North & West Swindon Link March 2020 Edition

No 454 March 2020

GPS delivered door to door to 50,000 homes across Swindon with Est. overall readership of 125,000

Swindon

LINK Your Community Magazine

North & West Edition

Four page feature in association with InSwindon Town Centre BID. All you need to know about our town centre. page 19

St Francis Primary School holds out the hand of friendship Page 3

Check out our new magazine within a magazine Page 23

including Sport, Culture, Food and Drink, Home, Pets and The Trade Pages

LINK

MAGAZINE

Community: P2-20

Swindon Wide: P21 - 29

Leisure: P30-39

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Changing times

St Francis spread an anti-bullying message By Ben Fitzgerald ben@swindonlink.com

Youngsters at St Francis Primary School have joined forces to spread an antiBy Group Editor Jamie Hill bullying message - to coincide jamie@positive-media.co.uk with their annual Friendship If you venture past the Fortnight. centrespread in this month's And the entire school posed edition you might notice a few for an aerial photograph to changes as we introduce our new demonstrate their commitment lifestyle and culture magazine to a whole school pledge of section. values. This change to the 'back of the St Francis Primary School book' as it is called hopes to recently signed up to the bring you readers more insightful Diana Award Anti-Bullying articles that would be of interest Campaign - which engages to any of you living in Swindon. young people, parents and The Link Magazine is made up teachers to tackle bullying by of Link Culture, which this month building skills and confidence features a chat with comedian to address a variety of Andrew Maxwell and explorer situations. Ranulph Fiennes as well our Instigated by Year 6 poetry corner and a preview teaching assistant and of metal band Anvil playing at pastoral leader Claire Level III. Walker and her colleague Other sections inlcude Link Pets Nicki Sellers, ten selected and Nature, Link Home, Link Food pupils from years 4,5 and 6 and Drink, Link Motoring, and Link were chosen as the school’s Sport. anti-bullying ambassadors. It's essentially an overhaul of Mrs Walker explained: “The the sections that we do and we're actually very proud of how it looks. Another section that has had an overhaul is the 'Service Sector' which is now called Link Trade Pages. This is the perfect section to find everything you need whether it is a gardener, a builder or a cleaner. But at its essence Swindon Link is doing what it always has done being a useful community resource giving you all the Credit: Solo16 www.solo16.co.uk/aerial information you might need. Group Editor and Owner: Jamie Hill Deputy Editor: Ben Fitzgerald

Sales: Dave Stewart and Rosy Presley Office Manager: Karen Randall Photography:

Calyx

ADVERTISING Call 01793 320043 or email: advertising@swindonlink.com Closing date for April adverts and editorial: 13 March April edition published: 27 March Our Statistics Est. Readership of 125,000 in print & c.50,000 monthly online visitors. Swindon’s largest free publication. Advertising starts from just £53.

Positive Media Group Limited, Old Bank House, 5 Devizes Road, Old Town, Swindon SN1 4BJ

T: 01793 320043 Email: publisher@swindonlink.com

Credit: Solo16 www.solo16.co.uk/aerial

children attended a day of training, and then they had to come back to school to share what they learned and help to reinforce our already strong community values.” As part of the drive, the whole school worked to draw up a set of collective values focusing on treating

each other with respect and kindness. One of the Year 4 ambassadors, Amelia, said: “It’s great fun and good to be part of helping others and looking after each other and promoting friendship. "Children have the power to change the world.”

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 Old Bank House, 5 Devizes Road, Swindon SN1 4BJ Printed by pcp Telford

Hear Link Magazine highlights on air, the last Wednesday of each month and as a podcast on www.swindon1055.com

Got a community story or feature? Contact newsdesk at publisher@swindonlink.com or 01793 320043 swindonlink.com n March 2020

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Judges draw up list of Pride of Swindon winners Pride of Swindon judges met at the start of the month faced with the daunting task of discussing nominations for the prestigious award. Representatives drawn from Swindon businesses, community groups and charities gathered at the Civic Offices to discuss a host of potential winners. The 2020 awards, now in their 13th year, aim to celebrate individuals and teams who go the extra mile to support the Swindon community. The award recipients could be someone who has given up their time to help others, a role model, someone who has helped reduce crime in their area or an employee who has gone over and above to give something back to their community. The winners in both the individual and team categories will be honoured at a ceremony at the Steam Museum in March.

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Swindon 105.5 Station Manager Shirley Ludford with Swindon Mayor Kevin Parry at the launch of the 2020 Pride of Swindon awards

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Budget special: Finance boss Russell Holland in the spotlight With Swindon Borough Council's budget 2020/2021 having been agreed, we invited deputy council leader and cabinet member for finance Russell Holland to answer Q - What is the proposed budget for the year 2020-2021 and how is that decided? The proposed budget for 2020/21 is £142m. Cabinet approved the proposals at its meeting on 5 February, and a final decision was made at the Full Council meeting on 20 February. Q - Where does the council get its money from? What are the sources of funding and how much does the council receive? Our budget comes from three different sources: council taxpayers, a share of the business rates collected locally and a grant from the Government. Last year (2019/20), we received £103.2m from council tax, £35m from business rates and £4.3m from the Government. Q - Will council tax need to increase? What will the average band D council tax home now pay (compared with 2019/ 2020) I realise that people are not going to be happy about paying more Council Tax, I can only assure them that the vast majority of our budget is spent on helping those most in need. In particular, adults with serious social care needs and vulnerable children who very much need and deserve our help. What this means is that most people do not see directly where most of their Council Tax goes, but I believe everyone would support helping those who need it most. As such, as part of the budget, Full Council will be asked to approve an overall council tax increase of 3.99 per cent. Two per cent of the increase can only be spent on adult social care, with the remainder set aside for important Council services. A 3.99 per cent increase would increase the average council tax bill by £4.54 per month, excluding precepts from other bodies. The Council continues to have a fair and affordable Council Tax compared with other authorities. Q - What are the statutory services that the council has a legal duty to provide? We are required to provide vital safeguarding services to protect

some pressing questions about how your money is allocated, how it will directly affect you - the council tax payer, and whether they feel they have struck the right balance vulnerable adults and children, such as the elderly, people with disabilities and children without families. Without these services, many adults and children would not be able to live their lives independently in a supportive environment. Some examples of these statutory services include providing foster families for children who can no longer stay with their own families, residential or nursing care placements for adults too vulnerable to live by themselves, and school transport for children with additional needs. Q - After funding has been allocated to these statutory services, the council is left with the difficult decision about how to prioritise the remaining non-statutory services. How is this done? Is there a way that the public can have a say in this process? We use our budget to provide hundreds of services to the residents of the borough, these include everything from waste collection to organising school admissions. Our priority is always to make sure that services are provided. For example with our leisure services, we no longer provide these directly but they are still there for residents to use. We have also safeguarded our much valued libraries and we pleased that not a single library has been closed and we have been able to introduce a new library point. We routinely get feedback from residents both directly and through their Councillors. Our consultations are advertised through our popular social media pages both on Facebook and twitter.

between setting a fair council tax level and meeting their funding requirements. A Council Tax information leaflet is available at www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20020 this. I can only assure residents that we are very conscious that we are funded by taxpayers and do everything we can to ensure that we get the best possible value for money. Q – How can you afford to spend millions on some projects but then reduce other services? Many of our big projects receive external funding through grants, which we work hard to obtain from government. This money is often paid as a one-off sum and can only be used on specific schemes, meaning it cannot be used for other services. If we did not bid for this type of funding, we would be unable to make these big improvements to Swindon. Our day-to-day spending on other services comes from a separate pot of money which is made up of council tax, charges and government grants. These two pots of money have very different rules on how they can be used, which is why we can sometimes afford big projects while having to make savings elsewhere. While we recognise that we have a lot of financial challenges, we do need to continue to invest in the big projects for the future of the town. Q – Why aren’t you investing more in the town centre?

