South East Swindon Link July 2020 edition

No 45 July 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

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FEATURES Check out our new features section page 23

South & East Edition

Swindon in the time of corona Swindon shows its caring side during pandemic Hundreds come out selflessly to help others during the biggest public health crisis in our lifetimes.

Special report: Pages 14 & 15

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Swindon

LINK A note from The Editor

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

Life's changed a fair bit since our last magazine came out.

There's been more than 120 coronavirus deaths at the Great Western Hospital and nearly 500 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Swindon.

The most vulnerable in our society have suffered the most during this public health crisis.

It's been an absolute tragedy and at Swindon Link our hearts go out to all of those who have suffered as well as their loved ones.

We are now in a time where things are easing as the country slowly gets back on its feet. But it will happen slowly.

Swindon has been hurt to its

very core and we all realise the road ahead isn't going to be straightforward.

We now go about our business wearing masks and making sure that we are keeping an unnatural distance from everybody else.

And as we start to come out again blinking into the light we know that we are still a long way from normality.

There's still the uncertainty of a second wave and we live in a time of paranoia where misinformation is everywhere as we all try to come to grips with what's happened and understand this new disease which has knocked us flat.

The lockdown has affected everything from mental health to entire livelihoods being wiped out. But one thing that Swindon has shown during this pandemic is the town's strength of character. Its true community.

We have shown our immense gratitutde to all of those who have been on the frontline from doctors, nurses and careworkers to binmen, shop workers, teachers and postal and delivery workers.

These brave souls have been keeping our society functioning. There's also the army of volunteers and charities who have been

selflessly helping others through this time. All of these people have been putting themselves in harm's way and we can't thank you enough for all that you have done.

When this crisis is finally over we will be emerging into a different world and we will all need to keep helping each other. Our priorities will have changed as we will know what really matters as we hold our loved ones close and work together to make it a better, fairer community where noone is left behind.

I am proud to be a Swindonian and I am proud of our community. Thank you.

The Black Lives Matter cause should be an easy one for people to get behind but it still surprises me how many people are not.

It's not just an American issue.

Just go on social media and within seconds you will see that racism is still rife in the UK.

It's not okay that people are still judged, subjected to abuse and killed for the colour of their skin. It is now up to every one of us from every background no matter our race, religion, sexuality or class to stand up and say 'enough is enough'. Racism

needs to be a thing of the past for the good of our society.

And, yes, all lives do matter but at the moment it's not 'all' lives that are living in this nightmare world where they face regular abuse or even death just for the colour of their skin, it is 'black' lives.

Racism is bad in any form but saying 'All Lives Matter' is dismissive to people's real pain. The 'whataboutery' arguments show a lack of empathy to others and we need empathy to move our society forwards in the right direction.

Swindon Link supports Black Lives Matter

Group Editor and Owner: Jamie Hill Deputy Editor: Ben Fitzgerald

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Health news When the country-wide lockdown was declared in the UK on March 23, health professionals and support staff from the NHS, workers in the care professions and an army of volunteers threw themselves into the fight against this unknown and devastating disease - knowing full well that they were placing their own lives at risk. Here are some of the stories we reported online during this time.

Final Clap for Carers sees Swindon’s GWH lit in thanks Every Thursday evening, at 8pm sharp, the people of Swindon joined a national round of applause on their doorsteps to thank the NHS for their life saving work during the pandemic. The final tribute took place on 28th May and local event production company Corporate Events lit up Swindon's Great Western Hospital in tribute.

The Great Western Hospital in Swindon was illuminated as part of a heartfelt thank you to the NHS during the Covid19 pandemic and in support of the last #ClapForOurCarers national campaign on Thursday 28th May via live stream.

Local event production company Corporate Events delivered an inspiring lighting and projection display in a rainbow of colour, with messages of hope and thanks from the public - all live streamed to the Facebook pages of Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and its charity, Brighter Futures.

Over twenty five thousand viewers have watched the live

Picture credit: Elmar Rubio

stream so far and social media was flooded with messages of thanks and hope from the general public, dedicated to all staff across the Trust.

Clare Baker wrote: "Few people can truly know what those on the front line deliver day after day. I am in awe of you all. Thank you."

Managing Director of Corporate Events, Andy Ashley said: “What an evening. It was so humbling to be in the presence of those who have given so much and continue to do so. Corporate Events

has been part of Swindon for almost 25 years and we were honoured to have been able to give something back to our local hospital, the staff and patients as part of the final Clap for Carers. After reaching out to the Great Western Hospital Trust and Brighter Futures, we wanted to do more, so we contacted our local partners Swindon PA Hire and WGS Power and Lighting in order to really make this something to remember for Swindon and our local NHS heroes.”

Tribute: Dr Thaung Htaik January 2019 and was a universally well-liked member of the team, who was known

for his unwavering dedication to his patients, positive attitude, and willingness to help.

“On behalf of the whole Trust, I would like to extend our sincere condolences to Thaung’s family.

"Our thoughts are with them, and his friends and colleagues at the Trust. We ask that their privacy is respected at this extremely difficult time.”

Dr Htaik is survived by his wife, four children, and three grandchildren.

His family has asked us to

The display was broadcast live, courtesy of a local video team led by Stephen Makin and photography was provided by Paul Atkinson and Elmar Rubio, who all worked together to provide amazing imagery and video for the Trust raising awareness of the amazing work being done in Swindon.

Cat Newman, Associate Director of Fundraising for Brighter Futures said: “We were so thrilled to have been approached by Corporate Events for this amazing light show on the side of our hospital. It was a really lovely opportunity for us to thank all our staff for the incredible work, and our patients and the local community for their continued support.”

Across the evening a message of hope was also displayed across a 44tonne articulated lorry provided by B&Q in support of the NHS, and Fillerz Sandwich Bar and Café from Swindon town centre provided free food and drink to the event crew in support of the NHS.

