West Swindon's
Magazine
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17- 20 HIGH STREET No. 87 • June 1989 • Circulation 10,000
WOOTTON BASSETT Tel: 853887
Time capsule buried until 2089 New Mayor's First Duty May Day at the West Swindon Centre was dayof contrasts with the past, present and future woven into ceremony and entertainment. Last year's Mayor of Thamesdown, Coun. Jim Cordon, placed a number of items in a casket which was sealed into a capsule and buried for 100 years. This was followed by a Victorian Fun Fair and a display of May Pole dancing directed by Kathy Geddes of the Thamesdown Dance Studios. All The Link magazines going back to December 1978 were microfilmed and included in the capsule along with a map of Swindon, a tape of hit songs, rail and bus timetables, photographs of Gateways ozone friendly products, a photograph of a 3-bed semi priced at just under £75,000, plus a number of other items. The Victorian Fair was run by volunteers from the West Swindon Family Project. It included a
Alexander Ogle presents the Mayor with a box containing ten years of The Link on microfilm
hand turned roundabout, a rolling horse, swing boats and a puppet show. By contrast, closeby, attempts were made to inflate the tethered Royal Mail hot air balloon. The gusty wind disappointed the many people who queued for a ride. The whole event was paid for by Gateway and altogether £270 was raised for the West Swindon Family Project's holiday fund.
Long wait nearly over
The new Mayor ofThamesdown, Councillor Ken Savage, performed the first of the many public duties he will undertake during the coming year. On the morning after receiving the chains of office he picked out the six winners in the The Link magazine survey prize draw. A massive survey of people living in West Swindon was published in the April edition of the magazine. The questionnaire, put together in conjunction with the Borough of Thamesdown's Community Development Division, asked readers a wide range of questions about what they thought of services, facilities and the problems in the area. There were also questions about what readers thought of The Link. In all 568 survey forms were returned, most with prize draw entries. This represents a 5.8% response rate, which, according to the experts, is good for a selfreturn questionnaire. The winner of the £50 first prize is Mrs. P. Richardson of Silch-
ester Way, Westlea. A full list of winners can be found on page 3. Many thanks to all those who took the time to fill in and return the questionnaire. The information is being analysed at present and we hope to present the results later in the year. Our grateful thanks to the Mayor and Mayoress for taking the time to draw out our six lucky readers.
Hillsborough fund help
West Swindon most isolated corner is to get a community centre A marathon hair cutting session Town could drop in on the Sun- at long last. The first residents moved to Sparcells in August 1987 and since last July parents have been asking Thamesdown Council for somewhere to meet with their young children. They have repeatedly pointed out that they are very cut off from the closest facilities at Shaw and the nearest playgroups have a waiting list. A report to a Policy and Resources sub-committee on 16 May said that the first officer meetings had taken place a year previously and local developers were approached for help in September 1988. One, Clarke Homes, offered to provide a temporary building with all service connections at no cost to the Council. In return they asked for the opportunity to negotiate the purchase of land at The Prinnels in Shaw, paying the full market price. The sub-committee decided to accept the off erfrom Clarke Homes and will be selling land in Shaw for private housing, which will require planning permission. A group of parents in Sparcells are very pleased by the decision. They have been meeting on the Locobus double-decker mobile community centre since last September, and were expecting to loose it at any time to other areas without facilities. "Its brilliant news," said Elaine Munday, who has written several letters and made many telephone calls over the past months. "Its about time though. We've been on to the council for a long, longtime, but a decision seemed impossible. Now the playgroup we have been raising money for will have somewhere to start up." Local councillor Ricky Midwinter said the decision to accept the offer of a community building had been a breakthrough.
started on 29 April and ended 24 day. By then I think we all looked hours later with one hundred and and felt like zombies." twenty heads of hair cut and £866 Town player Fitzroy Simmons donated to the Hillsborough said Cut 'n Dry had done a great Tragedy Appeal Fund. job for a good cause. "I'm priviThe fundraising idea came leged to be here." from Sue Collins, proprietor of • The regulars at Freshbrook's the Cut 'n Dry hairdressing sa- Cornflower pub raised over £800 ions at Freshbrook and Shaw for the Hillsborough fund at a Village Centres. She and five skittles challenge evening in May. hairdressers worked the mara- • Going for the top. Phil King, thon session at the Shaw shop, left back with Swindon Town, helped by other staff who came gives a day in his life on page 14. in to keep them going. "We were surprised and really pleased by the support from local Two big events for you people. There was a great atmosphere throughout," said a weary to join in with looking Sue. "The Mayor visited West Swindon us on the Saturday, then turned up at midnight for a trim." Under 5's Festival "Pizzarama were great by keeping us going with free piz& A Community Picnic zas and it was good that Phil plus Fetes galore j King and Fitzroy from Swindon
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