flight, he travelled all over the world on maintenance duties. On one trip to the east, the billet was a palace in Saudi Arabia. Tomwas completely taken aback when the captain of the Queen's Flight telephoned him with the good news. "1 was absolutely amazed; I had to hold onto something to steady myself," said Tom. He explained that service staff attached to the Royal household normally qualify for the Royal Victorian Medal after ten years, but in exceptional circumstances it is
.. Tom Taylor, VRM awarded for outstanding service after seven and half years. "1 have no idea why I was selected; I was doing the job to the best of my ability," said Tom. "It is a tremendous honour to be recognised by Her Majesty." With accumulated annual leave, re-settlement training and terminal leave, Tom actually left the Air Force in early March to get his Westside Sports business up and running. As a retirement gift, the Queen and Duke of Edingburgh sent a personally signed, framed photograph toTom. He will receive his medal at Buckingham Palace later in the year.