Tributes paid to NHS consultant who died from Covid-19 The chief executive of Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Kevin McNamara has paid tribute to NHS consultant Thaung Htaik who has died after contracting Covid-19: “It gives me great sadness to announce the death of a member of our GWH family.

“Dr Thaung Htaik, a consultant in general medicine, having tested positive for COVID-19.

“Dr Htaik, who was 65, had worked with us since 4

release the following statement on their behalf: “Thaung was a beloved husband, father and grandfather who we will miss greatly. He always put others first and we know just how committed he was to looking after his patients both at this difficult time and throughout his career. We would personally like to thank everyone who worked with Thaung, and also everyone who looked after him so well while he was in hospital.”

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Letter writing drive raises spirits of care home residents Kind-hearted Swindonians have written more than 100 letters, cards and pictures to people who live in care homes and who may be feeling lonely and isolated during this difficult time.

The initiative, called Care Mail, was organised by Swindon Borough Council who asked residents to reach out to those living in care homes by writing letters containing messages of support and reassurance.

The council encouraged people to make their messages as colourful and creative as possible, and just a few weeks after asking people to get writing, the council has received 112 letters, all of which have been delivered by volunteers to a number of care homes and

handed out to the residents.

Pupils from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Bessemer Road East, were among those to send in colourful messages of support after responding to a May half-term challenge set by their teachers.

The Swindon care homes that have received letters are Kings Court, Fitzwarren House, Orchid Care Home, Bluebells, Ridgeway Rise and Park View.

Councillor Brian Ford, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, said: “The letters have been a valuable lifeline for elderly people during the coronavirus pandemic and I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to write, including the fantastic pictures and messages we received from so many young people.

“These wonderful messages

have helped to connect people to each other during these difficult and unprecedented times and they have made people think about how this pandemic has affected some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”

Bella Balaci, General Manager of Ridgeway Rise Care Home, said: “We received some incredible samples of young talent with Care Mail. Some residents kept pictures sent by volunteers in their rooms and memory boxes.

“We all enjoyed reading the lovely messages and learning what others are up to during these difficult times. It is a great initiative and a fantastic example of multigenerational interactions. We absolutely loved it – thank you.”

Video appointments for thousands of patients over crisis Thousands of patients in Swindon and Wiltshire are now benefiting from videobased appointments, as well as patient care delivered remotely by GPs and other primary care staff, thanks to the combined efforts of NHS organisations across the region.

NHS organisations have worked together to rapidly help more than 1,000 GPs, pharmacists, practice nurses and others working from home because of Covid-19 to connect to NHS systems and

patient records.

This has included sourcing supplies of new laptops, which NHS IT experts have quickly distributed to enable staff working from home to securely link to NHS and GP practice IT systems.

The efforts have involved a range of technical solutions to ensure that GPs and other practice staff can get access to specialist primary care IT systems and the systems within their practices so that video consultations can take place,

prescriptions issued and patient records updated confidentially.

This has been a joint effort between NHS England and NHS Improvement, Bath and Northeast Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group and South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit, which provides essential support for local NHS organisations.

Nationally, in response to Covid-19, general practice has moved from carrying

out around 90 per cent of consultations as face-to-face appointments to managing more than 85 per cent remotely. Now 95 per cent of practices have video consultation capability and the remaining few are beginning the process of implementation.

During the first six weeks of the coronavirus crisis, practices across the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire area have carried out more than 15,000 video consultations.

Grant helps Samaritans maintain vital service during lockdown The Samaritans have been helped to maintain their service and deal with increased demand with a grant from the Wiltshire Community Foundation.

The Swindon and District branch, based in Curtis Street, Swindon, has seen a 17 per cent increase in calls and emails a month from people suffering anxiety because of the pandemic. At the same time, it has lost two thirds of its income after its charity shop closed. It

has been able to cover phone costs and volunteer travel expenses with a £5,000 grant from the Wiltshire and Swindon Coronavirus Response Fund.

The fund has now raised more than £670,000 and given grants totalling more than £425,000 to 119 groups across Wiltshire.

The Samaritans’ volunteer listeners come from all over Swindon, as well as Marlborough, Devizes, Calne, Pewsey and Chippenham. With

some of them having to isolate, the remainder have stepped into the breach to keep the 24hour service running.

Volunteer branch director and listener, Susie Higgs said: “They have been really lovely and stepped up. Some of them have been saying ‘okay I’ll just do back to back shifts’ which has been brilliant.”

To donate to the Wiltshire and Swindon Coronavirus Response Fund go to wiltshirecf. org.uk.

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Swindon comes out in force to show 'Black Lives Matter' in peaceful socially distant protest

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

More than a thousand protestors from all walks of life attended a Black Lives Matters rally in Regent Circus despite lockdown on Saturday 6 June.

The protest started at 1pm and then at 1.30pm the whole crowd knelt to show their support for the cause.

The symbolic gesture of kneeling comes from the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who became a lightning rod for the Black Lives Matter movement by kneeling during the US National Anthem to protest the police shootings of black men and other social injustices faced by African Americans.

There was then a march to Wharf Green where more speakers were heard.

The organisers had insisted that the peaceful event be held in as responsible a way as possible and people wore gloves and facemasks and practiced social distancing.

For the last few weeks, Black Lives Matter protests have been held globally after the murder of George Floyd. The 46-year-old bouncer was held down by police officers during a routine stop about a counterfeit $20 bill in Minneapolis, Minnesota with

one officer kneeling on his neck leading to his death.

The Regent Circus event was praised by police. A Swindon Police spokesman said: "We’d like to thank everyone who attended the protest in the town centre and for making it a peaceful demonstration.

"We are pleased to report that everyone who attended was respectful and peaceful, and made efforts to adhere to social distancing where possible."

