South East Swindon Link August 2020

No 46 August 2020 GPS-tracked, door to door delivery to over 50,000 homes across Swindon with Est. overall readership of 125,000

Swindon

LINK Your Community Magazine

p

LINK

FEATURES Check out our new features section page 23

South & East Edition Picture by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Rescue Service

A big Royal 'thank you' to Swindon's key workers p6 Voices from The Coronavirus Hearing the experiences of different Swindonians during lockdown Special report: Pages 16 to 19 SE August Master pages.indd 1

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Discover Swindon's pictorial history with

A note from The Editor photographer Richard Wintle's new book

By Group Editor Jamie Hill jamie@positive-media.co.uk

As lockdown eases it is with ever greater trepidation that we resume our normal lives - from shopping and socialising to going back to work.

But it's not normal and we know it. Hands are being sanitised round the clock, people are still sensibly keeping their distance from others and everybody has just been through a traumatic situation where their lives have been turned upside down. Ironically, we all need a hug right now at a time when hugging is the last thing you should be doing.

And above all else, coronavirus still lurks in the background like some Machiavellian villain ready to strike if we let our guard down. It's scary.

But I know that we Swindonians are made of good stuff. We've shown that in the last few months with our ability to care for others.

As we start to emerge we need to be aware that apart from the health crisis this has also been an economic crisis on an unprecedented scale, with livelihoods on the line.

It is for this reason that we should all be doing all we can to help local businesses to protect jobs so that the town can flourish once this is all over.

During lockdown I appreciated Swindon's green spaces more than I ever have done (the picture is of me at Coate along with my unkemnpt lockdown hair) but I have also appreciated those businesses that carried on to keep our town functioning, from takeaways and convenience stores to plumbers and electricians. In the last few weeks shops, pubs and restaurants have started reopening in safe ways as well as countless other businesses. These local firms are the town's lifeblood and they need our help.

At Swindon Link we will be doing all we can to help businesses make those initial steps back into the world by promoting what they do. We have a loud voice in Swindon and we intend to use it to help the town get back on its feet.

Group Editor and Owner: Jamie Hill Deputy Editor: Barrie Hudson

Link photographer Richard Wintle has had a career that has spanned half a century and he has now put together a book: 'A picture is only the start of the story...'

Richard Wintle, who runs Calyx Picture Agency, has been a news photographer for nearly 50 years and in that time he has documented the history of the town from the closure of the railway works to the announced shutting down of Honda.

He said: "Surrounded by my archive of about four million film-based and digital images, which I have gathered over more than four decades of press photography in Swindon, I have discovered connections that run through the archive that weren’t obvious at the time.

"What’s the connection between the Magic Roundabout and the Seekers pop group, and the connection between a Eurovision Song Contest entrant and a flight over the North Atlantic? Why a work experience boy saw history being made, and the story behind finding an unknown Swindon pop idol, are all revealed. How come

Barrie Hudson joins Swindon Link Former Swindon Advertiser reporter Barrie Hudson has joined Swindon Link as its new deputy editor.

During the past 22 years at The Adver Barrie built up a name for himself as a trusted local news journalist and is the perfect fit for Swindon Link.

He said: “I was glad to be offered the chance to work at Swindon Link because its clear commitment to being a part of the community it serves has always impressed me.

“Now more than ever, unbiased

ADVERTISING Call 01793 320043 or email: advertising@swindonlink.com Closing date for September adverts and editorial: 14 August September edition published: 29 August

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

Calyx

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

there were 12 winners of a Miss Thamesdown competition?"

The book takes you through a series of interesting links as it meanders through the modern-day Swindon story, while at the same time it explains some of the technological changes to the industry during that time, and the back stories associated with the agency.

For a signed copy e-mail: richard@ calyxpix.com with your address and he will send an invoice and dispatch the book on receipt of transfer for £14.95 + £2.50 P&P (UK only). £1 from every sale goes to Neuroendocrine Cancer UK, and it will also be available through local outlets.

local journalism with an emphasis on covering stories which matter most to local people is vital. I have always taken a pride in being a completely impartial journalist whose first and only duty is to the readers. I am very happy to be part of an organisation which shares my values.”

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 August 2020

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Coronavirus news Local lockdowns and focused testing are among measures in an official strategy to tackle coronavirus outbreaks in Swindon. Council personnel will join forces with health service and social care counterparts and, if the situation demands, the police.

So what is the plan if there is an outbreak in Swindon?

By Barrie Hudson barrie@positive-media.co.uk

Swindon Borough Council, like local authorities throughout the country, was tasked by the Government with putting a Local Outbreak Management Plan together.

The so-called LOMPs must include measures for dealing with outbreaks, addressing the needs of vulnerable groups and ensuring the public are aware of the latest health advice.

The Swindon LOMP can be inspected online, and an FAQ section notes: “The precise action that will be taken will depend upon the complexity of the outbreak.

“As soon as an outbreak is detected, a multi-agency Outbreak Control Team comes together to identify and agree on early intervention measures to be taken to stop the spread before it escalates further into the community.

“The plan sets out a toolkit of infection control measures including advising on hygiene practices, implementing public health measures, providing focused testing right through to localised lockdown (in conjunction with Public Health England).

“The action that is taken will depend on the severity of the outbreak and the most appropriate measures.”

Councillor Brian Ford, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, said: “In Swindon local residents have done a great job in observing the Government’s guidelines and I would just encourage people to keep following the advice so we continue to keep the cases at a low level.”

The plan defines an 4 swindonlink.com n August 2020 SE August Master pages.indd 4

outbreak as a two or more cases connected in time to a specific place – although not a household – and/or an area or group of people with a significantly higher than expected rate of infection.

Urging people to follow existing and new advice from health and infection experts is a major part of the plan.

Members of the public are advised: -To maintain safe social distancing where possible -To wash their hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds -To make use of testing services and self-isolate if symptomatic or identified as a contact of a confirmed COVID-19 sufferer -To use appropriate personal protective equipment in line with Government guidelines -To wear face coverings as recommended in Government guidelines

Early in the pandemic, a multiagency ‘care home support cell’ was established to safeguard residents and staff of the borough’s care homes.

Of about 100 such homes, 25 provide council-commissioned care for older people, 25 are for people with physical disabilities or who need mental care services and the rest are private homes.

The management plan includes a similar support cell for the borough’s 64 primary schools, 16 secondary schools, seven special schools and two further education colleges.

The plan says: “The cell will include a mix of public health and educational leads that can be assembled fast in response to educational setting outbreaks.”

The plan identifies groups for whom COVID-19 is particularly dangerous, most notably elderly people. People aged over 80, it says, are 70 times

more likely to die from the illness than those under 40.

Members of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups are at greater risk than white people of death due to COVID-19, and people in deprived areas are also at greater risk.

The same is true of people in caring occupations, people who drive passengers in road vehicles and people in securityrelated professions.

Overall, men who contract the illness are more likely than women to die of it.

The plan highlights the work of the Regional Testing Unit based at the Wroughton Park and Ride, which has the capacity to test up to 2,000 people a day and deliver results within 72 hours.

For more information visit www.swindon.gov.uk/ info/20024/health_and_ wellbeing/1128/covid-19_-_ outbreak_management_ planning

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COVID-19 and your pet: Why routine and preventative treatments are more important than ever

By Thameswood Vets thameswoodvets.co.uk

How does the old saying go?

‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’?

With an economic downturn on the horizon, it pays to be organised. Make sure your pet’s vaccinations, boosters and other routine treatments are up to date and book in a visit to your vet once or twice a year for a check-up to make sure your pet is happy and healthy.

The reality is the impact of our economy will trickle down to our pets and routine treatment is the first to be put on hold. Often creating bigger

costs and a lesser quality of life for your pet. At the more sombre end of the scale, some owners won’t be able to afford treatment for their pets at all and will face having to give them up completely.

Routine and preventative treatments are more important than ever. To help where we can, we will be running a Vaccination Amnesty for our existing clients who need it most. They will only pay the cost of a booster if they need to re-start vaccination courses for their pets.

And if you have a dog, cat or rabbit, why not become

a member of our VIP Health Club and make sure they have the routine treatment they need at a discounted price

that you pay monthly? Visit ThameswoodVets.co.uk to find your nearest branch and get in touch.

Hospitals prioritise patient safety as public is urged to attend important outpatient appointments A worrying trend of patients avoiding important face-toface hospital appointments has prompted a warning that doing so could have serious implications for long-term health.

Clinicians at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon have said that, for some specific areas, the number of missed appointments has risen by around 50 per cent.

The reason for the drop in attendances and rise in missed appointments is thought to be local people’s worries about possible exposure to coronavirus when in clinical environments.

And with more and more hospital-based services, such as outpatient clinics and diagnostic investigations, beginning to resume after being temporarily suspended, officials wish to offer reassurance that it is safe, and in patients’ best interests, to attend.

Dr Andrew Girdher, Clinical Chair, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and

Wiltshire, said: “As a practicing GP, I know that when a doctor refers a patient to hospital, it’s because there is a genuine need for them to be seen and assessed by an expert.

“Not attending these appointments, especially when it’s relating to something serious, such as a suspected cancer, is extremely risky as delaying treatment, even by just a few months, can have serious implications on future care.

“Coronavirus is now part of our everyday lives, and while our hospitals are carrying out more consultations remotely, there is still a need for some to take place in person.

“It’s vitally important for people to honour these appointments, not least because the health conditions that were around before Covid-19 are still with us, and still need to be treated with the same significance.”

In addition to the recent rules around the compulsory wearing of face coverings in healthcare settings, hospitals have all

introduced a host of other measures to ensure patients are kept safe and protected at all times.

These include isolating areas of the buildings that have been set up to care for patients with coronavirus, carrying out regular deep cleans of waiting rooms and corridors, maintaining widespread strict social distancing and providing separate entrances and exits for patients and staff.

Patients attending appointments in person should prepare for their hospital visit by bringing with them their

own face covering, using the provided hand sanitiser gel at the various entrance points and not arriving more than five minutes early.

Wherever possible, patients are asked to attend appointments alone.

However, it is recognised by each hospital that some patients, including those under 16 or with a learning disability, may require a parent, carer or other nominated person to be present.

Information on what to expect can be found online by visiting www.gwh.nhs.uk. swindonlink.com n August 2020

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HRH Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, makes a 'thank you' visit to Swindon to honour key workers

By Jamie Hill jamie@positive-media.co.uk

The Duchess of Cornwall made a whistle-stop tour of Swindon in July to thank key workers and frontline workers for their help during the coronavirus pandemic.

During her tour of the town Camilla stopped by Swindon Fire Station as well as Swindon Borough Council’s Live Well Hub at the Civic Offices.

Her Royal Highness visited the Civic Offices to meet staff and volunteers who played a pivotal role in supporting residents during the pandemic.

After being introduced to the Mayor and Mayoress of Swindon, Cllr Garry Perkins and Mrs Abnet Perkins, The Duchess met Cllr David Renard, Leader of the council, and Major General Ashely Truluck, High Sheriff of Wiltshire and Chairman of the Wiltshire Community Foundation.