We are conscious of the ongoing need to improve the town centre, and in February, my colleagues and I supported the biggest financial investment in our town centre for a generation. The Conservatives agreed to spend £14m in order to Q - Funding public services seems secure more than £30m worth to be a balancing act between of grants from Government. generating enough money for Ground-breaking for the first services and setting council tax new office development in at a level that homeowners feel 20 years is scheduled for the is fair - do you feel the council end of March so residents, and has got this right? business, will shortly see visible progress. There are We do our best also support for the to try to get the Cultural Heritage right balance Institute, investing in and I am sure the Carriageworks there will where a dozen be a range businesses are Deputy council leader and cabinet member for finance of views on now based. Russell Holland

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Dr Swinyard retires Dr Peter Swinyard, of Phoenix Surgery, Toothill, Swindon, is retiring at the end of May 2020 after 40 years as a doctor, 35 years as a GP in West Swindon and 25 years at the Phoenix Surgery in Toothill, which he founded. During his career, he has been a leader of the profession in his role as National Chairman of the Family Doctor Association, working to improve health by the education of doctors and their teams, influencing the direction of Health Policy. For 29 years, he has been a representative of Swindon GPs on the Wiltshire Local Medical Committee, sometime chairman of the LMC.

Alcohol admissions Almost 125,000 people were admitted to hospitals across the South West because of alcohol last year. And over the last six years admissions in Swindon have shown a 40 % rise. Analysis of the statistics by alcohol addiction treatment experts UKAT reveals that the number of people admitted into hospital because of alcohol has risen across the South West by 22% since 2012/13, and is a figure that has continued to rise for the last six years.

Staying safe online Wiltshire Police Digital Investigations & Intelligence Unit are running a competition to design a social media campaign to promote staying safe online. Entrants need to record a two minute video explaining what they have planned for their social media campaign and submit it to the judges. For more details including how to enter the competition visit www.wiltshire.police. uk/socialmediacompetition 6

Roll up for the Urban Rider Games 2020

Extreme sports event – The Urban Rider Games 2020 is about to hit Swindon again for the 6th year running - on April 10. The not for profit event will be taking place on the 10th of April, in Swindon’s only indoor skate park – ATBShop Skate

Warehouse. The event is designed to showcase the raw talent for BMX, Skate and Scooter disciplines. Last year's extreme sports event saw around 500 spectators and riders descend on the skate park across

the entire day, for an action packed day of competitions. More than 130 competitors register from all over the country - all of whom receive an official Urban Rider Games T-Shirt on the day. For more information see www.atbshop.co.uk

Reach for the sky and raise charity funds! Wiltshire Air Ambulance is celebrating its 30th year of operation in 2020 and the charity is looking for 30 people to take part in a wing walk to raise funds for its lifesaving service. Taking place on Wednesday 8 July with AeroSuperBatics at RFC Rendcomb Airfield, near Cirencester, participants will be strapped to a Boeing Stearman biplane and experience a series of flypasts, zoom climbs, steep dives and banks. A wing walk held last year at the same venue raised more than £8,000 for Wiltshire Air Ambulance. One of those who took part was Meg Steinschauer, an executive assistant at V12 Footwear based in Chippenham. She said: “It was an incredibly exhilarating experience and seeing my closest friends and family supporting and urging

me on was a real boost. I think everyone should give it a go at least once in their life! “I felt proud to have helped Wiltshire Air Ambulance save more lives.” Kenresa Stratford, events co-ordinator at Wiltshire Air Ambulance, said: “We’re excited to take to the skies with our wing walk this year and would love to see our supporters take on this thrilling challenge! “We’ve been flying and

saving lives for 30 years and we thought we’d celebrate this great landmark in our history by doing something a little different. “So if you’re willing to challenge yourself by taking to the skies in our wing walk, please contact us.” Entry costs £150 and participants are asked to raise a minimum of £500. For more information go to the charity’s website - www. wiltshireairambulance.co.uk

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New Forest Meadows Project underway in Swindon A new project to enhance urban meadows and forest habitats while improving people’s health and wellbeing was launched in February by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) and Swindon Borough Council (SBC). Councillors Gary Sumner and Maureen Penny, SBC’s Cabinet Members for Strategic Planning and Transport & the Environment respectively, joined WWT’s newly appointed Swindon Reserves Manager Neil Pullen and members of the WWT Wellbeing Programme at Moulden Hill Country Park to discuss how the project will benefit both wildlife and local residents’ wellbeing. WWT and SBC are currently working at Mouldon Hill on a project to enhance biodiversity funded by a grant from Network Rail. This funding comes after recent upgrades to the Great Western Route Modernisation electrification programme and seeks to offset impacts on biodiversity by enhancing habitats elsewhere. The Forest Meadows Project is a three-year programme funded by SBC through developer contributions and other biodiversity grants. It will enhance the management and wildlife of existing grassland areas, including where

possible the reintroduction of wildflowers and more traditional management of the meadows. This will benefit a range of species, including pollinators such as bees. Grazing animals may also be introduced on some of the sites to improve biodiversity and aid land management. The project will link in with existing health and wellbeing groups in Swindon to encourage their members to get involved in a wide range of activities, from the sowing and planting of wildflowers through to the biological monitoring of sites for wildlife such as butterflies and moths. The project will cover 12 meadow and forest sites within the Borough, which together cover more than 170 hectares. Most of the sites are located along the corridor of the River Ray, but the project will also link to other areas including Sevenfields, the Lawns, Wroughton, Highworth, Penhill, Rodbourne Cheney, and WWT reserves with existing meadows. WWT will lead the work in collaboration with SBC, parish councils, and local community groups. Cllr Sumner said of the project’s launch: “We are

Councillors Gary Sumner and Maureen Penny join WWT staff and volunteers to launch the Forest Meadows Project at Mouldon Hill Country Park, Swindon (credit: Chris Noyce)

absolutely committed as a Council to improving biodiversity throughout the Borough so we are really pleased to team up with the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust to deliver the Forest Meadows Project. “It builds on our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint here in Swindon and ties in nicely with existing treeplanting and wildflower initiatives we have in place as we aim for a greener future. “I am also extremely pleased this particular project will have a focus on improving people’s health and wellbeing and I look forward to seeing the Forest Meadows making a real difference to the lives of local people in years to come.” WWT’s Neil Pullen said: “I’m really looking forward to

starting work in Swindon later this month. Thanks to projects such as the Great Western Community Forest, large areas of green space and corridors can be found in parts of Swindon Borough. There are also many people within the Borough who have expertise or willingness to get involved; the Forest Meadows project will be another outlet for them to be able to get outdoors and make a difference for wildlife and their local community.” If you are interested in getting involved in the Forest Meadows Project (either surveying and monitoring or more actively managing and creating wildlife-rich areas) or would like more information, please contact Neil at neilp@ wiltshirewildlife.org or on 01380 725670.

Tadpole Garden Village celebrates six years in Swindon The award-winning community at Tadpole Garden Village near Blunsdon, North Swindon, is celebrating its sixth birthday this year with more than half of the 1,700 homes sold already. The last 12 months in particular have seen a number of significant milestones, such as the opening of the play park, two schools and the presentation to residents of the plans for a pub in partnership with the local Arkell’s Brewery. New phases have also launched, including Stray Park, Meridian and The Pinnacle, offering a range of apartments, bungalows and two to five bedroom homes

alongside The Farmstead and Evolve. A visionary new community, the finished 350-acre site will include 2,700 new trees, 26km of hedgerow, allotments, an ecological bat corridor, community buildings, a local centre with shops, a range of educational facilities, football and cricket pitches and a community pavilion. Tadpole Garden Village has over 62% open space, with multiple walking and cycling routes. Sandra Dixon, Sales and Marketing Director at Crest Nicholson South West, commented: “Tadpole Garden Village is a beautiful and

hugely successful scheme, which has already flourished into a vibrant new community - it is fantastic to be able to celebrate six years. We’ve come on a real journey from the day that work first commenced here in 2013, and it has been advocated by numerous awards, endorsing

our Garden Village Principles. "Being just over the halfway mark there are still plenty of opportunities to purchase a home from one our developments.” For more information visit www.crestnicholson.com/ developments/tadpolegarden-village. swindonlink.com n March 2020

