Swindon Wide

Community News Free tickets for National Self Build and Renovation Centre Big Green Home Show

29 October, 2pm til late. Sun Inn, Coate Raise money for your charity and also Brighter Futures Register to take part at www.anythingispossible.org.uk

Produced by the team at Swindon’s National Self Build & Renovation Centre (NSBRC), the UK’s only permanent visitor centre for self builders and home improvers, The Big Green Home Show returns this month.

The show builds on the topics covered at the NSBRC’s Eco Workshops, that are run throughout the year and this year there is a strong emphasis on creating a healthier living environment and offers a packed three days of demonstrations, free seminars and case studies along with a line up of experts on hand to share their advice.

Whether you are looking to improve or extend your home, or buy a plot and build a brand new house, The Big Green Home Show will review the best construction methods and products to use. There are seminars from planning advice to budgeting, plot finding and building regulations.

Sue Dewhirst from Evolved Design Ltd said: “Whatever project you are considering, be it a new build, renovation or an extension, the Big Green Home Show is the place to start. The exhibitors and consultants offer free guidance and advice. It’s a learning centre with seminars and experts available to cover all areas of designing and building a home”.

Over 200 exhibitors will be showcasing their latest products and technologies. There will be guided tours of the NSBRC’s fantastic educational zones, featuring a life size ‘renovation house’ and ‘new build journey’.

NSBRC is located at Junction 16 of the M4 and has free parking.

The show runs from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 October, tickets £12 per adult on the door. Readers can claim free tickets by booking in advance via www.nsbrc.co.uk and selecting code: Link Magazine. Volunteers provide vital support to organisations in Swindon and the people they are working with. Could you free up some time to help? Marie Curie Cancer Care is looking for volunteers to help run their online store that sells items through EBay. If you like social media, photography or have a special interest in books, vintage items or fashion, this could be a role for you The Open Door Centre has started an activity group for the over 55s on Tuesday afternoons. You will be helping attendees join in activities, chat with members and generally help out. The Rainbow Children’s Trust needs people to support their work with the families of sick children. It could be offering practical help such as shopping, doing the ironing or supporting siblings of those affected by illness. You can help either on a

ePiP parenting coach Rachel writes:

These days, it is not uncommon for families to have three or four generations living together under one roof. Multi-generational living has many benefits and can contribute to the creation of a shared caring environment within which to bring up our children.

Whether grandparents live under the same roof or not, the role they play in supporting their children and grandchildren should never be underestimated. Grandparents often have more available time, can listen, observe and attend to the small things as well as pass on cultural and family traditions. Children love to learn from their grandparents.

In the UK, up to half of working parents rely on grandparent care for their children. This is not surprising as they offer a trusted, affectionate, flexible, reliable and usually free source of childcare!

National Grandparent’s Day was introduced to the UK in 1990 by the Making a difference regular or occasional basis. Suns Listening Line supports people with mental health issues and is ideally looking for people with experience of these. So if you love chatting on the phone from home, are non-judgemental and can keep details of calls, this could be an opportunity for you Swindon College needs people with a background in education or wanting to gain experience in the field to support adult students in literacy and numeracy classes. This could make a real difference to someone’s life. To find out more about these and other opportunities, contact Volunteer Centre Swindon on 01793 420557 or info@swindonvolunteers. org.uk Visitors can drop-in at 1 John Street from Monday to Friday, 11am to

The Springboard to Confidence for your child

Britain’s leading National Active Physical Play programme for children from 6 months to 7 years. Your child will learn agility, balance, climbing, co-ordination appropriate to his or her age. Structured programmes designed to build self confidence and develop essential listening and language skills. Supervised by trained staff in a fun and caring environment.

Tumble Tots now in your area!

For information about local centres call

Liz Davies on 0844 800 0219 www.tumbletots.com/swindon

October: Grandparents

Information and advice for parents from ePIP

3pm, to discuss opportunities. charity Age Concern, and is now widely celebrated across the world. This year Grandparents Day was celebrated on Sunday 11 September. The idea originates from the USA, where it was made an official day of recognition in 1978 to acknowledge the vital contribution the older generation make to their families and wider society.