Her Royal Highness, who was accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire Mrs Sarah Troughton, then spoke to council staff who have gone the extra mile either to keep vital services running or by supporting vulnerable residents.

During the visit Her Royal Highness heard about the work of the Live Well Hub, where staff and volunteers have made thousands of welfare telephone calls to residents, supported patients who have been discharged from hospital and delivered medication to shielded residents who have no family support network.

While visiting the team, Her Royal Highness also packed up the 1,000th food parcel which was delivered to an isolated resident.

The Duchess also met Children’s Services staff who have been keeping vulnerable children safe during lockdown.

She heard how the housing team have been looking after 38 people who are 6

either homeless or at risk of homelessness and how they have been providing free childcare for key workers.

She was also introduced to the team at the Council’s Register Office who have helped to rearrange well over a hundred marriages, have spoken to more than 700 bereaved relatives and are now working hard dealing with a backlog of over 900 babies whose births have not been registered since lockdown.

Swindon Mayor, Cllr Perkins, said: “It was an absolute honour and privilege to meet Her Royal Highness and to introduce her to some of the unsung heroes who have provided a lifeline to so many residents in the borough.

“This pandemic has highlighted the importance of councils to the local communities that they serve and I was proud to stand next to the staff and volunteers as they described their fabulous work over the past three months.

“It was also fitting that Her Royal Highness packed our 1,000th food parcel as she was able to see at first hand how the council has made such a difference to thousands of people who have no one to call on in times of crisis.”

The Swindon visit also took the Duchess to Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) in Swindon.

The visit, hosted by Chief Fire Officer Ben Ansell, highlighted the work of the Service during the Coronavirus pandemic, including the successful partnership with South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWAST) and Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

During the pandemic DWFRS has maintained its prevention, protection, and emergency response arrangements despite challenges in the way that crews have needed to work.

This has included changes to

HRH Camilla packs the 1,000th food parcel alongside Mayor Councillor Garry Perkins Picture by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Rescue Service

cleaning arrangements, social distancing, sickness reporting and additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in line with Public Health England guidance. Alongside their usual work, staff have wanted to help in any way they can during the crisis.

Staff have been involved in a range of activities to support the community. Firefighters, who are trained to drive emergency response vehicles and carry out first aid, are playing a key role in relieving pressure on paramedics within SWAST, by driving ambulances alongside a clinician or paramedic.

DWFRS have responded to 716 incidents, 133 of which were Category 1 and 2, immediate threat to life, calls.

After meeting serving fire and rescue personnel and local representatives from South Western Ambulance Service, the Duchess was introduced to GWH staff including the Chief

Executive Kevin McNamara.

Chief Fire Officer Ben Ansell said: “It was a huge honour to welcome the Duchess. This was a great opportunity for us to acknowledge the many people, both within the service and outside, who contribute to keeping the communities safe.

“Operational and corporate staff have been involved across the service in helping to package and deliver food and medication to vulnerable members of the community; helping to construct, fit and train NHS staff in the use of respiratory PPE; face-fit testing of PPE for ambulance staff; and resourcing the temporary mortality support facility, built at the Port of Poole, which is currently stood down. I am extremely grateful to my staff for all the work they have undertaken and continue to do during the current crisis.

It was wonderful to see this recognised in such a way.”

swindonlink.com n August 2020

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Raising cash for nature with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

By Barrie Hudson barrie@positive-media.co.uk

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) has returned to fundraising for the first time since lockdown.

South West Wildlife Fundraising Limited (SWWFL) membership recruitment teams made a return to work in July.

These representatives of the Wildlife Trusts will be found in selected spaces that have been determined safe – such as on trust-owned nature reserves, in local garden centres and in open or well-spaced farm shops and outdoor markets.

With 76 percent of respondents to a recent YouGov survey recognising that nature has been an important source of comfort and relief to them during lockdown, and visits to green spaces estimated to have increased by up to 50 percent during that time, WWT says it’s clear how important our natural spaces are for public health and wellbeing.

Head of fundraising Dugald McNaughtan said: “Now more than ever it is vital that the public show their support for nature in our county. The Wildlife Trust's conservation work is a crucial strand of the green recovery we urgently need, and membership can ensure this work carries on for years to come.”

Guidance on the safe operation of membership recruitment has been developed and published by the Institute of Fundraising

and the Fundraising Regulator.

Over the past few weeks these bodies have been working directly with the Government, to develop rules for the safe return of fundraising nationally in public places.

For more about the benefits of membership, visit www. wiltshirewildlife.org/member n Everybody can do their bit to boost insect populations, says a new Wiltshire Wildlife Trust report.

If we do not take action, the trust warns, the possible consequences include the collapse of ecosystems on land and in water.

The new report is called Reversing the Decline of Insects, and cites examples of farmers, communities, councils and charities which are boosting insect populations, and also calls for an ambitious pesticide reduction programme.

Trust chief executive Dr Gary Mantle MBE said: “The message is clear: the diversity and abundance of insects can recover if we stop the

unnecessary use of pesticides and create places where they can thrive. The UK government must lead the way with a new pesticide reduction target for the whole country; then it’s up to all of us to help turn this situation around.”

Insects have many vital roles, including pollination, being part of food chains and breaking down plant and animal waste.

The trust wants the Government to set a pesticide target as good as or better than the current EU goal of a

50 percent reduction by 2020.

It is also calling for there to be no weakening of UK pesticide standards in future trade deals and support for farmers to adopt insectfriendly practices.

Doing so can be as easy as allowing part of a garden to grow wild, making space for plants that insects like or creating insect homes such as log piles.

Information about creating insect-friendly places can be found at www.wildlifetrusts. org/take-action-insects.

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Socially-distanced sponsored walk backed by Swindon motor dealer A charity supporting around 21,000 Swindon carers has raised more than £2,000 from a sponsored walk with the backing of Pebley Beach.

Every year supporters of Swindon Carers put their best feet forward during Carers Week for Walk A Mile, a fundraising walk around the town – and every year motor dealer Pebley Beach pledges to match their fundraising efforts pound for pound up to £1,000.

Due to lockdown restrictions the charity was unable to hold a mass gathering this year, but instead asked supporters to walk a mile wherever they could. Supporters took up the challenge walking indoors, in back gardens, in school playgrounds and in parks with family members or as part of their social bubble.

In total, £1,040 was raised, which combined with match funding from Pebley Beach brought the total to £2,040.

RSPCA fears coronarelated animal abandonment surge The animal rights charity worries that financial fallout from the pandemic will mean more owners struggle to keep their pets.

During the three months since lockdown began, the RSPCA has received reports about 3,492 abandoned animals - about 40 calls a day including 1,509 dogs, 1,165 cats, 299 small animals such as hamsters, guinea pigs and ferrets and 275 exotic pets.

Some have been abandoned deliberately, while others were left because their owners became ill.

Dermot Murphy, head of RSPCA’s rescue teams, said: "I’d urge anyone struggling to ask for help. Animals have been there to help us through the crisis - please don’t abandon them now.”

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John Lewis will not reopen after lockdown

By Barrie Hudson barrie@positive-media.co.uk

The John Lewis at Home store at Mannington Retail Park is to close.

A statement issued by the company on 9 July confirmed a decision which had long been rumoured. The Swindon branch is to close along with other At Home stores in Newbury, Tamworth and Croydon.

The firm's statement said that if redundancies were confirmed, efforts would be made to ensure staff - known as Partners - who wanted to remain would be found new roles.

Company chair Sharon White said: "Closing a shop is always incredibly difficult and today’s announcement will come as very sad news to customers and Partners.

"However, we believe closures are necessary to help us secure the sustainability of the Partnership - and continue to meet the needs of our customers however and wherever they want to shop.

"Redundancies are always an absolute last resort and we will do everything we can to keep as many Partners as possible within our business."

South Swindon MP Robert Buckland said: "I was extremely concerned to hear that the John Lewis store at Mannington will

be closing permanently.

"Following the news, I spoke with Damian Drum, Senior Manager, Group Public Affairs at John Lewis Partnership. He informed me that this decision was due to the change in the way that we are all shopping.

40% of all John Lewis sales were online pre covid-19 and it is estimated that this will rise to between 60 per cent and 70 per cent post covid-19.

"I have been assured that there will be no impact on the Waitrose store at Wichelstowe, where grocery is performing well. 108 partners will be affected by the loss of the store and I have been assured that the necessary support will be there for them to transfer to new jobs or to obtain training.

"I am very disappointed that John Lewis has come to the conclusion that it wasn’t going to be viable for them to continue

operating at the Mannington store, and I will work with the Council to help ensure a new future for the site."

Councillor Junab Ali, the Swindon Borough Council Labour Group's economic spokesman, said: “The news that the John Lewis at Mannington is closing is another bitter blow for our town. Our thoughts are with all those affected and their families – it really is a desperately difficult time for our high streets and the retail sector as a whole.

"We can’t afford for our high streets to be ripped apart by this crisis. While Labour welcomed the cut to VAT to support the hospitality sector, it’s clear we need better targeted support for businesses in Swindon.

"The focus of our economic recovery has to be jobs, jobs and jobs again.”

Air Ambulance clothing bank for North Swindon Asda Wiltshire Air Ambulance has teamed up with specialist firm Recycling Solutions to install charity clothing banks across the county.

The firm deals solely with charity clothing bank collections, and promises the charities it works with a long-term sustainable revenue stream.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance fundraising manager Des Regan said: “We’re delighted to be working with Recycling Solutions, who are experts in this field.

“Ultimately the clothing banks will help reduce the amount of textile waste going to landfill

and the money raised will help to fund our lifesaving work."

The clothing bank at Asda in the Orbital Retail Park is one of 13 across the county but the only new one in Swindon.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance needs to raise £3.75 million each year to continue flying and saving lives. In 2019 the ambulance was called to 1,233 incidents across Wiltshire and surrounding areas.

Wendy Yarney from Recycling Solutions said: "Wiltshire Air Ambulance is a very well supported charity and we look forward to working with the local

community, both in finding homes for our clothing banks and ensuring they are well used.”

A full list of clothing bank locations as they become available can be found at www.recyclingsolutions.org.uk/ clothing-banks

swindonlink.com n August 2020

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The Old Town Residents Association Column

Spreading a bit of colour around Old Town as the world wakes up from lockdown

By Colin Doubleday of Old Town Residents Association

As Old Town starts to open up a little more with eased Covid-19 restrictions, there are lots of opportunities for us to get out and enjoy our local environment in various ways.

The Town Gardens have fully opened and they look fantastic.

The café has reopened and a new company, Fandangos, has set up a variety of events to bring life back to the The Old Town Bowl www.facebook. com/FandangosEvents/ The toilets are open and there is an attendant on hand from 10an to 5pm to clean between uses. Sadly the brass band concerts scheduled have had to be postponed because of current restrictions.