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Support in place for Honda staff and supply chain workers By Jamie Hill jamie@swindonlink.com

A package of measures has been put in place to support workers affected by the closure of Swindon’s Honda factory in July next year. Almost a year after the Japanese carmaker announced it would be closing its South Marston base, a co-ordinated programme of welfare support is established with Honda itself leading the way to support its employees. Honda of the UK Manufacturing, Honda R&D, Honda Trading, Honda Logistics and other direct suppliers, have been supported by a range of local and national partners. These have included Swindon Borough Council, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Department for Education Funding Agency, Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, local colleges and other training providers, the National Careers Service and others. The Honda and Supply Chain Coordinating Steering Group, led by Swindon Borough Council, met recently to identify additional support for Honda workers and those in the supply chain when production stops in 18 months’ time. Business teams at Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire Council are making links between potential employers and the Honda of the UK Manufacturing and supply chain HR teams, in order to focus training on actual job opportunities. Through the Community and Well-being Task Group, organisations such as MIND, Citizens Advice Bureau, Swindon Borough Council, Nationwide Building Society, Swindon Churches Together, Sovereign Housing and Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group have all volunteered their time to work together 8

to support anyone directly affected by the closure. This included producing a brochure outlining free-to-use redundancy support around health and financial well-being as well as offering direct support to those that need it. Swindon Borough Council has also set aside £200,000 to help Honda workers and companies within the supply chain. Half of the money has been used to unlock further funding from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) SME Competitiveness Programme, which will provide start-up support as well as support to companies in the Honda supply chain. The remaining funding will support Honda workers as and when required. Honda of the UK Manufacturing has appointed a specialist company to support staff who are either looking to find new jobs locally or start up their own businesses. Employees have had access to a series of training needs assessments as well as a range of foundation and specialist courses. Job-hunting support is also in place for all workers. Councillor Oliver Donachie, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Place and member of the Honda Steering Group, said: “Twelve months on and the signs remain positive that Swindon is wellplaced to rebound from the disappointment of car production ending at the Honda plant next year. “Ranked eighth in the latest Good Growth for Cities index, Swindon is lucky to have a diverse, growing economy and over the past year, BMW, Nationwide and Zurich have announced fresh investments in their operations here. “The Honda factory will continue to turn out hundreds of new vehicles on a daily basis until July 2021, so the pace and nature of our

support needs to dovetail with the company’s timescales and processes as it phases redundancies between now and the end of production. “I know that Honda of the UK Manufacturing has invested significantly in providing wellbeing support for its Swindon workforce, along with training and development and financial planning advice. The company has also put aside a substantial amount of money to meet workforce redundancy costs. “The Steering Group continues to reach out to Honda’s supply chain to support their goal of identifying potential new customers for when the factory eventually closes.” A Supply Chain Task Group is also supporting direct suppliers to diversify and win subsequent contracts, while support is available for at-risk employees. National partners have organised a 2020 ‘Meet the Buyer’ event for automotive manufacturing suppliers and Honda Tier One supply chain companies on 3 June at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena. Another group of stakeholders, led by the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership, is looking at the main South Marston site. This group has considered future opportunities for the site, while ensuring

Swindon’s need for additional investment and support is heard at a national level working with the town’s MPs, councillors and Local Enterprise Partnership. Paddy Bradley, Director of Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership and member of the Honda Sites Task Group, said: “The Swindon and Wiltshire Local Industrial Strategy outlines the area’s challenges and opportunities for economic growth and recognises the national and local significance of the Honda site and workforce. “This is one of the UK’s largest, active, relatively constraint-free employment sites with several thousand productive local employees with a range of skills. Although Honda owns the site and will ultimately decide who it is sold to, the Sites Task Group is keen to support a future use which sees more of the site becoming operational, with a range of manufacturing and other high-value employment, ideally with some skills and innovation support.” Any Swindon and Wiltshirebased Tier One manufacturing suppliers who are not in contact with any of the Honda Task Groups can email: support@ swindon.gov.uk for further details about the support that is available.

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Foundation grants boost Swindon groups Charity groups have been boosted with more than £100,000 of grants from the Wiltshire Community Foundation. Among the recipients of the latest round of foundation grants is the Renew Men’s Shed in Penhill, which has been given £10,000 over two years towards the cost of employing manager Kevin Prosser. The group, based at Chippenham Close Community Centre, is aimed at giving retired or isolated people somewhere to go to practise or learn woodworking and upholstery skills. The group, which runs four sessions a week, has up to ten people along at each session but numbers are growing. Out of the Can, a youth group aimed at LGBTQ+ youngsters aged between 13 and 19. It has been given £10,000 over two years to fund a youth worker to extend their reach.

The group runs two weekly youth sessions in Swindon and Royal Wootton Bassett, where more than 50 young people meet to play games and chat. There is also a regular Saturday pop-up café in Swindon. Youth mentoring charity STEP Swindon has been awarded £4,853 to fund staff and running costs at its base in Nythe. Parkinson’s UK Swindon has been given £2,500 to hep fund fitness classes for its 65 members. DASH Swindon has been given £10,000 over two years to find six social groups for members with Asperger’s and other autistic spectrum conditions. The Pinehurst Initiative Forum was given £4,975 towards the cost of a community fun day and Swindon Women’s Aid received £2,360 for staff training and printer costs. www.wiltshirecf.org.uk

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Mad March Hare is almost here! The Mad March Hare team are busy organising the 13th Mad March Hare which takes place on Sunday 22nd March. The event in aid of Breast Cancer NOW takes place this year on Mothers Day and organisers are calling participants to sign up as a family to celebrate the special day! The fun event sees around 500 entrants each year, starting and finishing at Lydiard Park School, it welcomes people of all ages and abilities to get out and enjoy taking exercise. To take part or volunteer at the event log on to www. madmarchhare.org.uk, email at info@madmarchhare.org. uk or call 0845 6808064.

Window Wonderland Eastcott Window Wonderland returns for its second year between 28 February– 2 March, 6-9pm. This is an initiative to inspire communities to set up window-display-based walking trails then share them with the world. This year, more than 180 windows in homes, businesses, schools and community buildings throughout Eastcott will take part. The event is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and South Swindon Parish Council. Visit: www. windowwanderland.com

Craig David confirms

Chart topping Craig David is the latest act to confirm for Mfor 2020. Craig, known for hits including ‘7 Days’, ‘Fill Me In’ and ‘Re-Rewind’. Craig David will join Rudimental DJ and Ella Henderson at Mfor 2020 on 25 July 2020 in Swindon’s Lydiard Park. Tickets are available at www.mforfestival.co.uk

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Satellite service supports Swindon for patients A new NHS healthcare service has been set up to cut down orthopaedic waiting times and support patients to stay in Swindon for appointments ahead of surgery, saving them the time, expense and pain of unnecessary travel. The Swindon Outpatient Clinic, which will be held at the Swindon Health Centre, Islington Street, offers pre and post-operative appointments to patients who may require orthopaedic surgery at Emersons Green NHS Treatment Centre, Bristol and Devizes NHS Treatment Centre. Outpatient lead nurse Julia Ashworth explained: “Anyone who may need orthopaedic surgery, such as a hip and knee replacement, shoulder surgery or minor orthopaedic procedures at either of the centres, would only have to travel to the centre for their surgery.

The initial outpatient appointment with the consultant, pre-operative nursing assessment, necessary blood tests and any followup with a consultant will all be done at the Swindon Outpatient Clinic. “Anyone undergoing treatment may find travelling difficult because of pain or lack of mobility. The new Swindon clinic will make the treatment pathway significantly easier and will minimise the risk of discomfort

or distress from unnecessary travelling. It may also offer shorter waiting time for treatment. ”If patients have been referred by their GP, or if they have been referred by the Musculoskeletal Assessment Treatment Service (MATS) for orthopaedic surgery, they just need to select Care UK Swindon Outpatient Clinic on NHS e-Referral in order to access the service. To find out more about the service call 0333 999 7641.