Fogging and temperature checks - National Express starts up again with enhanced safety measures

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

The UK’s largest coach operator will restart services on its national network of intercity routes at a reduced frequency on Wednesday 1 July, with significant new measures in place to allow customers to travel in confidence.

The restart follows a threemonth suspension of all National Express scheduled services in response to the lockdown and a limit on nonessential travel introduced by the Government to manage the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chris Hardy, managing director of National Express UK Coach explains: “We have always put safety as our number one priority and right now, this is more important than ever as we play our part in getting the country moving 6

again. As restrictions begin to ease and people plan to start travelling once again, we are adapting how we operate to help keep everyone safe.”

Covid-19 secure measures include: - Enhanced cleaning regimes in stations and on coaches, including regular aerosol based disinfection with a high performance antiviral solution sometimes called ‘fogging’.

- An additional filter using three types of technology, including UVC radiation to reduce bacteria and corona type viruses, and a PM2.5 filter to improve air quality; installed on the air conditioning systems of all coaches.

- Social distancing in with the maximum capacity of all coaches limited to 50%.

Passengers will be asked to fill vehicles from the back and

empty from the front and only sit in window seats with aisle seats blocked off.

- Temperature screening before allowing travel. Anyone with a high temperature will not be allowed on and given a full refund.

- Protective screens on vehicles and in coach stations along with gloves, masks and visors and a supply of hand sanitiser for all drivers and customer service teams.

- A requirement for customers

to provide and wear face coverings, preferably a face mask, when in coach stations and travelling on vehicles.

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The Old Town Residents Association Column

By Colin Doubleday of Old Town Residents Association

After several months of lockdown, Old Town like other places has started to come to life. Of course all of us are slightly cautious and keeping our distance, but pleased to see a little more of our neighbours.

Many of the local businesses have kept going through this period in some form or another, perhaps welcoming in one customer at a time, or delivering food and drink to homes. They need us more now than ever and hopefully Old Town residents can do their best to support our local commerce.

We are also seeing schools starting to go back. The national govt has encouraged local councils to consider temporary road closures and other traffic calming measures to enable pupils and parents to walk and cycle to school

but still maintain 2 metres distance. Working with our six local councillors a number of suggestions were made and have been considered

by Swindon Borough Council, we hope to hear good news in the next few days about alterations that will benefit pupils and residents alike.

We have all seen the benefits of less traffic in the area and surely now is the time to consider whether we could make longer term changes, maybe a 20mph zone through much of the area.

Unfortunately one group who have not been quiet are a few developers who continue to try to turn Old Town houses into Homes of Multiple Occupancy [HMOs] or to increase the numbers of rooms within existing HMOs. OTRA believes that HMOs are unsuitable for an area which already has a high density of people and struggles to cope with the numbers of people, numbers of

Old Town slowly comes back to life

cars and the refuse that these new rental places create. Many residents are all concerned about the long term changes to the nature of the area, from settled family homes and households of 4 or 5 changing to buildings of tiny bedsits with 8-10 individual people who come and go from the area very quickly. We need to look at ways to work with our councillors to create a code for

HMOs - a maximum density for each street, perhaps one HMO for every 50 houses. If this idea of lots of HMOs in your street worries you, please talk to your councillors and join the discussion on our facebook group - www.facebook.com/ groups/oldtownresidents Please all keep safe and we look forward to hearing more from you as lockdown changes.

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Broadband plans

Robert Buckland MP and Cllr Gary Sumner have thrown their weight behind a plan to extend broadband in village communities in the Swindon area.

They have been working to help meet the need for fast and reliable broadband in all communities.

They have been working with the Openreach Rural Engagement team to discuss extension of service to Chiseldon, Wanborough, Liddington, Bishopstone, Hinton Parva and Badbury.

Openreach has agreed to cost out the Fibre provision for all the above areas and this study is now underway.

The DCMS Gigabit Broadband Scheme is aimed at supporting the cost of provision of Gigabit capable broadband to homes and businesses in rural areas when part of a group scheme.

Memory project launch The team at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery has launched a new project aimed at capturing people’s memories during the coronavirus pandemic.

Your Memory Box aims to provide a permanent reminder in the years to come of the lockdown period.

A memory box is a ‘time capsule’ that connects an individual or a family with the past through the items contained within the box.

Memory boxes can be used in a range of ways and anyone can make one using almost any sized box or container (or even a scrapbook). They are simple to make and can be a great way for individuals or a family to reminisce over this particular time in history.

Take a picture of your memory box or scrapbook and send it to: swindonmag@swindon.gov. uk or share on the museum and art gallery’s social media pages 8

National Self Build Centre re-opens doors The National Self Build & Renovation Centre re-opened its doors in mid June following a period of shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The NSBRC had welcomed almost 5,000 visitors in 2020, but has been closed since late March, following government instructions to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.

Their doors re-opened to visitors from Wednesday 17 June.

Special measures have been put in place to ensure the UK’s permanent home building visitor centre is ‘Covid-19 Secure’, including implementing social distancing, additional cleaning routines and temporarily closing their coffee shop to ensure visitors enjoy a safe visit.

The team of employeeowners, who have run the business since 2014, certainly can’t be accused of sitting back during lockdown.

The NSBRC has offered a plethora of online content including educational courses, live workshops, surgeries and guided tours.

NSBRC Managing Director, Harvey Fremlin, says: ‘People have typically had more time on their hands during the lockdown period. We have used this time to engage with almost eleven hundred people,

who have enjoyed researching and progressing their home building or renovation plans while at home.

Now restrictions are easing, we are excited about welcoming visitors back to the NSBRC. People have been telling us that, whilst they’ve enjoyed our online content, they have missed not being able to see and try out products and technologies first hand.