Other good news is that the play areas across Old Town are now reopened, but do please read the guidelines for play on the gate before you use them.

The pubs and restaurants have reopened with generally good behaviour across Old Town. Of course there are a range of new rules and restrictions and we are being encouraged to eat and drink outside where possible. With this in mind several places have extended or installed new garden areas – The Castle, The Hop Kettle Tap and Fabio's are places that we have heard about, but do try to get out to support our local businesses and find out what else has changed – they need us all more now than ever.

If you want to get more active and involved, the Old Town Gardens group has started work again and is focused on the local community gardens that OTRA maintain in the area. If you want to support

the group or volunteer to help, please look for them on facebook www.facebook.com/ OTRAGardens. Most of the gardens are in the Old Town core at present, but if a group of you would like start your own community garden down one of the hills we may be able to provide support.

We also have an outside request from the Parish Council.

They are trying to identify new areas to encourage wildlife.

You may have seen areas left to grow near roadsides; this was not covid or lack of funding, it is an attempt to increase wildflowers, biodiversity and wildlife through mowing sometimes only once or twice per year. The Parish Council www.facebook. com/SouthSwindonParish/ would love to hear of areas where the paths can be kept clear but nature allowed to creep back a little.

On a more indoor note, the OTRA Committee still meets each month via Zoom with the input of our various Parish and Borough Councillors. We have a number of contributors with health issues so this will stay

online for the foreseeable, but it is an open meeting. Please ask for an invite. We are considering ways to create an AGM, and as ever we would

like to invite you to take part and share with us issues and information.

Contact us via www.facebook. com/groups/oldtownresidents swindonlink.com n August 2020

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Sparcells homes built by council sold within weeks of completion Six homes built by Swindon Borough Council’s housing company have been sold just a few weeks after being built.

Building work started in Sparcells Drive in April last year and was completed in March. The properties were all sold just three weeks later.

All the houses were built by the council-owned housing firm, Swindon Housing Company. Four of the houses were marketed at £320,000 and two at £325,000, and all were offered with the Government’s Help to Buy scheme.

The profits from the scheme will go back to the Council to help support services.

Samarathon time

Swindon & District Samaritans invited supporters to run, jog or walk a marathon in their own time and at their own pace to fundraise for their branch during July.

‘Samarathon’, a virtual marathon, encouraged supporters to run, jog or walk a marathon distance in their own time over the whole month.

To show your support you can donate at samarathon2020. everydayhero.com/uk

New police dog

A new police dog joined the Force last month and he has big shoes to fill.

German Shepherd Champ has joined Sgt Chris Palframan after his beloved dog Ary retired recently at the age of eight.

Champ is two years old and despite lockdown he has now completed his training with Sgt Palframan and recently gained his licence, meaning he is fully qualified to help fight crime here in Wiltshire.

In order to qualify, the dogs are tested on areas including obedience, agility, tracking, searching and crowd control.

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Improvements begin at congested Swindon junction

By Barrie Hudson barrie@positive-media.co.uk

Work on the Moonrakers junction in Stratton began on Monday, 20 July.

Swindon Borough Council says the project will improve journey times and reliability for buses travelling between Tadpole Garden Village and the town centre, as well as improving capacity for traffic using the junction.

Councillor Gary Sumner, the council's Cabinet Member for Strategic Infrastructure, Transport & Planning, said: “The council is leading on over £100m-worth of investment to improve Swindon’s road network through various highways projects.

“The Moonrakers junction is an essential part of this investment and will help to improve journey times and reliability for motorists and buses travelling between North Swindon and the town centre.”

Traffic modelling has shown that the new layout will improve journey times during peak traffic when compared to the current layout and will make journey times more consistent. A number of designs were tested and, due to site constraints, the new layout was selected as it provides the best

outcome for all road users.

The £2.8m cost of the work will come from Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) Local Growth Fund, and forms part of wider highway improvement works on Quality Bus Corridors.

The funding will be used to change the double roundabout at the Moonrakers junction to a traffic light-controlled junction and to create a dedicated left turn from Cricklade Road to Beechcroft Road when approaching from the north, which will reduce the number of cars using the junction.

Other improvements will include re-positioning the

traffic island at Headlands Grove further into Headlands Grove to reduce the speed of southbound vehicles, improving the space outside Clive Parade and creating a bus lane from Chestnut Avenue to the Moonrakers junction.

The scheme will also carry benefits for pedestrians with the introduction of safer pedestrian crossings in the area. During the course of the work, the junction will operate with temporary traffic lights and will be open to all traffic.

You can stay up to date by signing up to a monthly Moonrakers newsletter at www. swindon.gov.uk/newsletter

Ambitious plans for Swindon Croquet Club Swindon Croquet Club has unveiled a plan to double its number of lawns.

The club, formed 35 years ago, aims to bring its total to six as part of Swindon Borough Council’s development of the Moredon Sports and Wellbeing Hub. It says the move is in response to the growing popularity of the sport, and will enable it to host regional, national and international tournaments.

The club has long been committed to supporting local community groups, and provides adapted equipment to accommodate wheelchair users and partially-sighted

players.

More than 70 groups have attended, including Football in the Community, Parkinson’s UK and a variety of sheltered

housing and school groups.

The club has requested £250,000 from the borough council’s project budget of £3.5m.

17/07/2020 07:48

Prospect Hospice: We need your help to survive

By Jamie Hill jamie@positive-media.co.uk

The Coronavirus pandemic has affected the nation in different ways but one area that has been hit harder than most is the charity sector.

For local charity Prospect Hospice, demand for services is increasing while, at the same time, vital funding dried up overnight. The charity continues to deliver essential specialist end of life care to local people, but is now struggling to find the funds to do this.

To combat this, the charity has launched an appeal to raise £2million to ensure its crucial services continue during this time and in the months and years to come.

Irene Watkins, chief executive of Prospect Hospice, said: “The hospice is still supporting this community, but to respond to the current needs for Covid-19 we have had to dramatically change and increase the size and scope of our services.

“This means we are supporting people in their homes on a scale of operation we have never attempted before, we’ve re-deployed staff to ensure that our skills are used in the best possible way and we’ve invested in PPE to protect our key workers, patients and families.”

As a local independent charity, Prospect Hospice depends on nearly three quarters of its income to come from local people, but since

the end of March fundraising events have been cancelled and all hospice shops had to be closed, meaning the traditional ways people used to support the hospice are no longer available. In June the charity started to reopen its shops with strict social distancing policies. In midJune donation stations also opened. But after three weeks the charity had to pause the operations of their donation stations as they were simply

full to the brim.

Ms Watkins said: “As you’d expect, we have cut costs wherever we can, and the Government recently committed £200 million to support hospices across the country.

From this Prospect Hospice has received an allocation of £341,000, which we welcome.

However, in the current climate, we calculate that over the coming six months the shortfall from lost income will mean that we will still need to raise a further £2 million to deliver the service. This is a big number but we simply must raise it.”

Care from the hospice is delivered free of charge to patients in the Swindon and North East Wiltshire area but the hospice incurs large costs in order to do this and, during the Covid-19 period, it is costing the hospice £17,197 a day to run all of its services.

To donate and support Prospect Hospice, visit www. prospect-hospice.net/donate

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swindonlink.com n August 2020

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Royal Wootton Bassett Academy teacher recognised as one of the best in the country An engineering teacher at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy has been recognised as one of the best teachers in the country.

Sarah Day, Design and Technology Key Stage 4 Co-Ordinator at RWBA, is a bronze award winner for BTEC Pearson Teacher of the Year 2020.

The BTEC Pearson awards recognise exceptional performance by learners and educators nationally, with judges looking for strength, resilience, flexibility and determination among students and teachers.

Sarah was nominated by colleague Stephanie Payne, who is Design and Technology Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator at the school.

According to Stephanie, since taking on the subject of engineering six years ago Sarah has inspired students through a range of innovations and initiatives, and transformed it into one of the most popular and successful subjects at RWBA. “Sarah has built some fantastic links with local industries including Dyson, Renishaw, TE Connectivity,

Praxair, Honda, BMW, Stainless Supplies and Cortus Engineering Ltd, all of which aid the delivery of the subject through real world experiences with role models and facilities, and showing pupils the local apprenticeship opportunities available,” said Stephanie.

“She organises trips and visits from engineers and past students in industry who inspire our learners and help to drive the subject forward.

The passion and dedication Sarah shows for the subject of engineering is huge, and she strives to get the best from her students and inspires the next generation of engineers.

She is also passionate about encouraging more girls into engineering.

“Each year we celebrate International Women in Engineering Day which helps to raise the profile of women engineers, and each year we see more girls joining the BTEC Engineering course at RWBA and we are proud to help inspire girls into a subject that is still male-dominated. Sarah’s contribution to that cannot be overstated.”

Sarah said: “I was absolutely blown away to hear I had

Sarah Day, right, with Steph Payne, who nominated her

won the bronze award and really couldn’t have achieved it without lots of other people’s support.

"Steph and I are a team, so collaborating with someone equally as enthusiastic about engineering really does help keep our ideas fresh. The school has allowed me to grow the subject from 50 pupils in one year group to over 250 students in years 10 to 13.

“Engineering was a massive step out of my comfort zone initially, but after sourcing help from local companies I realised how relevant I could make it to the pupils.

"Engineering is in everything we eat, wear and use, and the principle of constantly improving and developing is exciting to keep pupils engaged and inspire them for their own careers.”

precision.

"As a result," the report says, "children are not developing their skills effectively in readiness for Year 1. Staff do not consider how the curriculum can extend to the outside area.

This limits children’s learning.

"Governors have not stemmed the decline in standards, especially in mathematics. They have not monitored curriculum plans effectively. Consequently, there has not been an improvement in pupils’ learning of the curriculum.

"Since the headteacher started, this has changed.

Governors are more involved in planning. They have a greater awareness of the strengths and weaknesses in the school."

The report on the Torun Way school, which caters for pupils

aged 3-11, praises several aspects of life there and the work of headteacher Ruth Lee, who was appointed last year.

She said: "We are naturally disappointed about the overall judgement. However, we are pleased that inspectors have recognised the hard work that has gone into making important changes since I took up my post in September.

"We are now fully committed to driving the school forward to ensure that we are providing the best possible education for pupils at Orchid Vale."

The inspectors said: "The headteacher’s recent changes to expectations of behaviour mean that pupils’ conduct around the school is a strength.

Pupils are polite to each other and to adults."

Orchid Vale Primary School rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted A North Swindon primary school isn't doing enough to ensure pupils' safety according to Ofsted.

Inspectors who visited Orchid Vale Primary School over two days in March assessed it as inadequate.

They praised much of what they found, but highlighted a number of concerns.

They reported: "Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly.

However, staff are not doing enough to make sure that they are safe. The monitoring of health and safety risks and staff training have been sloppy."

The inspectors added: "The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. Leaders have not ensured the health and safety of pupils, especially

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the younger ones. Unsafe equipment is accessible.