As brilliant as grandparent childcare is, we know it can be a source of tension when they occasionally adopt a different parenting approach to our own and give children a conflicting message to the one from their parents.

At ePiP Direct, we help families with inconsistent parenting all the time, which often extends to the wider family and grandparents. Give us a call on 01793 328102 if you want to create a consistent parenting approach across the generations and we would be delighted to help.

Call us on 01793 328102 or see more at: www.epipdirect.com

IN ASSOCIATION in association with WITH

in association within association with A world of theatrical possibilities this Autumn

Whether you have a passion for in association withdrama or just want to indulge in a good laugh, Wyvern Theatre and Swindon Arts Centre are able to provide during October.

The Wyvern is often the epicentre of larger productions in the town and offers the classic theatrical experience, but also a home for nationally touring comedians and internationally renowned companies.

Featuring an impressive cast and accompanied by a large live orchestra with over 30 musicians, the Russian State Opera will be coming to the Wyvern on 4 October with the popular opera, Carmen - an exciting and colourful story with high passion and tragedy.

Popular TV comedian Jason Byrne will be dropping into the Wyvern on 15 October with his latest tour, bringing back his warmth and generous stagecraft with even more props and silly humour. The Russian State Opera will be performing ‘Carmen’ at the Wyvern Theatre on

Swindon Arts Centre may be 4 October; one of the many theatre highlights in Swindon this month smaller than its sister theatre but is never outdone. Playing host just a couple of highlights from a on 22 October and two events for to comedian Jo Caulfield on 9 very impressive lineup at the Arts the Poetry Swindon Festival on 2 October and fellow funny woman Centre, which also includes The and 8 October. For information and Kerry Godliman on 22 October are One Show’s food critic Jay Rayner tickets:www.swindontheatres.co.uk

Oink Gallery and design shop opens in Old Town

A new gallery and design shop has opened in Victoria Road, showcasing fine art and design from across the country.

Mark Pepperall, who has run Hot Pepper Design for over 20 years, decided to take on the challenge of opening Oink Gallery and Design Shop on 16 September as he felt there was nothing in Swindon currently like it.

Mark said: “I’ve always loved going to galleries and found that Swindon just doesn’t have something like this.

“We will have everything from designer products and established brands to handcrafted fine art and more.”

For more information visit:

www.oinkgallery.co.uk

WIN family passes to new Potter film

As part of the build up to the latest movie to be set in the Harry Potter wizard-verse, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them starring Eddie Redmayne, Empire Cinemas are giving away two family guest passes to Link readers for the new spin-off.

Empire will be hosting a Potter marathon in the buildup to the new film, which kicked off with showings of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on Sunday 11 September and will be wrapped up on Sunday 30 October with the last instalment. See empirecinemas.co.uk for details. Competition

To win one of two family guest

passes to Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them at Empire

Cinema in Greenbridge, all you have to do is send your name and daytime telephone number to: competitions@swindonlink.com

Make sure you add the word “Sorting Hat” into the subject line of your email.

Entries must be submitted by 30 October and are limited to ONE ENTRY PER PERSON. Passes can only be exchanged for tickets on day of booking.

Manufacturer’s Autumn Promotion Up to 30% off Selected Ranges See in store for details

Motown of the south

Swindon Link has been marking London-born. motoring ‘claims to fame’ link back Swindon175 by writing about Cars have now reigned supreme to the railway. Both Henry Morgan, businesses and industries that in Swindon for more than half a who founded the Morgan Car built Swindon. This month Graham century, with Honda the town’s Company, and local man Kenneth Carter of Swindon Heritage tells biggest private employer, second Howse, designer of the classic how the town has been a driving only to Swindon Borough Council, Sunbeam Alpine sports car in the force in the British motor industry. while BMW’s Mini Plant is also a 1960s, were trained by the Great Everybody knows Swindon was a railway town, but there are plenty of reasons to re-christen itself ‘Motown,’ 60 years after Pressed Steel’s new plant produced its first body panels on New Year’s Eve, 1955. However, the story really began cornerstone of the town’s economy. The Mini bodies produced by BMW link neatly with motoring history, since it is almost certain that the panels for the original Mini, launched in 1959, were pressed in Swindon. But two of Swindon’s other Western Railway in Swindon. After buying his first car in Swindon, Morgan was bitten by the motoring bug, and returned home to Worcester to found his iconic car company, despite being offered a permanent job with the GWR in Swindon. three years earlier, when Swindon was chosen as an official overspill for Londoners displaced by the Second World War.