‘We are very aware that this has been a difficult time, for many people. We respect the personal sacrifices everyone has been making to fight off this horrible virus, and have worked hard to make sure our visitors, as well as the centre’s team and our exhibitors, are safe and protected during their time in the NSBRC. We are asking anyone who has travelled abroad in the

last 14 days, or are displaying any of the coronavirus symptoms, to delay their visits – and importantly anyone wanting to visit us must book in advance via our website so we can monitor our numbers’.

The National Self Build & Renovation Centre will be open Wednesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 17:30 and will remain open, four days a week, until it’s summer event, The National Self Build & renovation Show, which takes place over the weekend of 25th & 26th July.

All visits must be booked in advance via nsbrc.co.uk or by calling the team on 0345 2234455.

The NSBRC is located on J16 of the M4, next door to the Doubletree Hilton hotel and offers plenty of free parking.

For more information visit: www.nsbrc.co.uk

the story of the battle of Hastings in the Bayeux tapestry.

Tracey Major the group’s leader said “We love working on group projects, it brings the group

together and gives us a goal to work together on. I think projects are also really good for mental wellbeing, and everyone needs a bit of that right now with everyone having to isolate and spend so much time at home" Made with forty, eight-inch squares lovingly sewn together, the squares give an insight into life in lockdown. The square are a mixture of knitting, crochet and embroidery which utilises the skills of the whole group.

The blanket has been listed on Ebay with money raised going to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Crafting group joins forces for charity drive Crafting group, Swindon Stitch and Bitch are joining forces to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Inspired by other similar projects, the group decided to hand craft a blanket to raise money for charity and to record their historical experience of Lockdown in yarn form, in a similar way that women recorded

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Stop littering and make the world a better place

By Croft Road resident Carole Bent carole@artofflight.co.uk

My ideal Saturday morning and Sunday evening isn’t clearing someone else's rubbish, but I didn’t want kids walking to a school having to step over it thinking that adults don’t give a damn …because if that's true, what right do we have to ask them not to litter too?

So I cleared up someone else's mess. Again. And I know that I’m far from the only person picking up other people's litter at a time that we are being warned to be careful about what we touch.

Loads have done the same. A friend, Bea Menier has cleared litter in the Great Copse for years. She's not alone.

Over many years hundreds of people have walked the town's streets armed with litter pickers, black bags and with community spirit. Some still do.

I started to do the same with other members of the Old Town Residents Association, Business

Association and local residents and scouts seven years ago and I continue to pick up litter regularly on an ad hoc basis.

Plenty of people care. In the pandemic's early weeks, people seemed to become more aware of the essential role that nature plays in our lives - young and old alike.

But in recent weeks, this sense of connection with our natural world has been compromised by images appearing showing landscapes full of litter, beaches brimming with bottles and fields full of throwaways.

This weekend, I saw it thrown from people casually parked on the old railway embankment on the edge of the natural wildlife corridor where we live. They breathed in fresh air before throwing their litter to the wind.

Last week, I put a message on our gate each day, encouraging people to look after the local environment. It was a tiny thing to do, but the response from old and young

alike was heartening.

Seeing messages from our local primary school head teacher, Elaine Murphy asking parents and children to look after the natural wildlife corridor and the Croft neighbourhood, including not littering was heartening too.

A few days ago, I did a couple of posts on Facebook about rubbish and was reminded just how many people do their best, close to home in Swindon and much further afield. Friends from Australia, Bristol, Calne, London, Stroud, South Africa and Thailand made contact. They wanted us to know that rubbish is being dropped daily where they live too and that they’d love to see it stop too.

As so many of us care, a question that is going around my head is less about how we clear it up - but whether its possible to help to change mindsets to stop people throwing it in the first place.

At a time when stopping the flow of rubbish into our natural environment seems even more important than ever and with so many great people and organisation around, it feels like a worthwhile question.

Each time that someone chooses not to drop litter, we each do something to make our world a bit better.

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Covid fails to stop 13th Mad March Hare The annual event based at Lydiard Academy welcomes over 500 participants walking, jogging or running a 5 or 10k route around West Swindon and raises money for Breast Cancer Now. However, this year in response to the guidance around COVID 19, the team decided to cancel the event which was scheduled for Sunday 22 March.

The team encouraged all those who had already registered to consider completing their chosen distance as a Virtual Event and the event still managed to raise £4,500 despite lockdown.

Bus safety measures Swindon’s Bus Company has updated the layout of its buses, to ensure passengers and drivers can practice social distancing and travel safely, as demand for services increases.

The company has been welcoming customers for essential travel throughout the coronavirus crisis, and is expecting higher numbers as it increases services.

For timetable information showing service increases, please visit www.swindonbus. co.uk

Sainsbury's for Tadpole Residents in the Tadpole Garden Village development in Swindon will soon have access to a Sainsbury’s convenience store. The Maizey Road store will open its doors at the end of August.

Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Property Director said: “The new store will play an active role in the local community and will provide customers with a convenient place to buy all of their essentials.”

Sainsbury’s is strictly adhering to Government advice in relation to COVID-19.

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Severn tunnel electrification boosts town links London and south Wales are now closer than ever as from Friday 5 June rail passengers are benefitting from an electrified railway from capital to capital via Swindon as Network Rail has successfully completed the electrification of the Severn Tunnel.

It means for the first time ever an electric railway will run from Cardiff and Newport in south Wales, through the historic Severn Tunnel and all the way to London Paddington via Bristol, Swindon and Reading.

Electrification has resulted in thousands of extra seats, more frequent services and quicker and greener journeys for passengers as they travel to and from south Wales on GWR’s Intercity Express Trains.

At 134-years-old and four miles in length, the Severn Tunnel has an extremely challenging environment, as over 14 million gallons of water are pumped out of it every day by Sudbrook pumping station to stop it

from flooding. Network Rail engineers have worked with world leading experts to find a robust and reliable solution to deliver an electric railway through the tunnel which will ensure passengers gain the full benefits of electrification.