"Staff do not consider health and safety risks carefully enough. Staff induction is not sufficient. Too many staff do not know who to report any safeguarding concerns to. Some important policies are missing or are not read thoroughly."

Other concerns raised include curriculums not following any order, weak subject knowledge among some teachers, low expectations among teachers and a lack of pride among pupils in their work.

Nursery children were found to receive a good start to their education with a well-thoughtout curriculum, although some of the curriculum planning in Reception was found to lack

swindonlink.com n August 2020

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Swindon mass LED street light conversion about to begin

Councillor Maureen Penny, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Maintenance and Waste Services, and Andy O’Connor, SSE’s Director of Street Lighting.

A 16-month project to replace 28,000 Swindon street lights with LED lanterns began on Monday 6 July.

Swindon Borough Council has partnered with SSE Enterprise Contracting (SSEC) to provide smart street lighting, which the council says will have central controls using energy-efficient technology.

The council says the upgrade, scheduled for completion in November of next year, will provide better lighting and reduce the amount of energy bought and used by the authority. It aims for a reduction of 61 per cent.

Councillor Maureen Penny, the council's Cabinet Member for Highways, Maintenance and Waste Services, said: "This project is just one of many ways we are working towards achieving Swindon’s low carbon and climate change ambitions.

“These LED lights consume less energy, reduce light pollution and will save almost £800,000 per year.

"The upgraded system will also include a new management system which will allow us to switch lights on or off, and dim individual or groups of lamps. This will give us better control over our power consumption, while the system will also automatically notify us of any failures, reducing the need for nighttime inspections.”

Stephen Paye, SSE Enterprise Contracting’s Contract Manager on the project, said:

"This is a great project that will bring huge benefits to Swindon, reducing the light pollution, energy consumption and their carbon footprint.

“We have chosen Telensa to support with the delivery of the Central Management System commitment. Telensa have extensive experience working with asset management systems, which complements our delivery commitments.

"We are looking forward to them working with us to support the successful completion of this project.”

Telensa founder and chief commercial officer Will Gibson said: "Towns and cities across the South West are increasingly adopting wireless control systems for their streetlights to achieve a smarter, more efficient environment for their citizens. I'm delighted to be supporting SSE Contracting, a leading innovator in street lighting solutions, to deliver this project."

Salix Finance, a Governmentfunded organisation providing interest-free loans for investment in energy efficiency projects across the UK's public sector, is providing the council with £6.97m to undertake the upgrade. Lindy Frey, Street Lighting Programme Manager at Salix Finance, said: “We are proud to support the council to deliver this major upgrade which will deliver crucial financial and carbon savings, and play an important role in the authority’s climate action.”

New solar farm gets the 'green' light

Planning permission has been granted for a new solar farm to be built in Swindon.

Corner Copse Solar Farm will be built in Stanton Fitzwarren and will span 95 hectares – that’s the equivalent of 132 football pitches.

The farm will provide enough power to supply around 15,000 homes, which roughly translates to 17.5% of all homes in the borough.

It will reduce Swindon’s CO2 emissions by around 25,000 tonnes every year, which is in line with the Government’s objective of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

The economic benefits of the farm are thought to total around £40 million, with between 70 and 80 new jobs being created and more than £6 million of business rate income during its lifetime.

Cllr Keith Williams has recently been appointed to the new role of Cabinet Member for Climate Change.

He said: “It’s fantastic news that we are going to see this solar farm built in Swindon.

"This is evidence of our commitment to protecting the environment and playing a significant role in tackling climate change at a local level.”

swindonlink.com n August 2020

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Food waste collection extended to all households in the borough

By Jamie Hill jamie@positive-media.co.uk

Swindon Borough Council has agreed to extend the food collection scheme, which had been piloted in certain areas, to the whole borough.

This week Cabinet agreed to extend the food waste collection to all households in the borough on a permanent basis. Officers will now begin to plan how and when the food waste service is delivered to residents.

Introducing this service to all Swindon households will provide a sustainable use for the borough’s

food waste, driving up the local authority's recycling rate by an estimated four per cent, to meet Government targets.

Swindon Borough Council will continue to keep people up-to-date with the progress of the roll-out and provide all households with guidance on how to use the service and what to expect in due course.

In the meantime everyone can take action to reduce food waste, which could save the average family of four up to £60 per month. Find out more: lovefoodhatewaste.com/

Oakfield pledges £100,000 support for Swindon voluntary groups in partnership with Wiltshire Community Foundation

By Jamie Hill jamie@positive-media.co.uk

A new £100,000 fund to support voluntary groups tackling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in Swindon has been set up by a pioneering housing development in partnership with the Wiltshire Community Foundation.

Oakfield, in the east of Swindon, will be a new neighbourhood of 239 sustainable homes.

The fund has been set up to respond to local communities in Swindon and is available through the community foundation’s Swindon and Wiltshire Coronavirus Response Fund. The Oakfield Community Response Fund will provide support for Swindon causes, said Rachel Smith, Senior Social Investment Manager for Oakfield.

“We recognise this is a really difficult time for many people, and we’re thrilled to be working with the Wiltshire Community Foundation,” she added.

“We wanted to find a way to support small grass roots community groups in the Swindon community during this time, and the appeal is helping those who need it most. Our Oakfield housing 14

development is in the town, and throughout the whole project, community engagement has been a priority for us. Now our community needs us – so it feels right to support the Swindon community directly. We hope this funding, which has been set aside by the project’s sponsor, Nationwide Building Society, will support the community where it’s needed most.”

Applications for grants will be assessed and awarded by the community foundation.

Full criteria and details of how to apply can be found at wiltshirecf.org.uk.

The community foundation’s Coronavirus Response Fund has already distributed more than

£560,000 to more than 150 groups, including Swindon Night Shelter, the Swindon Food Collective, Age UK, Swindon City of Sanctuary, Swindon Scrapstore, Swindon Women’s Aid and the Stratton Juniors meals for the elderly project.

Community foundation interim co-chief executive Fiona Oliver said the partnership was a testament to Oakfield’s commitment to the area and the community foundation’s in-depth knowledge of the voluntary sector.

She said: “We are very thankful for this support by Oakfield for the groups in Swindon who have really stepped up to meet the

challenges of this pandemic.

The effects of it will be borne by the voluntary sector for some time to come and this amazing contribution will go a long way to making a fantastic difference in many people’s lives.”

Work has already begun on the Oakfield Development on the former Oakfield Campus site in Walcot, with the first homes set to be available from Autumn 2021.

The neighbourhood will provide high quality, sustainable housing, with a focus on community.

For more details about the development go to www. oakfieldswindon.co.uk

swindonlink.com n August 2020

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Safe re-opening for Designer Outlet Village

By Barrie Hudson barrie@positive-media.co.uk

Bosses at the Swindon Designer Outlet say its post-pandemic re-opening has gone safely and well.

Having implemented reduced opening hours, new health and safety measures and capacity limits in the centre, the outlet reports a very positive response from returning guests.

Many stores at the centre have now re-opened, with brands including Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, BOSS, Calvin Klein, Molton Brown, The Cosmetics Company and Le Creuset now welcoming guests.

Centre manager Tina Cumpstey said: “I am thrilled to see that customers have returned to our centre with confidence and that the extensive measures we have taken have reassured guests that is it safe to shop.

"With 80 percent of brands now open, we can report that our sportswear and

homeware categories have been increasingly popular, with a stronger focus on health and wellbeing amongst customers, alongside increased demand for home baking and cooking products.

"We are looking forward to seeing many more guests enjoying a day out at Swindon Designer Outlet over the coming weeks.�

In line with official safety advice, customers are asked to:

- Bear in mind that good hygiene is key to minimising the spread of the covid-19 virus.

The centre has made hand sanitisers available in common areas and has implemented a cleaning regime that ensures public spaces and high touch points are regularly disinfected.

- Respect the Government guidelines on social distancing.

- If possible, wear a face covering in enclosed public

spaces where social distancing isn’t possible and where customers will come into contact with people they do not normally meet.

- Use contactless payment options while shopping wherever possible.

Whilst cafes including Costa Coffee and Soho Coffee Co have already been operating takeaway-only services, the centre has confirmed that some additional venues including Five Guys and Wagamama are now open and offering both takeaway and dine-in services.

In line with Government guidelines, the centre has increased cleaning in areas where food and drink are consumed and is operating queuing systems where appropriate. There is now increased seating available throughout the centre.

A full list of open stores can be found at www.mcarthurglen. com/en/outlets/uk/designeroutlet-swindon/

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Voices from the coronavirus From marketing consultant to shelf stacker Colin Doubleday was, until lockdown, a part-time marketing consultant and part-time TV actor. He lives alone in Old Town where he enjoys playing sport, music, cooking and hanging out with friends and family. He is a new starter at the Tesco Extra megastore where he never thought he would be stacking shelves at this point in his life. And he is enjoying growing a beard with no Casting Director to say no! Here's his voice.

This was written on 10 April.

How did I go back to the job I was doing at 16?

So as someone with a mixed income and activity, you never expect it all to stop within a week. Since I finished with my full time corporate career a while back it seems that when one thing stops another opportunity comes up. Being busy there is always something else to do.

But in one week my marketing consultancy prospects all stopped as companies found that they either didn’t have the focus or finances to talk about future projects; then TV companies stopped filming, cancelling all my confirmed acting jobs; and then, my regular commercial visitor no longer wanted to rent my Airbnb room…

It stopped. Not just my income for the next, well however long. As a busy person, well I was very unsure what I could do with myself: no business proposals to write, phone calls to make, audition tapes to record or even dirty sheets to wash.

One evening I played the last sad game of football and went home, yes, not to the pub like every other Friday. I poured a glass of wine and thought, ‘What to do?’. And instinct kicked in; surely the supermarkets would need some help. I sat there and applied for a couple of jobs; it wouldn’t be that bad, I’d done it before.

Saturday was a real surprise, ‘Please can you come for an interview’. By Monday mid-morning I was stood by the shelves in Tesco filling up the Pepsi that had been emptied in a couple of hours.

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We all have different experiences of life under lockdown. I am a single guy who lives alone, but I spend a lot of my life with people, watching music, working in businesses, acting on set, playing sport, cooking or chatting with friends. OK, I am sure it is not always as smiley as that sounds but I try always to be doing something and I like to be involved. I had already set up a WhatsApp group for our street and I was shopping for my mother and a couple of other vulnerable friends and relatives, but what else could I do?

That was the opportunity to turn my negatives into a positive. With no one at home to depend on me I also had no one to cross-infect should the worst thing happen at my new job. Yes, I am seeing the public every day, but if I do get sick I will go home to self-isolate. I have friends and family who will drop off some groceries and check that I get the right care. There is an element of risk, but it is contained to me, I am not the key pin of a family.

It was strange to go back to a job I had last done when I was a sixth former and I was fascinated to see how little had really changed. Day 1, a colleague asked me if I was from head office; day 2 my boss said I was self-managed and just try to keep showing a good example. Myself, I just wanted to work hard. It’s good fitness and I hate standing around.