Dawn sets out to share her slimming secrets A slimmer who transformed her life is now using her success to shape a new career, helping other people change their lives and achieve their health and weight loss goals. Dawn Warren joined her local Slimming World group in Swindon last summer as she struggled to be the hands on nanny she wanted to be to her 6 year old grandson. Dawn has now trained as a consultant for Slimming World, the UK’s largest group-based weight loss organisation, at their national training academy in Derbyshire. Over 90 members of the group in Upper Stratton welcomed Dawn on Tuesday evening as she officially relaunched the group. Dawn said: “These amazing members have already lost over 22 stone so far this January and I am so excited to see what we can achieve together moving forward. “Support is really the most important thing. It all starts with feeling that you’re not

alone. As someone who has lost weight myself I know the challenges people can face, which is why, along with the group, I will be there to support every one of my members all the way to their chosen target weight. Setting targets, sharing recipes and other ideas, and working together as a group to overcome challenges and celebrate success is so important to a successful journey. That’s why, at my Slimming World group, there’ll be tons of support, encouragement and fun.

“Like a lot of slimmers, I had tried to lose weight so many times before by following numerous diets and being gluten-intolerant it was important to be healthy, but they were never sustainable because I’d always get tired of restricting what I ate. I thought I was destined to struggle with my weight for the rest of my life, but when I came to Slimming World it was different. I never felt like I was on a diet. The eating plan encourages you to eat lots of tasty, filling foods like potatoes and lean meat and fish, you are never hungry and no foods are banned so there’s no deprivation. I couldn’t believe I’d found a way to lose weight without ever feeling hungry!" Dawn’s Slimming World group will be held at Meadowcroft Community Centre, Upper Stratton every Tuesday at 5.30 and 7.30pm. For more information or to join Dawn’s group either pop along or call her on 07795 621274.

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The Diet Lady is back! Lisa Curtis (AKA the diet lady) has helped hundreds of people in Swindon lose weight previously with Cambridge Diet, as a top, multi award winning consultant. Lisa went on to explore new horizons, study nutrition and became an advanced weight loss practitioner and coached thousands of people globally on healthy eating. Unfortunately, like for so many people, life got well and truly in the way, and with health issues, her weight spiraled again. Her healthy eating experience is fantastic for weight maintenance, but with 6 stones to lose, it just wasn’t quick enough to gather momentum and she found that she was making little progress. So that’s when Cambridge (now rebranded as the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan) re-entered her life, initially for her own weight loss, then becoming a consultant again,

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so she could help people, whose weight is impacting their lives. Lisa, has lost 3 stones and still has 3 stones to go, so she is losing the weight alongside her clients, leading by example and drawing on her huge wealth of experiences and knowledge. Lisa said: “When you have a lot of weight to lose, it’s vital to keep your motivation high, which means you need results quickly to keep you going. Cambridge absolutely works and that fuels your belief and with the right support, you know you’ll do it. "I’m delighted to be back, I can relate to people battling with their weight, because I have lived and breathed that battle for most of my life. Your confidence goes, self-esteem is non-existent and self-hate rife. You don’t want to do things or go out because nothing fits or looks nice, you just want to hide.

Before

"I would love to help anyone who is stuck or feeling hopeless and miserable about their weight and help them rediscover themselves, be happy and get them to a place where their weight is no longer a constant worry. You can reach me on 07776 042690

After

After

or thedietlady@outlook.com, let’s do this together.” You can also check out Lisa’s webpage one2onediet.com/ LCurtis

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Club and fans join forces to buy County Ground

The sale of the County Ground to Swindon Town Football Club and Swindon Town Supporters has reached a major milestone. Both the football club and the supporters’ group have united to form the joint venture company which will own the freehold of the stadium when contracts are formally exchanged with Swindon Borough Council, the current owner of the ground, in the next few weeks. The deal to buy the stadium from the Council was announced in March last year and terms have now been agreed by all three parties. As part of the sale

agreement to the joint venture company, which is a 50-50 partnership between Swindon Town Football Club and Swindon Town Supporters, the stadium will be leased back to the football club by way of a 250-year lease. This will allow the football club to redevelop the stadium to maximise revenue and to improve the facilities for all the community. The Council’s Cabinet agreed last March to sell the stadium after the football club and fans’ group agreed to meet the Council’s £2.2m independent valuation of the ground.

"There's a real buzz about the town at the moment"

There is a real buzz about the town at the moment and a big part of that is down to the fantastic season Swindon Town are currently enjoying. Top of the league and seemingly on course for promotion there is some real momentum on the field and supporters’ hopes are high that they will be watching League One football next season. But things are going well off the pitch too and I was delighted we were recently able to announce that a deal to sell the County Ground to the football club and supporters is all but done. A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes by council officers, those at the club and, of course, the

representatives of the fans’ groups, but we are almost there. The Council has owned the ground for many years, but this sale is less about the £2.2m the local authority will receive and more about the future success of the club and the benefit to the wider Swindon community. By owning the stadium, the club and supporters will find it much easier to raise the investment required to invest in the football ground. Better facilities will attract more supporters and increase revenue to make the club more sustainable in the long run. This is the start of a new era and we hope to exchange contracts on the deal very soon. What is particularly

exciting is that fans will also have the chance to own their own little piece of the place they call home when the supporters trust launch a share issue in the next few weeks. The share price of £19.69 is a nice nod to the greatest day in the club’s history and their famous 3-1 win over Arsenal in the League Cup final. More information on the share issue Community Shares campaign will be available t the TrustSTFC AGM on the 20 March. These are exciting times for Town fans and as they say on social media COYR!

Swindon Borough Council leader Cllr David Renard

Wroughton's Thomas Stamp announced as Cerebral Palsy Sport Young Sporting Ambassador By Jamie Hill jamie@swindonlink.com

Cerebral Palsy Sport has announced Thomas Stamp as a Young Sporting Ambassador. Thomas is a T35 sprinter running 100m, 200m and 400m distances and is a member of South Gloucestershire A.C and on the parallel success pathway. He is a regular participant and medallist at Cerebral Palsy Sport Athletics events and was selected to take part in the 2019 BBC Children in Need Rickshaw Challenge. Thomas has cerebral palsy, autism and ADHD. Throughout his life, bullying has been a persistent issue. Thomas was slow to develop as a toddler and over the years has needed operations and regular physio. He has always been a keen sportsman and playing sport has provided him with an escape from the difficulties in his life. Thomas has been supported by Cerebral

Palsy Sport which receives funding from BBC Children in Need to give young people with cerebral palsy the chance to access training and regular sporting events. Through his involvement with the charity he has competed in the CISPRA Games and won silver medals in 100m and 200m running. Thomas says being involved with the organisation has been life changing. Tom has overcome many hurdles, including bullying. During the Rickshaw Challenge, Thomas, along with five others travelled from Holyhead to London in a week, finishing at the BBC Elstree Studios during the BBC Children in Need Appeal Show. He was nicknamed ‘Night Rider’ for enjoying taking on the late shift, and also rode up the steepest street in the world, in Harlech, a seaside resort within the Snowdonia National Park. The Rickshaw Challenge alone raised £8.5 million for the Children in Need Appeal.

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The school profile: BRADON FOREST SCHOOL Challenge and Aspire for Success

Bradon Forest School is set in the rural village of Purton near Swindon, surrounded by stunning Wiltshire countryside. This gives them the perfect backdrop to focus on providing an excellent all-round education as well as nurturing students' individual talents and strengths.

KEY FEATURES • • • • • • •

Excellent results Wide variety of enrichment opportunities County level sports teams Outstanding residential trip calendar Rural location 5 Miles from Orbital Centre Experienced teaching staff

Find out more at www.bradonforest.org.uk

The school has been educating young people for over 50 years and are committed to developing highly successful, fully rounded individuals ready to take their place in the world. The mix of modern and traditional learning environments gives the school a unique, individual feel that is welcomed by students and parents alike. At Bradon Forest, staff provide a caring, creative and purposeful environment in which children can feel supported. Students are challenged both academically and in extra-curricular activities to be great learners. The school strives to develop confident young adults who show both respect and resilience and who have high aspirations for their futures.