Sudbrook pumping station is also set to be renewed as part of the upgrade of the Severn Tunnel, further improving the reliability of the railway.

Electrification to south Wales supports Welsh Government’s plans which includes a south Wales metro, an integrated transport system across the whole of Wales and a longterm vision for a Swansea Bay

Metro.

Mark Langman, Network Rail’s managing director for Wales and Western said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Severn Tunnel is now fully electrified, resulting in a seamless rail link for passengers between Cardiff and London Paddington.

Electrification has reduced journey times between south Wales and London by as much as 15 minutes and provided an additional 15,000 weekday seats compared with a year ago, with the possibility of further increasing the number of services and seats from south Wales in the future."

New Premier Inn in Regent Street approved Planning permission has been granted for a new Premier Inn to be built in Regent Street, opposite The Savoy pub.

Planning officers have today given the new hotel and steakhouse the rubber stamp.

The £17m development will see a new eight storey, 197 bedroom Premier Inn hotel, with a Bar+Block steakhouse restaurant at ground floor level and 42 car parking spaces.

Government guidelines on social distancing will be adhered to throughout construction.

Cllr Dale Heenan, Cabinet Member for the Town Centre, Culture and Heritage, said: “I am delighted that the green light has been given to Premier Inn. "This is a very difficult time for businesses at the moment, but developments like this can

still go ahead when it's safe to do so.

“Eighteen months ago, the Council took a different approach to this vacant site,

six months ago it was sold, and today is an important milestone.

"In another 18 months people will see the difference.”

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Artistic youngsters thank the NHS with all their hearts

Children from Cricklade Manor Prep school created a beautiful piece of art to celebrate and thank NHS workers, and raise money for NHS charities.

Inspired by Head of Art Nicky Brookes, 145 children have created hearts using all types of media while on lockdown.

They have been combined into a joyful patchwork design for posters and tea towels which are being sold to parents and the wider community as a fundraiser.

Mrs Brookes has been setting fun art challenges every week since the school closed, which have proved hugely popular with the boys and girls.

But this one was special, with nearly every child in the school contributing.

‘This has been a very unusual

time for all of us,’ said Mrs Brookes. ‘We have families at school that include doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. We are so aware of the incredible strain that our

NHS staff have been under and the amazing work they have carried out. I wanted to find a way that would help us all say thank you. And create something that will be a

memento of this extraordinary time.

The hearts the children produced are absolutely beautiful. I’m so proud of what they have achieved.’

The posters are being printed

by Wiltshire company Corsham Print, who are supplying them at cost, allowing the school to raise more money for NHS charities.

All the local doctors’ surgeries and Great Western Hospital in Swindon will also receive a poster.

Earlier in the pandemic, Cricklade Manor Prep put their 3D printers to good use, printing face masks for local surgeries.

If you would like to order a poster or tea towel, please email Emily.Davies@ cricklademanor.com

Appeal for tech donations to Lawn Manor shares Covid help bridge the digital divide experience with Nepalese Companies are being encouraged to give their old computer equipment to help young learners struggling to do their schoolwork at home.

The appeal for used desktop and laptop computers is being made by the White Horse Federation, which supports 31 schools in Swindon, Gloucester and Reading with 12,500 students.

Federation chief executive Dr Nick Capstick, said: “In one of my schools, I have five children in five different year groups trying to access their homework, their online learning and talk to their friends-all on one mobile phone.

“They are all trying to compete for that phone at the same time and that is unacceptable.”

Business West are backing the campaign to give free IT devices to the schools.

Ian Larrard, Business West director for Swindon and Wiltshire said: “This is a great IT initiative 12

from Nick Capstick and the White Horse Federation.

“The so-called digital divide is even more evident today and this re-purposing of laptops and digital devices from companies will help large numbers of children, students and their families in these difficult times.

“I think it is a great example how business and education can work together for the common good”.

IT director Mark Weller said: “We are looking for any kind of laptops or PCs capable of running Windows 10 and are less than five years old.

"A young learner at home might well need as much as three or four hours a day on a device.

“All education is now online, and they must have easy access to communicate with teachers and to their lessons.

“Our young people need all the help possible to get onto this virtual world of learning.”

To donate contact donations@whfit.org.uk

Dr Christine Tipper, Sarah Church and Lawn Manor Academy headteacher Sandra Muir An assistant head teacher at Lawn Manor Academy has given a presentation to 30 school principals in Nepal about how the school has responded to Covid-19.

Marek Koza, Assistant Headteacher for Achievement at Lawn Manor, was invited to be a guest speaker at the Google Meet conference by Dr Christine Tipper, chair of the Swindon - Madhyapur Thimi Friendship Group. The group was set up to encourage cultural and educational exchanges between Swindon and the Nepalese town of Madhyapur Thimi.

One of the Madhyapur Thimi’s schools, Glory School, has

linked with Lawn Manor to run projects that students in both schools can take part in.

Dr Tipper organised the conference to share Swindon’s experiences of dealing with Covid-19 and enable schools in Nepal to prepare for what is potentially to come and best respond to the pandemic.

Marek Koza explained the challenges that teachers faced in supporting students in learning at home, how they dealt with the school site, how staff were able to support students of key workers who came into school, and how plans were formulated to enable Year 10s eventually to return to school.

swindonlink.com n July 2020

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Construction of Cultural Heritage Institute at Carriage Works continues during pandemic

The conversion of Swindon’s former GWR Carriage Works to create premises for the Royal Agricultural University’s Cultural Heritage Institute is continuing apace through the pandemic.