As a marketing man I have been busy watching the people around me. How have their purchasing patterns changed because they are staying at home or because they can’t buy the normal brands or products they might like? Why are there so many versions of Pepsi in so many different bottles and cans? And if no one has bought any strawberry-flavoured water for 3 days – either sugar-free or regular – is it likely that the product might disappear very soon?

I have made work into a 5-day-a-week game. I am meeting people I would normally never have the opportunity to meet. Many are students from Goa, or Mums from Poland, or hard-working Tesco professionals who never thought of their job as important. No, we are not the NHS frontline, those fantastic people doing dangerous and, yes, literally heroic work

for the sick, but there is a point to what we are doing.

And it gives me a reason to be engaged with the world. I still go out for a run or a bike ride most days, I need to keep fit and sane and I so miss playing football. I can’t easily act, but at least I can sing around the house.

My DIY projects all seem far more interesting than before. I have watched lots of music online and chatted a lot with friends. I am still cooking for myself, though I really miss people to cook for. I am being paid so much less, but it covers my bills and I can’t spend anything more anyway. Like everyone I miss hugs, I miss social get-togethers and all the things we hope will come back in the future.

Now is a time to consider as well, what will I do when the ‘war’ is over? I probably will do some more marketing and I know that I am missing acting and I want to do much more. But are there other things I should enjoy in my life? Surely that is what we must learn from this experience. Life is short and valuable. Let’s do as much as we can to make us smile. That also means caring for those around us and appreciating the company and lives of others. This is a grim situation, but I wish us all well and the best possible outcome.

Keep safe.

swindonlink.com n August 2020

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Changing the perspective of the 'Lockdown' by 'Looking up' Creative Catalyst Carole Bent lives in Old Town with her partner, renowned artist David Bent. She is a strong advocate for creativity in its widest sense and a shift from STEMtoSTEAM to include the Arts. Here is her voice published on 13 April.

LOOK UP At the start of March, my diary looked like lots of other people's - pretty full with a mix of work, family and other commitments.

Life close to home seemed the same as usual, though with a growing awareness of a pandemic sweeping the world, taking lives and livelihoods with it. We felt sad and concerned for everyone affected, but it hadn’t really hit home yet.

By mid March, life started to feel very different. Long standing work plans fell, family weddings and big birthday celebrations were put on ice. People were starting to panic. It felt like being on an

escalator running in reverse.

For 48 hours, life tasted like a sickly cocktail of shock, loss and confusion with just a tiny bit of light on the side. Like many others, we tried to make sense of it, but couldn’t.

The word ‘lockdown’ entered our vocabulary. Fully accepting the need to do this, I still cried at the prospect. Dave has been as great as ever and I made a handful of decisions that have been helpful.

The first was to be really honest about how I felt. The next was to try to worry less about everything that I couldn’t do and to focus as much as possible on what I could, including deciding to word swap ‘Lockdown' with ‘Look up‘ instead.

Each time I hear the word now, I look up at the sky, so blue in recent days and full of stars at night. Well worth doing.

I then started to ‘look up’ the phone numbers of people who

I hadn’t called for ages and it's been a genuine reminder of how important it is to hear everyone’s voices. I then decided to create a diary of posts to share on my Facebook page daily until Jan 1st 2021.

Partly to add structure and to throw something positive ahead into an unseen future.

The themes are professional and personal passions around creativity, work, home, Dave’s art and inspirational people connected with my STEMtoSTEAM commitments. I hoped that it might be a little uplifting for friends.

A comment added this week made me very glad to have decided to do this small thing.

‘I love this post Carole, every sentiment within it has either calmed me, inspired me or evoked joy in me, I’m going to savour the quote as I need to slow my mind. The act of the slow blink instantly soothed me.

Also, I am going to consider a diary or daily moment of

consideration after reading about your week. I particularly like Sunday. Thank you, stay safe both of you.' Rio. Rio is a key worker, firefighter and friend. Thinking about her and how many people are being extraordinary across our town at this time is very humbling – including friends working hard at the Great Western Hospital, teachers and parents working out the best ways to educate children at home, volunteers and all delivery drivers, and refuse and recycling collectors who work hard every day. Best wishes to all.

Isolation through poetry, gardening and meticulous planning

Maurice Spillane is a published poet living in Liddington. His wife, Fiona, is a leadership consultant and coach. Between them they have five children and eight grandchildren. This is his voice published on 15 April.

I was up early for a run this morning, couldn’t sleep, and lying in bed awake is debilitating. It was a beautiful morning and I’d the fields and roads to myself. On the way back my Labrador, Rocky, came along with fur in his mouth. I freaked, thought it

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was a rat, told him to drop it. A little bundle fell to the ground and started to hop away, a baby rabbit. It must have been scared silly, but it was ok. So that’s a story and I thought: “This might be the highlight of my day.”

That’s what self-isolating does to us. It would’ve been a story anyway but because there is so little interaction it might turn out to be the only story. Saying: “How was your day?” could get the rebuff: “Same as yours. We ate together, read the same newspaper, worked in the garden together, saw nobody, spoke to nobody, went nowhere.”

To save our marriage my wife and I vary our day. I look after the vegetable garden and she, who knows the Latin name of every plant, focuses on the flower beds. Weeding, composting, sowing seeds needs to be done in these weeks anyway, but this year

there’s been robust discussion on planning. My wife can visualise a flower bed over a year of matching colours, rotating blooms, coloured stems. She’s extended the seasons both ways so even in winter it looks great.

I’ve caught up with her and have done the same this season. I made drawings of the vegetable beds and planned, rotated from summer and autumn glut to what’ll be available through next winter.

Planning is possible because I’ve the time.

I’ve also taken on tasks which have been on lists for years. I got hold of pallets and made three compost areas. Three!!

I’m getting so picky about composting that my wife said: “Bugger off, I can still make a salad out of those leaves.”

I sawed all the wood around the place and made a log store. There should be photo competitions for log stores. I envisage categories for round

and split logs and one for “others”: chair legs, tables etc..

I set aside time every day to write. I finished a play recently and circulated it to our kids and friends. I asked for feedback but not everyone read it which was disappointing until I was scolded by one daughter: “Dad, do you have any idea what it’s like being isolated with a husband and young children?” Oops! Another daughter loved it but said it failed the Bechdel Test. I had to look it up. It’s a measure of women in fiction that asks whether a work features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. That required a bit of a re-write.

Then comes evening, which means Zoom chats with family or friends, always liberating.

We’re of one mind on film, though Netflix’s catalogue is dated. There’s a grump right there. swindonlink.com n August 2020 17 17/07/2020 07:48

Voices from the coronavirus Grandma in splendid isolation Rosemary Hill is an 80 year old grandmother of 10. She lives on her own and is following the Government advice to isolate herself for 12 weeks. This is her voice written on 31 March a week after lockdown began.

In the current coronavirus era we have all been assigned a group status. I fall into the “elderly” category.

Like everyone else, the oldies didn’t have much time to prepare for the stringent social-distancing measures and the enforced periods of self-confinement. This meant that we were all running around like headless chickens - checking supplies of knitting wool, borrowing DVDs, filling up at the garage and stocking up with printer cartridges and shampoo. Oh, and also cancelling dentist’s and hairdressers’ appointments!

On 21 March Boris solemnly announced that the elderly and other vulnerable people were to stay at home for twelve weeks. Three months!

How were we going to fill our days without the leisurely stroll to the leisure centre for our exercise classes, driving to the garden centre on a sunny day or popping into Costa to spend an hour reading or doing crossword puzzles? And what about our baby-sitting duties?

Our leader said that Mothers’ Day was off limits for the elderly. They could not celebrate with grandchildren and this year they would have to settle with mimed hugs and kisses through the window. I really felt for all the pubs and restaurants that had been fully booked for months before the cancellations came flooding in.

We were instructed that shopping should be left by the door. There were to be

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no invitations to friends or family to drop in for a coffee or a cosy chat. In this time of social distancing we should communicate via telephone calls or video links. I’m not very computer literate and have never felt able to talk spontaneously to a machine or a screen. I’m now on a steep learning curve trying to get the hang of “quick draw” games on something called “House Party”!

I’ve lived on my own for the last six years and am used to keeping busy to stave off loneliness. I’ve travelled a lot and pass the time painting and learning Spanish. A few years ago I even spent time writing some memoirs about my life and travels (“Over the Hill and Far Away”). I hope my musings will give the next generation an insight into my life. Anyway, I think it’s real bit of social history about the times before IT and social media dominated the world.

The first week of the “stay at home” regime proved a challenge. I spent most of it trying to unscramble all the arrangements to celebrate my 80th birthday in a few weeks.

I then set to devising my

schedule to fill up the days – not always successfully. Apart from mundane housework I needed to include sessions to prepare my Spanish homework and to pick up on writing some more chapters for my sequel.

I shall call this “Coming Down the Other Side”. When I do manage to get stuck into it I find it very therapeutic. I can get lost in it and re-live my experiences. I think every grandma should do it!

Apart from the usual aches and pains I am lucky to enjoy reasonably good health and need to factor in some sort of exercise regime during this “at home” time. So far I’ve managed to sneak out for a half-hour walk at 6.30am each morning. I only ever see two or three people walking dogs at a distance. I’ve also dug out a couple of fitness DVDs made by the Green Goddess and Mr Motivator, both of breakfast TV fame in the 90’s. Now there’s a blast from the past! In fact I’m being quite tenacious about doing these at 4 o’clock every day. It’s quite fun and no one can see me puffing and panting. I might even end up getting fitter and leaner.

We tend to feel safe in our

bubble and it’s easy to put the desperate situation in the world out of mind from time to time.

I think we should follow what’s going on but limit the roundthe-clock coverage flowing into our living rooms. We should look after our state of mind as well as our physical health. We should not feel guilty about this.

As we are not going anywhere it might be tempting to keep our dressing gowns and slippers on. But it’s important to get dressed as if the days were normal ones, even though they definitely are not. Put your lippy on, paint your nails and choose your favourite necklace. Don’t forget that you’ve got to look glamorous and well-groomed for your video appearances.

Now, more than ever, it’s important to keep positive for ourselves and the others we speak to. They too are worried sick about this disaster. Let’s find time to smile, to listen and share. Let’s check up on those less fortunate and take the opportunity to re-connect with old friends. Let’s think of our brand of furlough as an extended spa break rather that a prison sentence.

swindonlink.com n August 2020

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Life for a frontline shopkeeper during coronavirus

Shopkeeper Raj Patel, 43, runs the QMS Store in Ferndale Road, and his wife runs the Alexandra Park Convenience Store in Wroughton. He also has an interest in The Smokehouse in Chiseldon. He is known as 'Sunny' to all who know him. He has been on the frontline since the crisis began and has made it his mission to help as many people as possible through voluntary work. Here's his voice written on 21 April.

For Sunny Patel, a town resident since 2002 managing different stores, when the pandemic happened it was impossible for him to sit there and do nothing.