Get to know the schools in your area This issue: Bradon Forest School Address: The Peak, Purton, SN5 4AT Contact: 01793 770570 Website: www.bradonforest.org.uk

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The Business Brief Two decades of Smiles Swindon in 2020 By Tyler Ody publisher@swindonlink.com

Smiles Centre was founded on the 1st January 2000 meaning that this year they are celebrating their 20th brithday. When the company was set up by Simon and Stuart Miles it was originally named S.S.Miles Dental laboratory, and it started in a garage with very little money, no heating and no work. Stuart said: "Simon was a great technician so it didn't take us long to build a reputation with local dentists as the go-to laboratory in Swindon. "After 10 years of hard

work, Simon qualified as a clinical dental technician and we moved the company, now called Smiles denture Care to Beechcroft Road. "In 2013, we re-branded as Smiles Centre and our first associate dentist joined the team, we have continued to build and develop the company ever since. "Our team now includes four dentists, a hygienist, therapist and an oral surgeon but Simon is still providing treatment for patients who need dentures and we still make them in our own laboratory on-site at the rear of the practice." www.smilescentre.co.uk

Workshop turns spotlight on impact of poor employee engagement With statistics showing critically low levels of employee engagement in the UK, Wiltshire business owners and HR managers will be given the chance to discover how engaged their teams are thanks to a free workshop being staged at two different venues in March. Andrea Riding, Managing Director of AARC Opportunity, is a licensed Engage & Grow coach specialising in helping businesses enthuse their workforce so they love their jobs. She is delivering the workshop in Chippenham on 3 March and Swindon on 5 March, where attendees will go through an exercise to find out exactly how engaged their own employees are and the impact it is having on their organisations. A Gallup survey showed just 11 per cent of UK employees are fully engaged in their roles, with serious consequences for businesses including lower productivity, falling sales, poor customer ratings and increased absenteeism. While a majority of employees – 66 per cent – are not engaged, a further 18

20 per cent are actively disengaged, and can represent a disruptive influence in the workplace. The award-winning Engage & Grow Group Activation System aims to help companies turn this around by reengaging their employees through tailored programmes. Results show an average increase in employee engagement of 257 per cent for SME businesses which have taken part. “The low levels of engagement have a serious impact on the performance of a business. It is costing businesses around 34 per cent of their wages bill, and results in low productivity, increased absenteeism and higher staff turnover,” said Andrea. “This workshop will enable them to calculate how engaged their own workforce are using a tried and tested Engage & Grow formula benchmarked against the worldwide Gallup research, to determine a value on what this is costing them. “We will be giving them some advice on how to reengage their workforce and, armed with this information, they may

then consider commissioning an Engage & Grow bespoke programme to find a solution. Engage & Grow uses neuroscience as the basis of its coaching programme to help employers and employees think differently.” Andrea added that employers and HR managers could take some simple first steps to help their employees feel more engaged. For example, building trust and cohesion, and setting shared goals, will help bring teams and management together. “Employees want to feel appreciated, they need variety and an opportunity for growth. They need certainty, they need to have significance within the organisation – particularly important for Millennials and they want to make a contribution,” said Andrea. “Importantly, employees really need to have fun at work. It is so important for learning. “Businesses with highly engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable than those with the least engagement. The figures speak for themselves

and the impact of being able to double or even triple employee engagement would be incredibly rewarding to any type of organisation.” Both workshops run from 8.30-10.30am. The Chippenham workshop is being held on Tuesday March 3 at The Meeting Place (access from the Borough Parade Car Park, SN15 3ER). To book, visit bit. ly/2NSe7aq. The Swindon workshop is being held on Thursday March 5 at The VAS (Voluntary Action Swindon) Centre, John Street, SN1 1RT. To book, visit bit. ly/38zt35k. There is no cost to attend but reservations must be made in advance. For more information aarcopportunity.com or email Andrea on andrea@ aarcopportunity.com.

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MAGAZINE Swindon film producers get nationwide Cineworld release for horror 'Sacrilege' Swindon film producers and UK horror outfit, Bad Blood Films have secured a nationwide Cineworld release throughout the UK, set for 6 March at selected sites. Latest release 'Sacrilege' follows the British production company's script-toscreen business model, which provides a profitable, all-encompassing end-to-end approach to production. Spearheaded by co-founders Mark Kenna and David Creed, it places a focus on sustainability while keeping to a realistic budget. Co-founder and producer, Mark, explains, “We’re delighted that this film has already secured UK distribution with Cineworld. It comes at just the right time for UK film. We know the industry is going through massive changes. You need to think big. It’s not just about getting your film made. That’s only the beginning." With their latest release, 'Sacrilege' being crewed, directed, filmed and produced in the South West, Bad Blood Films is already proving that concept. David Creed describes the new film as 'The Ritual (2017)’ meets 'Eden Lake (2009)’, tapping into the popular folklore horror sub-genre reignited by Ari Aster’s Misommar (2019) for the younger audiences, they’re looking to be scared just as much as adults are. The film involves four friends staying in a remote lodge at Solstice. Four more scripts are in final development and Bad Blood Films is seeking investment to produce two films in 2020 and three films in 2021. Investors can find out more about the finance packages by emailing the company at investor@badbloodfilms. com. For more information visit www. badbloodfilms.com

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24 - 25 LINK CULTURE WHAT'S WHAT IN SWINDON

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Interview Andrew Maxwell

n a career that has achieved high praise from audiences and critics alike, Andrew Maxwell has never been short of subjects to regale us all with. As he gears up for his next tour, he’s set to give us a dose of Reality. Or reality TV, to be more precise, given that his experience of being in the back and beyond in Australia for I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here will form a significant part of his new show.

“It’s such a massive programme and it has a very special place in people’s hearts. When I started talking to my nearest and dearest about doing it, I didn’t realise how many people are so crazy about it. You get whole families wanting photos. People’s kids want a photo of me! I was living on 600 calories a day, literally sleeping with snakes, and spiders are falling onto your head as you try to wee into a bucket at night: everything else in life is then much easier.” Making stand-up look easy has been Andrew Maxwell’s forte during a career spanning more than 25 years. A favourite at the Edinburgh Fringe with shows such as Grand Royale, Waxin’ (which earned him an Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination in

something to learn about the places he’s appearing in. “The pros of touring are the whole days set aside to just learn something new. There was a day on the tour last spring when I looked at the maps and it struck me that I had never realised that the Peak District is just above Sheffield. So suddenly I’m just pottering around the countryside like I’m in a Sunday evening murder-mystery.”

2007), Supernatural, and his most recent tour, All Talk, he has also appeared on TV shows such as Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week and Drunk History, and narrated MTV’s Ex On The Beach. In 2004 he was crowned King Of Comedy in a Channel 4 reality show, while he also claimed victory in a 2018 episode of Celebrity Mastermind with his specialist subject of Lebanon. For a man who is constantly inquisitive about the world around him, there’s always

One of the mysteries of the entertainment industry is that people as talented in their field as Andrew Maxwell aren’t better known to a wider populace. His newfound fame from I’m A Celebrity might attract a different kind of audience to his shows, but whoever is in the crowd, his goal will always remain the same. “You want people to laugh their bollocks off and leave the tent or the room with their chin up. It’s important to send them off armed and ready for life. I want them to feel a million dollars.” The Reality is you can pretty much put your house on that happening. Andrew Maxwell’s Reality tour runs from 29th April to 8th June. He will take to the stage at Swindon Arts Centre on May 26 Details at andrewmaxwellontour.com

Poetry with Maurice Spillane The landlady of our local pub introduced me to two mediums recently. They said they were devout Christians as if that explained some oddity. They were on a mission. A spirit woman had lost her son and wouldn’t be happy until she held his hand again. “When did she lose him?” I asked. “1750,” was the reply, “and she’s been searching for him since.” The spirit woman said the pub was an ale house in the old days, and insisted her son might be at “The Farm” nearby. I pointed out the farm, and where the farm house was back then. I offered to take them but they’d another appointment and said they’d come back. To be honest, I had difficulty dropping the exchange from my head. I’ve heard enough ghost stories in my time, and had several experiences that couldn’t be explained so I’m cautious.