The redevelopment of the Carriage Works builds on the council’s commitment to finding sustainable uses for its heritage sites. It is supported by the Heritage Action Zone which is bringing additional funding and expertise from Historic England in order to deliver improvements throughout the Railway Village where the Carriage Works is located.

Councillor Dale Heenan, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Town Centre, said: “The new Cultural Heritage Institute will be the engine of the Carriage Works innovation area. I think it is great that through these difficult times, the team at Beard and RAU can keep up momentum so the university can open its doors in September.

“The Council’s investment in this area is respecting local heritage buildings, and helping start-up businesses and a university, to create and support 300 local jobs and livelihoods, and eventually nearly 300

students.”

Local construction firm Beard is leading the regeneration project. The firm is continuing to operate on more than 90 per cent of its sites, despite the wave of closures that the industry has seen in response to the spread of COVID-19.

Mark Beard, Chairman at Beard, said: “We recognise how vital it is for construction work to carry on. The construction sector makes such a big contribution to the economy both directly and indirectly through the supply chain.

“Beard has worked closely with its supply chain to implement the Site Operating Procedures drawn up by the Construction Leadership Council. This ensures that staff and subcontractors working on Beard sites are not exposed to unnecessary risk of infection.”

The conversion of the Carriage Works, designed by Metropolitan Workshop, includes a new standalone structure in Unit 11 of the West Shed – creating offices, seminar rooms, a library and lecture space over two floors. Work on the conversion started in July 2019.

The Council-led development is a major

part of the Borough’s regeneration plans for the Carriage Works. The Council has so far committed £7m to the project.

Dr Geraint Coles, Director of the Cultural Heritage Institute, said: “The sensitive restoration works have been challenging and there was a real risk that the pandemic would set us back.

“Thanks to Beard, its subcontractors, and Swindon Borough Council’s continued support, we can now see light at the end of the tunnel. This building is going to be fantastic and a huge asset for Swindon.”

swindonlink.com n July 2020

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Swindon shows it cares d

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

If there's one thing Swindon excels at it is community.

Every month in Swindon Link we highlight those who are doing good in our community and during this pandemic those selfless people have never been more important.

There are so many stories where we as a community have gone out of our way to help others get through this time that we would run out of space very quickly.

First and foremost are the keyworkers who have been on the frontline during these uncertain times. The doctors and nurses, the careworkers, the bin collectors, the postal workers, the shop workers, the polticians, the social workers, the bus drivers, the police officers, the firefighters, the ambulance crews and so on. Without them a lot of us would simply not have coped.

Then we have the charities who have been doing all they can to carry on helping others through this crisis and then we have the individuals who have stepped up to help others, making sure the isolated have a lifeline and that no-one is forgotten.

Care home resident Joy receives a 'Care Mail' as part of the Swindon Borough Council scheme

So who are our community heroes?

There are lots of examples of people who have gone all out to help others from individuals who have been there for the shielded, to community organisations who have gone all out to make sure no-one is left behind.

There are people like Toby Elliott, Colin and Carole Dunne, Valerie Nix, Vasanti Thakrar, Gloria Wilson, Julie Hynes, Suresh Gattapur & Kavita Suresh, Mandy Smith, Ashish Channavar and countless others who put themselves at the beck and call of elderly, disabled and at-risk neighbours and friends by shopping for them and picking up vital medicines.

The restaurant community have also gone all out using their kitchens during lockdown providing meals for essential workers and the vulnerable. These include everyone from The Kyber Restaurant, The Bank in Wood Street, Chef Sanjay Dogra at The Smokehouse in Chiseldon, Rokib Ali from The Biplob in Wood Street, and Maria & Susie from Booth House who set up a tuck shop to help the homeless.

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Others have turned their hands to creating PPE like the volunteers at Dressability, Mark of The Tailor's Shop and Jayne Jenkins who set up For The Love of Scrubs, or by providing other essential items for keyworkers like the team at Recycles in Booth House, who provided workers with free bikes.

Some local stores have turned their hands to making sure essentials are delivered to the vulnerable in the community like Jon and Elaine from Coventry Farm Store of Wroughton, Sunni Patel of QMS Store in Ferndale Road, Billy from Suain Stores in Goddard Avenue One couple Trevor and Heather Carlton took it upon themselves to plant trees and 1,000s of bulbs in Westlea Park during lockdown.

One group of ladies set up a rota to call on an isolated lady suffering from mental health problems. They were Sally Parker, Neetu Bhardwaj, Sue Day, Natasha Easter and Naomi Karen.

Tim Swinyard was instrumental in creating a Swindon Support Facebook group with 3,000 members, where residents can reach out for help and to support each other.

South Swindon MP Robert Buckland and North Swindon MP have set up a scheme through their websites to 'Nominate your Covid-19 Hero' where people can put forward those that have helped the most.

swindonlink.com n July 2020

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s during coronavirus How Swindon Volunteers came to Swindon's need

Founded by Pradeep Bhardwaj of Swindon Hindu Temple, Swindon Volunteers was created as lockdown came into affect to help everybody in Swindon in their hour of need.

Other key members include Sunny Patel of QMS Stores, Sanjay Dogra of The Smokehouse, working closely with others like Michael Keenan of Threshold Housing Link, and Brocolli Pasta & Pizza in the Brunel Centre. It now has 100s of volunteers who tirelessly work to help others including Westlea parish councillor Suresh Guttapur.

Hundreds of people benefitted from the service across the town and they have cooked thousands of fresh meals that have not only gone to the homeless, vulnerable and shielded but also to keyworkers at the hospital and medical centres.

Sunny Patel said: "When this all started, I just thought we all needed to pull together and do everything we could to help each other. There were lots of shops who started to put up their prices for things like facemasks but I just thought that is not exactly what we should be doing right now.

We should be helping. I have a good supplier and I managed to get hold of about a thousand facemasks which I have since been giving away to all of those who need it.