Since 2008 he has run the QMS Store in Ferndale Road, his wife Jaimini Soni has run the Alexandra Park Convenience Store since 2015 and he recently took over with others The Smokehouse, formerly The Patriot Arms, just before it had to close its doors for the lockdown.

During his time in Swindon he has always been heaviily involved in the community, helping out with the Christmas decorations and fireworks in

Ferndale Road, as well as being an executive committee member trustee for the Swindon Hindu Temple.

He said: "I've always loved Swindon. It's been so welcoming. As a shopkeeper you are at the centre of the community and I've got to know so many people. I've always been involved in helping out but it's like I've gone into overdrive once the coronavirus arrived."

One of the first things he did was get hold of a buik of facemasks as he saw how lots of other shops had been raising the prices profiteering, through the crisis, and he wanted to do the opposite.

He said: "I managed to bulk buy about a 1,000 facemasks from my supplier and we've just been giving them out to whoever needs them coming into the shop. We've done that through all of my businesses.

This is a time that we should all be looking out for each other, not just earning a quick buck.

"Covid-19 has completely changed the life of the elderly and vulnerable in my community. They can't even come out of their homes and they are scared to go shopping, especially in the big supermarkets which had seen panic buying. As a local shop we really came into our own and one of the things that we started doing was delivering food and essentials to those that were isolated for free."

For Sunny, it's been non-stop since the crisis began. He said: "I never seem to stop.

I wouldn't be able to do all of this if it wasn't for my wife and son. They respect that I'm always busy. People need to be aware that as shopkeepers we are also out there every day and that is not without risk. It has been very stressful and last week I just felt completely run down with it all so I must admit I did slow things down for a few days just to get my breath back."

Sunny is a strong believer in good karma and that by doing good things good things will happen to you. As part

of Swindon Volunteers, the group founded by Pradeep Bhardwaj of Swindon Hindu Temple, he has been delivering donated food and essentials to people who are struggling through the crisis. The Smokehouse has been used as a kitchen to cook up different meals for people too. Sunny added: "The other day we delivered a lovely cooked curry to the homeless people using the Threshold Housing Project. This is something we're going to be doing on a weekly basis from now on during the crisis. We have plans to deliver to the hospital too.

"I don't know what else I would be doing with myself if I wasn't keeping myself so busy. It's a scary time at the moment and none of us know what will happen and when this will be over. We don't even know what the world will be like or how people will act afterwards. All I know is that if I didn't help in some way I would always regret it but this is a time when we should all be working together no matter what walk of life we come from. That's the way we'll get through this."

'The world has changed in an extraordinary way' Former Link editor and owner Roger Ogle, 69, retired just over two years ago. He now spends his time as a community champion in West Swindon and travelling to far flung places.

Here's his voice written on 9 April.

Heading for three weeks into lockdown, trying to express myself in finely honed prose is just too difficult; it’s the effect of the odd times we’re in. In the last100 days to 8 April the world has changed in an extraordinary way. Economies have crashed and after decades of rapid globalisation there was no way to arrest this new disease until the full horror started to unfold. It's hard to express so here are a range of random(ish) reflections: -. The sky has been so blue, the sun so warm and the twittering of birds welcoming Spring has been so clear, thanks to reduced background traffic and no aircraft overhead. Time has taken on a strange, acute, quality. Personally it seems to have

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slowed down as lockdown has limited us.

Yet, at the same time, it has accelerated.

In recent memory there was a general election, storms and ruinous floods, but those are ancient history.

- The crisis has brought to the fore the many wonderful people in society who used to be, until about six weeks ago, undervalued and derided by politicians.

- It's great that 'experts' are back in fashion and being recognised for being essential to the future of the nation. So much for Michael Gove putting them down.

- After 10 years of austerity policies, the Conservative government has done a u-turn on its political orthodoxy and the needs of all in society are being taken into account.

- Coronavirus has got me thinking about mortality. Being someone in good health and enjoying retirement, I had been expecting to live for another 20+ years.

Everything is now uncertain; if the virus gets me, the thought of being taken away, never to be seen again by my loved ones fills me

with dread. I keep thinking what I’d do if I start to show symptoms - write a letter, perhaps do a video message. What if my partner succumbs and is suddenly taken away, how does one cope? I know this is very self-centred, but they are thoughts that have occurred to many I’m sure.

- This crisis has spurred a new approach to nearly all aspects of life, whether it’s relationships, climate change and the environment, the behaviour of others, technological changes and how life has become even more dependent on the internet, how we’re governed. We cannot go back to how things used to be when the dawn of a new normal breaks. swindonlink.com n August 2020 19 17/07/2020 07:48

Swindon submits bid to be the first Electric Bus Town

By Jamie Hill jamie@positive-media.co.uk

Swindon Borough Council is charging ahead with a bid to the Government to improve the borough’s air quality.

The council has teamed up with Swindon’s two main bus service providers – Swindon’s Bus Company, owned by Go South Coast, and Stagecoach West – as it aims to become the country’s first Electric Bus Town.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced in February that the Government was making £50m available to one local authority to set the ‘gold standard’ in environmentally friendly public transport.

The winning area will receive the funding to help pay for a brand new fleet of electric buses, reducing emissions and cleaning up the air in their community. A town with 200 electric buses could save around 7,400 tonnes of CO2 each year, the equivalent to

(left to right) Cllr Keith Williams, Cllr Maureen Penny, Swindon's Bus Company's Paul Walker and Alex Chutter, and Cllr Cathy Martyn.

taking 3,700 diesel cars off the road.

Swindon’s Bus Company’s sister operator Salisbury Reds already has experience of electric bus operation, with three new vehicles which work on two of the park and ride services in the nearby city.

Before lockdown the bus company showed off one of its electric buses to Swindon Borough Council Cabinet Members, Councillors Maureen Penny, Cathy Martyn and Keith

Williams.

Each electric bus can travel approximately 160 miles on one full charge and it takes four hours to charge the batteries. One electric bus will save 15.5 tonnes of Nitrogen Oxide and 32.2 tonnes of CO2 per year.

The Electric Bus Town proposal is a pilot scheme, which aims to analyse the benefits of moving all buses to electric power, including how it will improve air quality and greenhouse gases

in a place.

It aims to understand the challenges of running an allelectric fleet, how it affects running costs, while also supporting bus manufacturers in the development of zeroemission bus technology.

It is hoped that introducing an electric bus fleet will encourage more people to use buses rather than cars.

The council bid was submitted in June, and if successful, the money will be used to pay for the brand new fleet.

The council hopes to find out if Swindon has been chosen for phase two of the selection process in the next few months.

Councillor Maureen Penny, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and the Environment, said: “I am determined with the help of my Cabinet colleagues that we do all we can to improve air quality in Swindon. It is one of the reasons why we have set up a Climate Change Working Group."

Barnes Coaches gets back on the road

Buckland pulls a pint in thanks to Sunny

From mid July Barnes Coaches started offering day trips again and would like to assure all of its customers that safety comes first.

Owner Matt Barnes said: "We are pleased to announce that our day trips have gradually re-started operations again from Saturday 11 July. This was a full week after the Government's latest announcement that from Saturday 4 July pubs, restaurants and cafes etc could reopen.

"More and more attractions and venues have already begun to reopen their doors to the public to enjoy once again, with new health and safety measures in place to ensure the safety of all customers.

"Please note this is all subject to Government advice. If the guidance changes in the upcoming weeks we will have various options available for you to choose from. Options include a transfer onto another

The Justice Minister pulled a pint at a Chiseldon pub in tribute to a businessman who served 2,000 free meals for keyworkers and the vulnerable.

South Swindon MP Robert Buckland was at the Patriot Arms – also known as the Smokehouse Bar and Grill – to pay tribute to Raj ‘Sunny’ Patel and his team.

Sunny runs QMS Store in Ferndale Road and the Alexandra Park Convenience Store in Wroughton, and also manages the Chiseldon venue alongside Sanjay Dogra.

He founded Swindon Volunteer Group with fellow community champion Pradeep Bhardwaj, who was also present, and during the crisis led a campaign to feed vulnerable people and vital personnel.

Mr Buckland said: “I recently awarded Sunny, Sanjay Dogra and his team at the Patriot one of my Covid Community Champion Awards for their outstanding work within the

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day trip, a Refund Credit Note – valid for a whole year from the date of issue which will give you more time to decide on a future trip or a full refund if you prefer.

"Please bear in mind that for most day trips that involve an admission ticket we may still be waiting to hear from venues with regards to closures/ reopening dates. Should any of our trips still need to be altered we will continue to contact all passengers.

"Please be assured as a company we are doing everything we can to ensure that your time on board is safe and your trip is still to the high, reputable standard we are known for. We have introduced new health and safety measures for passengers whilst on tour with us, and we do ask that all passengers follow these alterations to ensure everyone’s safety. Please view full details at www.barnescoaches.co.uk/ coronavirus-safety."

local community. During the pandemic, they’ve served 2000 free meals, cooked by chef Sanjay Dogra, to residents at risk, as well as health and emergency workers. They’ve all worked long hours to prepare, cook and deliver meals, as well as offering free masks with their takeaway orders, so it was great to thank them all.”

Sunny said: “Robert always supports local causes, businesses and people. The management also thanks the community for their support and we promise to restore the pub to its old glory.”

Swindon Volunteer Group’s partners include Broccoli Pasta & Pizza, Copacabana Brazilian Kitchen, QMS Store and N&B Foods.

swindonlink.com n August 2020

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The Business Brief The Swindon housing market bounces back from lockdown with healthy demand

By Barrie Hudson barrie@positive-media.co.uk

People being obliged to work as well as live in their homes during lockdown has helped to fuel a vibrant Swindon property market.

That is the verdict of at least one of several estate agents spoken to by Swindon Link.

All reported healthy demand from both buyers and sellers – and cited Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s decision to raise the Stamp Duty threshold from £125,000 to £500,000 as a major factor.

Dave Sheridan is senior branch manager at Haart estate agents Swindon in Ashworth Road.

He said: “The Stamp Duty is helping, and I think it’s also because people have had the chance to live in their properties.

“Now they have had a chance to live in their properties through lockdown, they have more of an understanding of their needs.

“It might be a desire for more space or a secondary reception room or a bigger garden.

“For example, you have had to sit in your lounge for two weeks and you suddenly start realising it’s not the space you

need – or a room needs to be bigger, or you now want a north or south-facing garden.”

Mr Sheridan added that being at home during lockdown had helped some people realise they needed less rather than more space.

At The Property Shop, based at Anchor Business Centre in Frankland Road, director Jason Parker also reported a healthy market.

“After the pandemic, there was pent-up demand,” he said.

“June was probably one of our busiest months for, I think, over four years.

“The majority of what we sell tends to be more modern, but that tends to be because Swindon is a modern place.

“I would say now is a good time to buy because you’re going to make a Stamp Duty saving – and if you’re looking to sell, the Stamp Duty is going to bring out a few more buyers.”