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The Stolen Child by Yeats: Come away, O human child To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand, For the world’s more full of weeping There’s no end of poems on this subject but the great poet, W. B. Yeats, was a medium and he put it well. He was standing by a bridge In Sligo one time. An old man hobbled along. They’d a conversation and Yeats asked him if he believed in leprechauns. “Leprechauns, is it? Damn you, sir. What do you take me for, a fool!” Yeats apologised profusely and they both watched the stream in silence. Then the old man said: “But you never know now, do ye?”

Than you can understand.

In Swindon this month: • Reading Group – Monday 2 March, 7-9pm Richard Jefferies Museum • Beehive Pub – Tuesday 10 March, 7:30pm • Open Mic – Monday 23 March, 7:30pm Regent Hotel, Victoria Road http://mauricespillane.com

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English poet, comedian and presenter, Pam Ayres MBE, is hosting an evening performance to raise money for Great Western Hospital’s NHS Foundation Trust’s charity, Brighter Futures. On National Poetry Day, October 1 2020, Pam will take to the stage at Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre for a one-off concert.Pam is known across the nation for her witty poetry that details everyday life, and has been in the industry for over 40 years. Visit https:// swindontheatres.co.uk/

CULTURE

Big tuneless birthday bash Joined by the Mayor of Royal Wootton Bassett, Councillor Steve Watts, members of a choir exclusively for the self-confessed vocally challenged have marked their first year together with a special birthday celebration. The Royal Wootton Bassett Tuneless Choir launched on 29th January 2019 and welcomes anyone who simply loves to sing, even if they may lack the confidence or ability to do so in tune. The Royal Wootton Bassett Tuneless Choir meets every Tuesday from 7.30pm to 8.45pm in the ballroom at The Angel Hotel. Book a taster session by e-mailing royalwb@tunelesschoir. com. Taster sessions cost £8 and more details can be found at www. tunelesschoir.com/royalwb.

Cricklade band Cricklade band will be playing a concert in St Sampson's Church on Saturday 25th April. And on Saturday 21 March the Spring Table-Top Sale, at the Town Hall, Cricklade, 11am to 1pm. If you're a Table-Top seller, get in quick and call 01793 750516 to book your table, at just £6. NW March artwork.indd 25

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ou’re heading out on tour, what will you be talking about?

I’ll be talking about my life: my childhood and schooling, and training with the SAS (and being chucked out of the SAS!) I’ll be talking about my very first posting with the British Army, and being the youngest captain in the British Army – even though I didn’t deserve it! – and how that inspired my love of exploring. I’ll also touch upon some of my favourite expeditions, one of which was finding an Arab city with my first wife Ginny that we spent 26 years looking for, and how, in the first year after we got married, we did our first journey together: a 2,000 mile long boat trip down one of the toughest rivers in the world. There’s so much to talk about that I can only briefly touch on being the oldest Brit up Everest and the oldest pensioner in Great Britain to go up the north face of the Eiger! I’ve tried to get a good mix of polar exploring, and my other adventures. You have achieved a great deal, are there any expeditions/challenges that you are most pround of? At the moment, I still hold the World Record of being the only person to have crossed the whole of that Antarctica ice cap, the whole of the northern ice cap and to climb the highest mountain. It's called the Global Reach Challenge and I'm the only person to ever have done it. There are two other people who have nearly done it, a Norwegian and a Belgian, both of whom I am friends with now. Which person do you most admire, living or dead and why? One of the people I admire the most is the

polar explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott. I’ve just written a book on him that tries to get to the truth of his wonderful career, as there are a lot of lies and rumours about him. He first discovered that Antarctica was a continent! But he had bad luck with the weather on his expeditions, and died in his tent. I also really admire the explorer Wilfred Thesiger, who carried out lots of expeditions in intense heat.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes: Living Dangerously

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Pam Ayres

If you could go back in time, what time period would you travel to? I would travel back to 1415. I would have preferred to live in the pre-digital age. With the threat of climate change more apparent than ever, what would you urge the younger generation to change? Sorting out the plastic in the ocean is a good start, rather than trying to tackle things you can't even see. Everyone can do something about that, whereas something complicated like tackling carbon monoxide is more difficult to get the public interested in. If the whole of the motor industry had to switch to electric vehicles that would be good. Sir Ranulph Fiennes is due to appear at Swindon's Wyvern Theatre on Tuesday 3 March 2020. Tickets £30-35 https://swindontheatres.co.uk

Anvil set to smash it! Canadian metal legends Anvil are coming to Swindon’s Level 3 on 17 March as part of their UK tour.

The band, from Toronto, were formed in 1978 and still features Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow (vocals, guitar), Robb Reiner (drums), and Chris Robertson (bass). As of early 2019, the band has released seventeen studio albums, and has been cited as having influenced many notable heavy metal groups,

including Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax and Metallica. In 2008 they were the subject of award-winning rockumentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil. Tickets on sale via seetickets and available at The Rolleston Arms, Swindon, The Vic, Holmes Music and Swindon library. Tickets cost £18 in advance and £25 on the door. www.level3swindon.com 14/02/2020 13:41

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LINK PETS & NATURE

Cotswold Wildlife Park

T

he Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, near Burford in Oxfordshire is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2020. The Park opened on Good Friday 27th March 1970.

It cost 5 shillings (25p) for adults and 2 shillings (10p) for children and they welcomed 17,000 visitors in their first weekend. The Park was the brainchild of one man, John Heyworth, who wanted to rescue the decaying Manor House he grew up in. With the help of gardeners and keepers he turned a bramble-strewn wilderness into a beautiful zoological collection. Over the past five decades millions of visitors have enjoyed the beauty of nature at the Park. John’s son Reggie now runs the Park and continues his father’s work with over 260 different animal species situated in 120 acres of picturesque parkland.

Studley Grange Farm Park

Awards • Voted 4th best Zoo in the UK by TripAdvisor in their Traveller’s Choice Awards in 2015. • Awarded ‘The Heart Best Visitor Experience’ in the Oxfordshire Business

Awards in 2019. • Voted ‘Best Day Out with dogs’, two years running in the Be Dog Friendly Awards by the Kennel Club. • Awarded a ‘Hall of Fame’ award by TripAdvisor in 2018 and 2019 for 5 consecutive years of winning a Certificate of Excellence. Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, Burford, Oxfordshire, OX18 4JP

New arrivals at Studley Grange Farm Park.

From the 16th March the Garden Restaurant will be hosting an afternoon tea throughout the week and a Sunday Lunch on the 22nd March to celebrate the special day.

Our sheeps, goats and pigs have been busy having babies, so we now have lots of lambs, goat kids and piglets to come and meet. Families of all ages can come along and visit our new additions, along with our rabbits, guinea pigs and other farmyard favourites. Get your garden ready for Spring. Find a large range of starter plants, trees, shrubs, wild flowers and Summer bulbs to brighten up your garden, along with the gardening tool essentials, to help with the big

If you are looking for something different to gift this Mother’s Day we will have cupcake bouquets available. Spring tidy up. Using the new Studley Grange Loyalty Card Scheme will get you access to great offers on garden products throughout the garden centre.

Please call 01793 852736 or go to www. studleygrange.co.uk to enquire about our upcoming events or garden centre products.

Mother’s Day Tea and Sunday Lunch.

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simply magical threebedroom cottage in the village of Shrivenham – with approved planning permission - has gone on the market with new estate agents Chancellors. It's currently on the market at £575,000. Set in c.0.33 acres, this Grade II listed thatched cottage aptly named Swiss Cottage

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A fairytale HOME...

bursts with whimsical fairy tale charm and brings to mind the setting of classic tales including Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood. Built in 1850 as a summer house by Lord Barrington of Beckett Park, Swiss Cottage was designed in the same style as his honeymoon accommodation in Switzerland.