This paved the way for major new alternative industries to be brought to the town and it took less than ten years for Pressed Steel to overtake the declining railway industry as the area’s leading employer.

Research into the era also dispels the myth that the original car plant was mostly staffed by skilled former railwaymen. Although its higher wages did eventually attract lots of workers from British Railways, The first ever Mini, built in 1959. Although there are no records to prove for the first ten years more than it, the body parts for this pioneering car were probably made in Swindon. 90 per cent of the workforce were (Courtesy of the British Motor Museum)

Read the full story

The Autumn 2016 edition of Swindon Heritage includes an interview with former STEAM museum curator Tim Bryan who switched from railway to cars in 2004, when he became a senior manager and archivist at the British Motor Museum.

The new edition is packed with insights into the town’s history, intriguing stories and interviews and insightful images. Find out how to subscribe to Swindon Heritage or buy individual copies at: www.swindonheritage.com

Every Thursday & Sunday All Inclusive Eat & Drink

as much as you like for only £19.90

Newly refurbished and open for business

Introducing Swindon's Newest experience in Indian Cuisine! Now open in the heart of Swindon's Old Town - Come dine with us or order a takeaway with our new online ordering system. Following in the success of our charity nights at our sister restaurant Bengal Square (which have already helped to raise over £100,000 for local causes), a new charity night is starting up on Tuesday nights at Mantra!

To book your fundraising event please email: info@mantraswindon.co.uk

52 Devizes Road, Swindon, SN1 4BG • 01793 323 954 info@mantraswindon.co.uk • www.mantraswindon.co.uk

Swindon Wide Gooch to be honoured with a place of his own

The forecourt to Swindon railway identified VIP who will also unveil Whilst IK Brunel has received station will be named Sir Daniel Gooch Place on Thursday 20 a traditional locomotive brass nameplate dedicated to the great all the plaudits for overseeing the building of the Great Western Recording changes October, 11am, by a yet-to-be engineer. Railway in the 1840s, it was Gooch through the ages who wrote the letter to the Great Founded in 1972, the Swindon Western Railway Company 175 Society is dedicated to exploring years ago recommending Swindon the town’s history through images be the site for a locomotive going back to the invention of maintenance works. photography. The group meets on A bust of Daniel Gooch, based on a the second Wednesday of the month photograph at Steam Museum, was at Goddard Park School, Welcombe unveiled at Arkells Brewery on 28 Avenue, SN3 2QN. August. It was made out of 113 laser The next gathering takes place on cut slices of marine plywood by 12 October when Andy Binks will New College student A’ level graphic talk on ‘Thirty Five Shillings’ his pay design and illustration student when he started work in the town’s North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson unveiling the bust of Gooch created Fatima Alves. railway works in 1970. by New College student Fatima Alves with Sir Arthur Gooch (no relation) Arkells have also brewed Golden See more at Facebook: at Arkells on 24 August Gooch to savour his memory. theswindonsociety

Swindon snaps on tour

Twelve images of Swindon by Western Cameras to the top three students from local schools and photographers. colleges in the town will be The pictures will be on display at exhibited during the Autumn at at Steam Museum, Great Western venues around the town, as well as Hospital and North and West on the backs of 12 Thamesdown Swindon libraries. Transport buses. Orchestrating Swindon

On 12 September, South Swindon Symphony Orchestra will Swindon MP Robert Buckand met be celebrating Swindon175 with the entrants to the competition a programme of classics at Steam sponsored by the Brunel Centre and Museum on 19 November. Details presented prizes donated by Great will be published next month.

Robert Buckland MP with the winners of the Snapshot Swindon competition and Brunel Centre general manager Kevin Gwilliam

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