Mr Parker added that first

time buyers were not subject to Stamp Duty at all.

At Parkers Swindon in Commercial Road, sales manager Daniel Watkins reported a lively trading picture since returning to business.

He said: “We have not noticed a change in the market at all.

“We’re perhaps running at 90 percent of what we were prior to Covid. People are still interested.”

#ShineOnSwindon campaign launched to welcome back town centre businesses

By Jamie Hill jamie@positive-media.co.uk

inSwindon BID have launched #ShineOnSwindon, which is a new campaign in support of all businesses across the town centre that have remained open throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and have since reopened from 15 June onwards.

The campaign features a window decal star filled with colour, which will be given to businesses across the town centre to display as a symbol of support. Images of the stars and businesses will be

cascaded across social media to raise awareness of all those who have reopened for business and continue to do so in the coming weeks and months.

Mark Rogers, BID Manager for inSwindon BID said: “#ShineOnSwindon will enable us to continue interacting with visitors to ensure Swindon town centre remains a destination of choice for business, shopping and leisure.

"We know that for many of our retailers, face-to-face customer experience is a key selling point, and certainly

for our high volume of independent retailers. Projects that provide more immersive and visual experiences, whilst live events cannot take place, are the obvious choice. It’s vital that we continue to support our businesses during this challenging time and continue to adapt with them and for them.” #ShineOnSwindon will support one of the four key BID objectives ‘Better Promoted’ - which aims to promote a vibrant town centre with different campaigns throughout the year, to increase visitor

numbers to the town.

Visitors can expect to see a variety of visual, digital and virtual experiences launching from August through to December, with the aim of bringing a fresh approach to promoting the town centre and the many businesses within it.

For more information, visit www.swindontowncentre.co.uk swindonlink.com n August 2020

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The Politics Page A massive thank you to all of our hardworking staff

Swindon Borough Council Leader David Renard's monthly column With lockdown restrictions continuing to be lifted by the Government, our focus at the council is on getting as many of our services back up and running as possible.

You will be able to get all the latest updates on what is reopening via the council’s social media channels or, of course, through Swindon Link.

To say the last four months have been challenging would be an understatement, but our staff have done an incredible job, from distributing almost £30m in government grants to local businesses to support them through the pandemic, or carrying out thousands of welfare checks on isolated residents who have no family support network in place.

Our staff have gone above and beyond, epitomising the importance of local government in times of crisis.

I was therefore delighted

Swindon Council leader David Renard

myself and Swindon Mayor, Cllr Garry Perkins, were able to welcome Her Royal Highness

The Duchess of Cornwall to the Civic Offices where she met some of our staff who have

been keeping our vulnerable residents safe at this difficult time.

The Duchess met social workers who have continued to look after those children and families who need support, our hard-working Register Office staff, and officers from our Early Years team who have been instrumental in providing free childcare for key workers during the pandemic.

Her Royal Highness also helped to put the finishing touches to our 1,000th food parcel during her visit and this was later delivered by our Live Well Hub to one of our residents in Blunsdon. To say he was taken aback when told The Duchess had helped to pack his groceries would be putting it mildly.

And this has been the hallmark of the Council’s response to this unprecedented situation, everyone rolling up their sleeves and doing their bit - even members of the Royal Family!

Get silly with this year’s Summer Reading Challenge The Summer Reading Challenge is back and for the first time ever, the challenge is being brought online.

This summer young readers are being encouraged to join the Silly Squad, a colourful crew of fun-loving animals, and discover the joy of reading.

To take part, children and their parents or guardians need to register online at www.summereadingchallenge. org.uk where they can create their Silly Squad profile and set their own Summer Reading Challenge goal.

Every time a young reader completes a book they can add it to their online profile and leave a review. Once participants have reached their goal they will unlock a Silly Squad certificate.

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There will be lots of opportunities for young people to gain rewards, play games and earn badges on the Summer Reading Challenge website along the way.

Swindon Libraries are supporting this year’s digital challenge with live story times with Anish every Tuesday at 11am over on the Swindon Libraries Facebook page.

The Libraries Team will also be providing craft ideas, a competition, quizzes and online stories. There is a brand new range of e-comics and plenty of e-audiobooks and e-magazines to help readers achieve their Summer Reading Challenge goals.

Keep up to date with all the latest from Swindon Libraries on their blog www.srcswindon. wordpress.com and through

their Facebook page.

Councillor Russell Holland, Deputy Leader of Swindon Borough Council, said: “The Swindon Libraries team have been very busy pulling together an exciting online offer for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge and though they will miss seeing all the familiar faces taking part in the challenge, they have lots in store to keep Swindon families entertained.

“If residents are looking for a fun and engaging way to keep their children occupied over the summer, sign up to join the Silly Squad on the Summer Reading Challenge website and join in with the Swindon Libraries online offer today.”

The Summer Reading Challenge will finish on Sunday, 6 September 2020.

Stop fly-tipping!

The Penhill Street Reps and Junior Street Reps have been working alongside the Neighbourhood Wardens recently to clear six tonnes of fly-tipped waste from land at the back of Pewsham Road, Penhill.

The Reps are currently consulting with the council's Environmental team to prevent this happening again. This could include the installation of CCTV. Fly tipping is illegal and will not be tolerated. The council will enforce fly tipping regulations wherever necessary.

If you spot fly tipping in Swindon please report it at www.swindon.gov.uk/flytipping

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LINK

FEATURES

A community buzz A new 'neighbourhood' in Freshbrook for up to 30,000 residents has been officially opened.

The wild beehive has been placed in a tree in the Edgehill front garden of veteran environmental campaigner and Pride of Swindon Award winner Glynis Hales.

It is part of the Swindon Bee Roadzz project, which is in turn part of a wider campaign to safeguard the future of the creatures.

There are widespread worries about the future of wild bees, as they face threats including habitat destruction and pesticide use.

As pollinators, bees – like other insects are a vital part of the ecosystem.

Glynis said: “They all do something, and they’ve been around a lot longer than we have.

“We’ve only been around about 250,000 years; these things have been around for millions of years, and they have evolved together to make the ecosystem work.

“If that doesn’t work, we don’t have pollinators, we don’t have insects that churn up the soil, eat debris and change that into compost for us.

“We won’t have a planet to live on – it’s as simple as that.

“We’ve taken away a great deal of habitat. We’re putting up trees, but we also need the grasslands.”

The hive, supplied by specialist firm Hyde Hives, bears a plaque commemorating another Swindon environmentalist, the late John Ball, whose projects included the pioneering Cheney Manor Haven nature reserve.

Inspired by John, Glynis set up a haven

Glynis Hales and Coun Keith Williams,

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in Penhill when she lived there, and is forming one in Edgehill.

The placing of the hive was watched by supportive neighbours and guests including Tom Silberberg, a fellow environmentalist who co-presents a Swindon 105.5 programme, Birds and Bees, with Glynis.

Also among the guests were Tim Swinyard, borough councillor for Lydiard and Freshbrook and parish councillor for Grange Park, and Keith Williams, borough councillor for Shaw Ward and Cabinet Member for Climate Change.

Councillor Swinyard said: “It’s really good for the environment, it’s great for the area and it’s great to see so many enthusiasts here as well.”

Councillor Williams said: “This is an example of what we need – small groups of people making a big difference.”

L-R: Coun Keith Williams, Glynis Hales, Tom Silberberg, Coun Tim Swinyard

Glynis Hales

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CULTURE

Arts needs a lifeline

Words by Barrie Hudson

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windon arts figures are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach to a £1.57bn rescue package announced by the Government.

made available online worldwide.

Mr Holland said his philosophy was: “Never let a lack of funds get in the way of a good idea.”

The extra funding is intended for museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, heritage sites and music venues, all of which have seen revenues hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis.

While welcoming the funding announcement, he said it was also important for governments to attend to more pressing matters such as the importance of education.

Swindon venues affected include the Wyvern Theatre and the Arts Centre in Devizes Road, which have been closed since March and suspended all shows due to take place until and including August 31.

He said of the arts: “They are inspiring, they are educational, they entertain, they create wisdom, tolerance, understanding and knowledge. I value them hugely.”

Both are run by London-based HQ Theatres & Hospitality. A spokesman for the organisation said that, while it welcomed the announcement, it would not comment further until details of how the cash would be allocated were released.

A long-time champion of the arts in and around Swindon is Matt Holland, founder of Swindon Festival of Literature – which became Swindon Spring Festival.

This year’s festival ran online during May, with performances and talks by authors, dancers, actors and musicians 24

Swindon's Prime Theatre is the town's only professional theatre company and arts education charity for children and young adults.

Since an American tour was cut short

by Coronavirus, it has been running a nationwide digital workshop programme with the support of stars including Mark Gatiss.

Artistic director Mark Powell said of the announcement from Whitehall: "There's not much detail at the moment, but it looks like it's going to be distributed through Arts Council England."

That organisation, he explained, was usually good at ensuring funds reached community arts organisations.

Mr Powell pointed out, however, that some of the money was earmarked for building projects, and wondered how much would find its way directly to arts projects in communities.

Another Swindon theatre company, Madam Renards, is headed by playwright Matt Fox, who has seen his work performed all over the world.

He said of the announcement: "As a general point I think it's a very good thing. The theatre industry is a huge part of what the UK is - it's in our DNA.” The extra funding, he believes, is driven by a sense of economic value rather than artistic consideration, and he wonders how much of the money will find its way to Swindon.

He said: "I have no idea whether any of it will touch Swindon. I would not be surprised if none of it touches Swindon, which I think is part of a wider question.

"We are not seen as a serious cultural town, and therefore nobody throws any money at us."

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LINK

The big hitters of SMAG Century and showcasing some of the most popular pieces in the collection by the likes of David Bomberg, Howard Hodgkin and L.S. Lowry. Linda Kasmaty, the Chair of the Friends of Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, explained why the initiative is so important.

The exhibition is called ‘Big Hitters’, and has been selected by the committee of the Friends of SMAG, who aim to draw attention to some of the most important pieces in Swindon’s collection of modern British art.

She said: “When we were asked if the Friends’ committee would like to mount a virtual exhibition, we thought what a fantastic way of getting the collection shown to a wider, online audience.

Since the beginning of lockdown due to covid-19, many people have spent more time online, and many museums and galleries have greatly increased their online presence."

Although the Bath Road venue has been closed due to covid-19, SMAG is making the best of digital resources to help people access the collection, which is credited with being one of the best in the UK. This has included the launch of ‘Art on Tour at Home’, which has developed a number of free online talks, activities and learning resources. ArtUK’s curation tool is also good for sharing with audiences during lockdown.

‘Big Hitters’ includes around 30 artworks from the collection, spanning the 20th

Councillor Dale Heenan, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Town Centre, Culture and Heritage, said: “Lockdown has really inspired us to come up with new and creative ways of showcasing our fantastic art collection here in Swindon and this latest exhibition is another fine example of that work."