As a result, Swiss Cottage offers an abundance of original features including authentic cut timber and brick walls, diamond glazing, galleried landing and thatched roofing in a gable design providing plenty of scope for your imagination to run wild. Situated within the Vale of White Horse, the quaint cottage is so special it even features in the 1982 English Cottages publication by Candida Lycett Green. Perhaps the most exciting element of this magical

property, is the fact that it offers amazing potential. Planning Permission P19/ V2091/HH has already been granted for a new linked extension and building to the rear of the existing structure. Representing the sale of Swiss Cottage, Ben Lewington, Sales Manager at Chancellors Carterton, said: “This is quite simply one of the most unique properties I have ever come across. It represents an unmissable opportunity to not

only own a piece of history, but to create a truly stunning residence." The current property includes a private driveway, a wellmanicured front garden, an out-building and several sheds. Of the three bedrooms, two are doubles, and there is a family bathroom, reception room, lounge and kitchen/ dining room. It's essentially your happily ever after home. www.chancellors.co.uk

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LINK FOOD & DRINK Five Guys named With the recent opening of Five Guys in The Outlet Village, Swindon's media seemed to go into a tailspin of fauning adulation of the burger brand so we thought we should take a look to see if it's all it's cracked up to be. Review by Jamie Hill

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irst of all I've got to say the burgers at Five Guys were delicious and the milkshakes were genuinely out of this world. It's a simple set up not unlike we've seen before at countless other fast food restaurants. You queue to order and pay and then you go to a collection point for your food to be handed over. One problem that became immediately apparent was that this newly opened restaurant was suffering from a few teething problems as we had to wait ten minutes longer for our milkshakes than our food. But this is understandable in a new setting whilst staff and managers find their feet. Like the set up the menu was simple too consisting of burgers, dogs and shakes. Over the last few years the Five Guys brand has built a name for itself in the zeitgeist as a chain that offers premium quality food in a fast food environment. And this is something that I do agree with. They are not the best burgers you've ever tasted (that award would go to Old Town's Pick Up Point at The Hop) but they are definitely up there. So all in all I shouldn't have any complaints but it is when it comes to its pricing that my hackles are raised.

'Meh'

My cheeseburger, Five Guys fries and strawberry milkshake came to an eye-watering ÂŁ18.50. To put that into perspective that's three times the price of McDonalds and two times the price of Burger King. But was it worth it? In a word I would say 'no'. The burger was gorgeous with quality beef but its squashed presentation didn't make it the most appetising thing to look at. The fries were 'okay' but they didn't set the world on fire. The only thing that really set my tastebuds racing was the milkshake but on its own that wasn't enough to offset the exorbitant price. I know Five Guys will do well despite the pricing as it has such strong branding and it's good to have such a popular name in Swindon but if you're shopping with the family and want a quick fast food fix the price you would have to pay would end up being a small fortune. Your wallet would thank you more if you went to any one of the other food outlets that the shopping mall offers.

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Twin Engine petrol-electric awesomeness Volvo XC90 T8

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f the Chinese can build a 1,000 bed hospital in 10 days to accommodate their coronavirus victims, it’s pretty easy to understand how they have managed to turn round the Volvo car company and made it into one of the world’s top luxury brands. Their top of the range XC90 T8 has a new Twin Engine petrol-electric plug-in hybrid powertrain with an upgraded high-voltage battery’s which has increased the capacity from 10.4 to 11.8 kilowatt hours. This has increased the car’s electriconly driving range from up to 22 miles to a maximum of almost 30 miles which is more than enough for an urban commuting journey. The XC90 is now fitted with two USB ports in the cabin as standard. Momentum-grade models add power adjustment for the front passenger seat and the T8 Twin Engine versions are now supplied with a purpose-designed bag to store the recharging cable.

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MOTORING

The XC90 has Leigh Robinson: Motoring writer

an impressive standard specification that perfectly expresses the model’s status as a luxury vehicle. Key features include the Sensus nine-inch multimedia touchscreen with voice-activated control, navigation system and access to the Volvo On Call connected services platform. Other equipment fitted as standard includes a power-operated tailgate, LED headlights, a rear parking camera and keyless entry and start. Like every other new Volvo, the XC90 also benefits from a data SIM card, which provides access to up to 100GB of data for 12 months. And the car handles well.

The new XC90 range is available in Momentum, R-Design and Inscription versions. There are four powertrains: the new 235hp B5 mild-hybrid diesel; 250hp T5 and 310hp T6 petrols; and the 390hp T8 Twin Engine petrolelectric plug-in hybrid. Every XC90 comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. On-the-road prices are from £52,000 for the T5 Momentum, while PCP and PCH agreements are both available from £499 per month. And on top of all that the Volvo XC90 is regarded as the best used SUV there is in their grade, as reckoned by the experts.

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SPORT

Alfie Howlett: Swindon Town FC writer

Rockin' Robin swoops back

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TFC has presented a refreshed-looking Rockin’ Robin. To make the new suit a reality, both the Swindon Town Supporters’ Trust (TrustSTFC) and The STFC Official Supporters Club (OSC) teamed up to co-fund the creation of a new suit for the football club. James Spencer, a board member of TrustSTFC, said: “We all wanted to ensure our mascot was looking sharp, and we’re delighted with the outcome. It’s a significant investment from both sides, but all parties were in agreement and really felt passionate about the cause.” The OSC were also delighted with the project, with Hannah Clinch adding: “We all agreed that Rockin’ Robin had been looking a little worse for wear recently, so we’re pleased to have been able to join forces with to fund a new suit to get him back out on the pitch, where he belongs!” Both groups also paid tribute to Danny Lee and all the team behind the scenes at The County Ground for their support and help in bringing the new Rockin’ Robin to life.

Since I last wrote Swindon have not only had one of the best January transfer windows in years, they've also recorded massive wins against promotion rivals Northampton and Exeter. These last few weeks have been amazing. This brilliant buzz around the County Ground all got started when on the 30th of January it was announced that the returning Jerry Yates was to be reunited with the ginger Pele. That's right on the 30th of January it was announced that the league's top goal scorer Eoin Doyle had returned to SN1 on an undisclosed deal from Bradford City. So after months of speculation and weeks of pain when they left it was finally confirmed that the key trio of Anthony Grant, Jerry Yates and Eoin Doyle would belong to Swindon for the second half of the 2019/20 League Two season. The buzz didn't stop there. If anything it increased. A day after the January transfer window slammed shut Swindon took on second placed Exeter City at the County Ground. Swindon edged a 2-1 victory

in front of a sell out home attendance at the County Ground. Once again Town were victorious by a one goal margin and once again Town were brilliantly supported. 1300 Swindon fans made the hour and a half journey to Sixfields to roar Swindon to victory. I'd nominate the two new players acquired in the January transfer window as my players of the month. Hallam Hope has settled in very well in the Swindon side after signing from Carlisle. The 25 year old left winger has an eye for goal, a good work ethic and a good turn of pace. Rarmani Edmonds Green would get my second vote. The young loanee centre back from Huddersfield has settled into the Town back line superbly and undoubtedly he has improved it. Despite being young EdmonsGreen has almost pocketed some experienced rival centre forwards. He also posses some brilliant physical abilities. So yet again I conclude my report with Swindon sitting pretty at the top of the table. So surely now it's a matter of when not if.