"We have also been delivering essential food supplies to those who need it most, cooking meals at The Smokehouse and delivering those or people have been able to come and collect it.

"This is for the most vulnerable and those on the frontline who might not have had time to shop like NHS workers."

Pradeep said: "We assist elderly and vulnerable people who might have to self-isolate or may not be able to drive or use public transport and may feel lonely over the next few weeks to come. We help by checking upon the welfare of people, Cooking fresh, hot and healthy vegetarian food and delivering to people around Swindon free of charge, helping with shopping, picking/dropping off essential medicines and supplies, and any other mundane tasks."

Ankita Ghosh was full of praise for the group. She said: "They have provided more than 2,000 free hot meals to help people and key workers, free shopping for people, collecting medicines & school meals for people, distributing masks, scrubs & scrub bags for NHS people and many other acts of kindness.

"This is unparalleled ‘sewa’ aligning to Hindu beliefs. I am so very proud of this tireless group who have extended their support to Swindon’s heterogeneous population, especially the vulnerable and key workers. I hope their name and their effort receives due recognition."

If you would like to help the volunteers, who come from all walks of life, email swindonvolunteers@ gmail.com

Isolated refugees kept connected with volunteers thanks to grant Isolated refugees and asylum seekers separated from friends and family during the lockdown are being helped to stay connected with befrienders using their own language thanks to a Wiltshire Community Foundation grant.

The Afghan and Central Asian Association in Swindon has been given £2,700 by

the community foundation’s Coronavirus Response Fund to set up a phone support network. The fund has now raised more than £718,000 and made grants of almost £500,000 to more than 140 groups.

The association has had to cancel regular drop-in sessions, leaving dozens of refuges

from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan and North Africa without support. Many of them speak little English and struggle to apply to get food or medical help.

Find out more about the association at acaa.org.uk.

To donate or to apply for a grant from the fund, go to wiltshirecf.org.uk.

Swindon's charities need you!

It's been an especially difficult time for charities who have all been trying to carry on and fulfil their vital functions.

The main problems have been the difficulties in being able to raise funds with their shops closing and other fundraising activities having to be paused. The Wiltshire Coronavirus Fund has been trying to fill some of the gaps but there's still a lot of money that needs to be raised for them to continue especially during these times when they are needed more than ever.

For Prospect Hospice, which provides end of life care, it has been especially difficult and they have launched a campaign to help them survive.

Talking about funding of the hospice at this time, chief executive, Irene 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 hospice service. This I know is a big number but we simply must raise it.” swindonlink.com n July 2020

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Turning lockdown into the Slimdown For Slimming World consultant Heather Zych, the lockdown created new challenges for her and her clients.

Here she explains how she turned the lockdown into the slimdown.

"During the slim down, I have celebrated my ten year consultant anniversary.

"We've never closed in those ten years. We carried on in all weathers, floods, snow, Bank Holidays including new year and Christmas and even a Tawhill bomb scare one week, we just moved to Oakhurst.

"I've had to learn a whole new way to support my members during lockdown. We now work virtually and although I'm really not very tech minded we're absolutely loving it.

"There will never be any thing like being in a room of members, bursting with support, camaraderie and love, but we get to see each other via zoom

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and communicate all week using the private Facebook groups.

"There are some advantages though, as it no longer matters if you can't travel out to group.

This opens up flexibility to members who maybe can't get out due to work, children, pets, transport or disability.

"Members that suffer with anxieties and depression sometimes have the worry of walking into, what can be an overwhelming room, but now they can join Zoom even with their cameras and microphones off.

"A bit about myself, I have been a member for 16 years, maintaining 4.5 stone weight loss. During that time I have experienced life changes, and groups and consultants are always there to support that.

"When I joined, I lived at home with my dad, had a wee scooter and worked in the Outlet Village. In that time

I've moved, married, had two babies.

"The new lockdown situation is another challenge that food optimising and Slimming World can fit into brilliantly.

"Whether you want to come

out of lockdown, no heavier, lighter, healthier, fitter, if your doing it for your health, mental health, or because it might be one of the few things you can be really in control of, we're here helping every member."

swindonlink.com n July 2020

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The Politics Page Deal Board set to identify projects for £25m plan

Local projects could form part of a £25m Government-funded investment plan for Swindon.

Swindon was one of 101 places given the opportunity last year by the Government to bid for funding of up to £25 million as part of the Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund.

In line with the Government process, the Council has brought together a Board, including representatives from across the public, private and voluntary sectors, to develop and submit a locally-owned Town Investment Plan by the end of July setting out investment priorities and project proposals.

The Government has asked that local funding proposals should drive long-term economic and productivity growth through investment in connectivity, land use, economic assets including cultural assets, skills and enterprise infrastructure.

In June the Board invitied applications for projects which could be included in the Town Investment Plan, which will be submitted to Government at the end of July.

Swindon Council leader David Renard

Projects had to be clearly defined and focussed on the town centre; consistent with Towns Fund objectives; contribute to achieving the vision and strategic objectives of the Swindon Town Investment

Plan; and support successful delivery outcomes.

Councillor David Renard, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, said: “Particularly due to the economic challenges generated by COVID-19,

the Board is working at pace to seize the opportunity of securing this funding which would be a massive boost to Swindon.

"The timelines are tight but we are confident that we can present an ambitious and deliverable plan to the Government to secure the best possible outcomes for the town.”

Richard Newland, Chair of the Swindon Town Deal Board and Director of Branch and Workplace Development at Nationwide Building Society, said: “The Towns Fund is a fantastic opportunity for Swindon. The Town Deal Board is full of talent, expertise and local knowledge to help transform the town and I am extremely pleased with the pace at which it is moving to make sure we can be one of the first areas to benefit from this scheme.

"The call we made in June was to make sure we don’t overlook any well-developed project ideas that exist in the wider community.”