The exhibition is available to view

by Jamie Hill

S

windon Museum and Art Gallery (SMAG) has launched a virtual exhibition through ArtUK, the online home of the nation’s public art collections.

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through ArtUK’s website at: artuk. org/discover/curations/big-hitterssignificant-artists-in-the-swindoncollection/template/storyline

Poetry: An ode to the much-missed local

Poetry column with Maurice Spillane of Poetry Swindon

There are no street lights in the village of Liddington. When the pub closed for Covid-19 lockdown the village went seriously dark. It felt like a pall had come over our lives – or maybe it was just over me as I was denied a pint of Guinness for 106 days.

Re-opening was a joy and the first and second pints were a delight. The landlord, Steve, put on a special meal to celebrate which was great. The frontof-house, Jessica, with her warm smile, was in fine fettle. Lots of friends came in and it felt like we’d all come back from our holidays, or being Liddington, more like we’d woken up from a Rip Van Winkle dream.

It’s only when something is taken away that you appreciate it all the more. What’s a village without a pub, I ask you? And a very good pub at that. Since Steve took over, the food has been exceptional, the service wonderful, and the punters seem

to have mirrored that with great bonhomie.

Here’s a poem about my idea of the perfect pub, like the Village Inn: Give me lots of nots in a pub – not a TV, musak, or jukebox in sight just smiles behind the bar nodding to your name and “the usual?”, the chat restarted where we left it last.

Give me locals who prop the corner, political right of everything I believe.

Give me visitors who blow-in to enjoy an exchange like the spit-in-hand drovers of years ago.

Give me the intimacy of an evening wrapped together in a fine meal, a benign treat for a long day.

Give me a bar where there’s no last bell where the lights are on and all is well.

No poetry in Swindon in August. Fingers crossed for next month. www.mauricespillane.com www.villageinn-liddington.co.uk

Steve at The Village Inn

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HOME

Living your best village life

Building work at a development bringing much-needed homes to a north Wiltshire village is back under way after a break because of the pandemic.

The show home at Somerbrook, a development of 38 homes on a fouracre site at Brook Farm on the edge of Great Somerford, is likely to be completed by the autumn and the rest of the neighbourhood, which will include ten affordable homes, is making steady progress.

The mixture of two, three, four and five-bedroomed homes is being built by Stonewood Partnerships of Tormarton and Castle Combe.

The new neighbourhood of terraced, link

detached and detached homes is being built on farmland first established in the 1500s. It was formerly owned by Wiltshire councillor Toby Sturgis, who sold the land in 2006 to another developer.

The site, once home to a dairy herd, had outline permission for 30 homes but building never began. In 2017 permission for eight more homes was given for an adjacent site. The whole site was bought

by Stonewood earlier this year.

The new homes have been designed to mirror those in the nearby village by reflecting the same exterior finishes – stone, red brick and premium quality roughcast render. Each home will have designated parking to ensure there will be

no overspill into the village.

A brochure is available from stonewoodpartnerships.co.uk by registering interest in Somerbrook, with the new homes likely to be available from next spring.

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MOTORING

Skoda Scala : A damn punchy family hatchback

The Skoda Scala is one of the best affordable family hatchbacks around which provides a good level of both space and comfort at a price most people can afford.

There is a headline-grabbing £16,595 start price and it is practical, with specs which are high across the board. Even the entry-level models get LED headlights, a leather steering wheel and a space saver spare as standard plus 16-inch alloy wheels, a 6.5-inch infotainment system with DAB radio and a host of safety equipment include lane assist Buyers have the choice of three engines, of two petrols and one diesel with power outputs ranging from 95PS to 150PS. All engines, with the exception of the entry-level 95PS unit, are available with the excellent seven-speed DSG transmission.

Skoda has also packed a huge amount of space into the Scala as well with a boot which is almost 500 litres and the ride comfort is fine and most versions get 16-inch wheels as standard.

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Leigh Robinson: Motoring writer

Most customers will go for the 115PS 1.0-litre TSI petrol, which gives you almost 50 mpg but the 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol has the smoothest engine in the range, pulling strongly from low revs and is damn punchy all the way round. An entry-level 95PS

petrol will follow later in the year.

The Scala replaces the Rapid and sits between the Fabia and Octavia in Skoda's range. The range is made up of three trim levels: S, SE and SE L. The mid-range SE model is priced from £18,580 and adds cruise control, rear parking sensors, an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, integrated umbrella, and height adjustable passenger seat.

Topping the range, the £20,380 SE L adds a new 9.2-inch infotainment system, digital cockpit, climate control air conditioning, keyless entry with start/stop and a colour multifunction trip computer. The exterior design features 17-inch alloy wheels, full LED rear lights, dynamic indicators and privacy glass on the rear windows. Inside, the seats are finished with silver Microsuede trims and chrome details on the dashboard, door panelling, gear and handbrake lever.

With its 2469mm wheelbase, Skoda claims the Scala offers class-leading rear headroom.

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FOOD & DRINK

Words by Barrie Hudson

Restaurants and pubs wake up to the new reality of trade during coronavirus A new reality has dawned for Swindon’s pubs, cafes and restaurants. Hospitality venues have been permitted to open their doors following lockdown, but must obey a raft of new regulations to keep people as safe as possible from coronavirus. They include mandatory table service, oneway systems, a ban on customers standing at bars and the gathering of customers’ contact details in case tracking and tracing become necessary.

For restaurants and cafes, table-only service tends to be the norm, but for pubs it is generally unknown territory which many Swindon hosts now find themselves navigating.

Among those who spoke to Swindon Link is Linda Gulliford, co-owner with Jamie Stapleton of The Tuppenny in Devizes Road.

She said: “It’s a new order. We’re adhering to social distancing as much as we possibly can.

“We have hand cleansers on the tables and are generally working in a different way. You enter the building, you get taken to your table and served as if it’s a restaurant with no food!

“There are measures in place for customers and staff.”

Linda has been impressed by customer response.

“People are understanding,” she said.

“They understand it’s a pandemic. These are the rules and that it what we have to try to enforce as far as possible” The pub is continuing with the Friday delivery service which was popular with customers throughout lockdown.

The pub’s website is thetuppenny.com At The Rolleston Arms in Commercial Road, hosts Violet McLaren and Darren Simons found that food such as the

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Linda Gulliford and Jamie Stapleton at The Tuppenny

signature Rolly Roast have helped to keep customers in touch with the venue. Other dishes, including burgers and burritos, are also popular.

The couple also run next-door venue Level 3 and The Vic in Victoria Road.

Violet said: “We never did deliveries or collections before, but that’s what’s kept us in touch with people during lockdown.

“We’re going to continue because, while we’ve got restricted capacity, we can continue to serve food.”

The lockdown period, Violet conceded, had been dreadful, not so much because of the three months of closure but because many people were still nervous at the thought of coming out again.

She urged the public: “Come and have a drink, come and have some food, come and say ‘Hello’ – or if you’re worried about coming to the pub, order some food and have it at home.”

Further information about the venue can be found at www.facebook.com/ therolleston/ Another well-known Swindon pub, The Beehive, did not take advantage of the Government giving permission to re-open earlier in July, and aims instead to be open at the beginning of next month.

Violet McLaren and Darren Simons who run The Rolleston, The Vic and Level 3

Landlord Andy Marcer explained that only a maximum of 32 people at a time could currently be accommodated – and even then only if each seat was occupied.

For the moment, regulars must content themselves with the pub’s evening takeaway service.

Andy said he was not impressed by the Government’s guidance for reopening, a 32-page document which, he added, was short on solid rules and was open in places to a variety of interpretations.

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SPORT Let’s Ride – Free led bike rides in Swindon

Cycling column with Becky Cox of Swindon Cycle Campaign

If you are amongst the thousands of people up and down the country who have recently discovered (or rediscovered) the joys of cycling there is some good news for you.

British Cycling has recruited a team of specially trained volunteer ride leaders who are ready to help you explore more of Swindon by bike. Ride leaders will take you to places you may not have been before and show you how easy it is to get around the town by bike.

They are trained to help you cycle safely, to improve your confidence and help you enjoy more time in the saddle.

Many of the ride routes are easy going, flat and on traffic

free paths, allowing you to explore Swindon’s extensive cycle network. For those wishing to push themselves a little more there will also be some on-road rides around the beautiful countryside surrounding the town. To find

out more log on to www. letsride.co.uk and enter your postcode to see when the next ride is. You can also ‘like’ the Let’s Ride Swindon Facebook Page. All rides are free to join.

Rides are still in the planning phase so initially there will

only be a few on the website.

However, keep checking and shortly there will more added, stretching well into Autumn and beyond. All rides will adhere strictly to the Covid-19 safety guidelines.

As a volunteer ride leader myself I will once again be leading some short, social rides on local cycle paths, perfect for helping build your confidence in the saddle. All the family are welcome to join the fun, and I’m sure our recent addition to the household will be coming along to offer words of support (babbling) from his child seat!

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to get in touch with our local Let’s Ride Coordinator, Lew Lawton cycle.medic@btinternet.com.

Ben Nethersell signs new contract at Swindon Wildcats

Swindon Wildcats have confirmed that Ben Nethersell will be returning to the Swindon Wildcats for the next two years after signing a new multi-year extension until the end of 21/22.

Last year Ben was sponsored

by Clements Building Contractors who will continue to do so for the forthcoming season.

The 22-year-old defenceman will enter his fifth and sixth consecutive seasons with the team after graduation from the Okanagan Hockey Academy in the summer of 2016. In four seasons with OHA Ben accumulated 115 points (38G + 77A) in just 72 games and captained the U18 side in 2015-16.

He was signed to the Wildcats by then Head Coach Stevie Lyle after graduating and has swiftly built himself into a crucial cog in the defensive core of the Wildcats.

28 swindonlink.com n August 2020 SE August Master pages.indd 28

He now has iced over 200 games for the senior Swindon side and will continue to add to that total in 20/21.

Last season Ben had a very successful season as Head Coach Aaron Nell awarded him the Most Improved Player award at the End of Season Virtual Awards evening we held earlier on in the summer.

At international level Ben is capped at GB U18 level where

he iced in 10 games over two Division 2A U18 World Championships.

Ben joins Sam Godfrey, Tyler Plews, Stevie Whitfield and Neil Liddiard on the blue-line for the new campaign.

Head Coach Aaron Nell has applauded the improvement of Ben Nethersell following the 22-year-old putting pen to paper for another two seasons on the Wildcats blue-line.

He said: “I’m really pleased to have Ben coming back for another two seasons. He improved massively for us last year and when it came to picking the Most Improved Player award the coaches and I agreed there was only one winner.

"He’s still young and he has room in his game to continue his improvement, but he offers us something different on the back end with the ability he has to move the puck. Our five D-Men were a really solid group last season and I’m thrilled to be able to have them all signed up for at least another season.

"Ben was patient when he had to be last year but his improvement from September to March was great and his responsibility in the team grew.

Hopefully he can continue this next year and become an even more important part of the team."

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