Cycle training is more than just learning to ride on the road... Until we get a cycle network resembling some of northern European friends our children need to learn how to keep safe riding on our current roads and cycle paths. Cycling charity, Life Cycle UK works in partnership with Swindon Borough Council to deliver Bikeability (cycling proficiency) in Swindon’s schools. They now also offer fun and educational cycling holiday courses for children and young people. Bikeability cycle training is split into levels 1, 3 and 3; with levels 1 and 2 typically being taught in Year 6. Level 1 Bikeability training is based in the playground, helping children develop the skills needed to safely control and maneuver their bike. Once they feel 32 swindonlink.com n March 2020 NW March artwork.indd 32

Becky Cox: Swindon Cycle Campaign

confident in the playground training then takes place on quiet roads in the local area in Level 2 of Bikeability. Local Cycle Instructor, Fi said: “Cycle training is more than just learning to ride on the road. The kids learn decision making skills, self-awareness and how to communicate

effectively. They are able to practice looking after themselves and being responsible. It’s life skills and well as cycle skills!” For anyone who has missed out on training Life Cycle run all levels of Bikeability, including learn to ride and Bikeability levels 1-3 every school holiday except Christmas. Keep an eye on their website for the booking links at the start of each term leading up to the holiday period ahead. Life Cycle UK is now hiring freelance Instructors and offers full training. To find out more and apply, visit Life Cycle’s website: www.lifecycleuk.org.uk/ work-cycle-instructor or contact frances@ lifecycleuk.org.uk / 0117 353 4580.

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TRADE PAGES

n GARDENING & LANDSCAPING

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

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

01793 613642 or 07841 826390 for a Free Estimate

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Extension & Garage Conversion Specialists • Alterations/Renovations • New Builds and Barn Conversions

Fully insured. 18 years experience Call Neil now for a free, competitive quote on

0800 1357063 or 07967 155502

or email: info@benchmark-construction.co.uk www.benchmark-construction.co.uk

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

Call Andy: 01793 729354 or 07900 835116

andysweeney1@virginmedia.com

ACP

Home Improvements & Building Services • • • • • • • •

Tel: 01793 827248 Mob: 07976 885203

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INTERIOR & EXTERIOR

rat or

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Call 01793 334823 or 07788 572043

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: 07969 350160 / 01793 610286 www.acphomeimprovements.co.uk

DECORATOR INSIDE AND OUT • 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

01793 321981 07775 840236

n FOR THE HOME

Building/Groundworks & Hard Landscaping Extensions, Garage & Loft Conversions Driveways & Patios All building work undertaken All work guaranteed, FREE quote and advice

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

Mob: 07956 301957 Tel: 01793 348597 www.haynesconstruction.org.uk

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

Call Glen on: 01793 487450 07774 841879

D E Carpentry For all your carpentry needs k Door hanging k Kitchen fitting k Real wood and laminate flooring k Fitted wardrobes k 15 years experience

Call 01793 514069 or 07885 972172

email: grservices@hotmail.co.uk

www.grservicesswindon.co.uk

Services

(Household Maintenance) Handyman

• 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

Domestic & commercial Internal & external Wallpaper specialist

19 years experience Fully insured Excellent references Discounts for senior citizens FREE no obligation quotation not an estimate! (Unlike many of our competitors)

01793 264568 07415 431340

garyfulford1@sky.com www.garyfulfordpaintingand decorating.co.uk

e: ellisj10@sky.com www.delliscarpentry.co.uk

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40 years experience No VAT Free estimates

For professional, reliable and friendly service call

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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

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n FOR THE HOME

PLANS DRAWN Time for a refresh? ● General carpentry ● Fitted kitchens/bedrooms ● Laminate and solid flooring ● Replacement doors ● Skirtings/architraves ● General building maintenance

CACTI Interiors

Make your home more YOU Interior Design home improvements to suit all budgets: Call: Amy on: 07707 751 377 E-Mail: amy@cactiinteriors.com

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

www.cactiinteriors.com

Call Bob on 07778 324228

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

Free Quotes Reception Issues Resolved Digital TV Aerials Sky, Freesat & Freeview TV Wall Mounting Additional Points

10% off

New Aerial Installations Tel: 01793 531400 • 07703 292850 www.swindonaerials.com swindonaerialservices@yahoo.co.uk

aerials & satellite systems

✭ Freeview & Sky installations ✭ TV & radio aerials ✭ Home cinema ✭ Extra TV & telephone points

Phone: 07502 442726 or 01793 726908

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

• • • • •

Professional and reliable Weekly, fortnightly and monthly cleans Fully insured All staff DBS cleared All material supplied

Contact us for a free no obligation quote Email: info@home-clean-home.co.uk

Tel: 07955 794400

House cleans start from £20 per house. Around £30 for a large 4 bed.

Weekly, fortnightly, monthly, end of tenancy or one off cleans. Ironing £20 per basket, returned next day.

VA T

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Cleaning your home like it’s our own

THE CLEANING & IRONING SERVICE

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Established since 1961

Chris Payne

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Swindon Aerial Services

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Over 40 years experience in the industry

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Call Nick on 07973 872266

CJD

ACCOUNTANCY LTD

Craig Dell FCCA

Chartered Certified Accountant With 30 years 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 Tel: 01793 343255 M: 07557 399987 cjd.accountancy@virginmedia.com www.cjd-accountancy.co.uk

Call 01793 875665 07780 625244

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 700637 or 07963 637748 www.bookkeepingswindon.co.uk swindonlink.com n March 2020

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n FOR THE HOME n GAS & ELECTRIC

Electrical Automation • Up & Over • Roller • Sectional • Repairs • Unit 8, Central Trading Estate Signal Way, Swindon SN3 1PD

Tel 01793 940096 Email info@dgds.co.uk www.dimensions.org.uk

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

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

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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

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J’s Electrical Certified Electrician NICEIC Domestic Installers (D606759)

Reliable Local Company • Re-Wires, Alterations & Additions • Inspections, Testing & Certificates • Consumer Units Replaced • LED Lighting Installations • Emergency Lighting • Fix Wire Testing

01793 877677 office@enlan.co.uk www.enlan.co.uk

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

NO JOB TOO SMALL Mobile: 07434 588731 Tel: 01793 278612

www.jelectricalswindon.co.uk junab74@outlook.com

Approved Electrician Approved Electrician Part P Registered Part P Registered

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

• • Testing andInspection Inspection Testing and Complete Rewires • • Complete 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

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n PLUMBING & HEATING

RJ PeaRce Plumbing & Heating ltd Over 20 years experience in plumbing & heating work

• Central heating • Bathrooms & showers • Competitive rates

10 YEAR GUARANTEE (subject to survey)

188262

on Worcester Bosch Ri Si and Cdi boilers

• All work guaranteed • No job too small

Accredited Installer

For further details call Richard on 01793 870472 or 07747 723606

Bathroom & Kitchen Fitting

Reliable Local Company Established 2003 FULL Installation and Design of Bathrooms and Kitchens including: • Tiling & Plastering • Painting • Plumbing • Flooring • Electrics & Gas Contact us for a quote:

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203455

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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

Tel: 01793 748333 Mob: 07733897039

hwheating@googlemail.com

Semi-retired Plumber SURESTOP SWITCH installed for hard to get at or seized stop cock

• Disabled extra high toilets fitted • Leaks & burst pipes • Blocked drains, sinks & toilets • Immersions & hot water cylinders • Tap washers & ball valves • Dishwashers & washing machines plumbed in

Tel: 01793 324116 Mob: 07788 621772

Quality Plumbing & Heating

J&R Plumbing Providing plumbing services to clients throughout Swindon 35 years experience Friendly, reliable service 24/7 call out service Tel: 01793 938362 Mobile: 07813 950899

Est. 30+ years

217129

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Kevin Rolfe

Mobile: 07973 663367 www.swindonheating.co.uk swindonlink.com n March 2020

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28 & 29 March

Valuation Day opportunity with Thomas Forrester TV expert on Flog It! The Antiques Road Trip & Bargain Hunt

Bring along your Antiques & Jewellery for a FREE valuation with Thomas, OR members of his team from Special Auction Services

Monday 9th March 10am to 3.30pm

Jury’s Inn, Fleming Way, Swindon SN1 2NG Valuations are by appointment only To arrange a time, please call 01635 580595 or contact us via the website

www.specialauctionservices.com

Special Auction Services 38

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Celebrating 100 Years

Earthworm Recording Studio's Jon Buckett - photograph by Jennifer Berry

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