Details can be found at: www. swindon.gov.uk/towndeal.

Help for residents claiming council tax support Working Age people claiming council tax support in Swindon are eligible for a further oneoff grant following additional funding from the Government.

Swindon Borough Council has been allocated just over £1.3m in funding from the Government to help working age council tax claimants who are struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government has asked councils to grant each council tax support working age claimant an additional one off payment of £150 council tax support or pay off their outstanding council tax balance if their council tax is

less than £150. This will be applied to council tax accounts automatically and revised bills should have been received in the middle of June.

The number of people claiming council tax support has increased with the Council receiving an additional 1,300 claims between April and May 2020.

The latest support for people facing financial hardship is the latest in a series of measures from the Council to help residents and businesses during the coronavirus crisis.

The #HereForSwindon package of support includes providing free parking for

NHS staff and volunteers, free childcare for key workers and extending bus passes for older and disabled people.

During the COVID-19 pandemic the ‘Swindon Emergency Assistance Fund’ has also been used to provide food and essentials to people who could not make payments and are being ‘shielded’.

Councillor Russell Holland, Deputy Leader of Swindon Borough Council and Cabinet Member responsible for Finance, said: “This is an incredibly difficult time for everyone and the Council is doing everything it can to help.

“This latest funding from the Government is very welcome.

More than 3,300 people in Swindon are already receiving 100 per cent council tax support, but we know there are likely to be many more residents who may be entitled to this one-off funding.

“If you are currently in financial hardship and believe you may be entitled to council tax support please get in touch and our officers will be only too happy to help.”

Further information about the Council’s #HereForSwindon package of support can be found at: www.swindon.gov. uk/HereForSwindon swindonlink.com n July 2020

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Voices from the coronavirus Choir sang from the same songsheet during lockdown For Performing Arts groups and Choirs in Swindon and the UK, the lockdown has meant that meeting to sing and perform together was impossible. The carefully planned concert schedules are in disarray and all are keen to get back in front of their audiences at some point in the future. Swindon Link talked to Wessex Male Choir on how they coped during lockdown. This is their voice: The Swindon based Wessex Male Choir is no exception to the woes of the lockdown and though disappointed they cannot perform their annual summer concert this year they have been busy behind the scenes continuing to sing and keep their voices in shape.

Before the lockdown they had been working on an ‘Oliver’ medley including the famous ‘Consider yourself’. So, for a bit of fun they have adapted

the works to reflect the current situation to make ‘Consider Ourselves (At Home)’ The Choirs’s Musical Director Thomas Graff said: “Keeping the guys motivated while we are not able to sing together is hard.

"We always record our rehearsals and provide a lot of extra online support for choristers to practice at home so we thought that, like many

other groups, it would be fun to put together a patchwork of voices recorded at home and then add this to some video from each.

The result has been well received on social media and provided our audience with a little light relief and keeps us in touch.”

“The choristers are really missing the experience of singing together each week

and this was a way to maintain the camaraderie and still produce something as a group.

Singing on your own to a backing track is tricky and the result is a little rough around the edges but fantastic fun to do. Creating the video with families and partners really brought out the creative side of them.”

Just before the lockdown the choir had taken delivery of a new keyboard partly funded with a grant from Royal Wootton Bassett town council, for which they are extremely grateful.

Sadly it’s not getting much use at the moment but they look forward to singing together again soon and hopefully some concerts in the winter season.

If you would like to know more about the choir, visit the Choir’s Website at www.

WessexMaleChoir.co.uk.

It's groundhog day with garden Olympics and hair dye Julie Hancock is classed as vulnerable and was asked to self isolate.

She describes how she keeps herself busy and sane with a little help from her family.

Here's her voice.

Hi, I'm Julie Hancock and I am one of the people who have to lockdown for 12 weeks as I am classed as vulnerable. I am Company Secretary for my husband's business: Assured Commissioning Ltd. I normally enjoy the cinema with my mum once a week; meals with friends; and trips out in the car with my husband and our dogs.

I have rheumatoid arthritis so can't walk far but am usually keeping busy with non walking activities. I am able to go out on my bike every now and then, though.

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I feel that the NHS is our saviour so, I feel that the least I can do is stay home. I am quite lucky as all my family are currently back at home. My daughter Charlotte works for Kobalt Music in London but was home to visit for mother's day - she has ended up staying here and working from home. My other daughter, Jasmine, we picked up from Brunel University and she is currently doing exams via zoom and submitting essays online. It's different having everyone home

but also really lovely (despite the couple of arguments).

Though, the food does go quickly.

We are trying to keep busy but I must admit it's a bit like the film Groundhog day.

Because I used to be very ill; I am used to keeping myself busy at home. I taught myselt how to knit and have made hearts for GWH. I'm also baking more; now we have the ingredients.

Getting food at first was a struggle as we were all self isolating and had to rely on my sister Sonia and husband Scott

to help us out. Now, we have managed to get a fixed weekly online slot with Asda, it's so much better.

To keep us busy my husband organised the Hancock olympics where we competed against each other on things like swing ball, darts and ring toss. I have also always wanted to dye my hair pink so in quarantine I was brave enough to do it and I am happy with the results.

I can't say staying in is easy and it's a change of lifestyle but to save lives and the help the NHS it's just something we must do.

We have our good and bad days but mostly we are ok and keeping busy. I do miss my friends and family but hopefully in a couple of months I will see them again.

swindonlink.com n July 2020

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Hannah shares thoughts on finding the bless in the stress Hannah Pakenham is a 24 year old living in Chiseldon.

She is on lockdown with her parents and dog, Tigi.

Before the lockdown, Hannah was working in Newbury as an Account Manager. She is planning on starting a degree in Media Production in September. Hannah shares how she is maintaining spirits during the lockdown and how she is adjusting to spending a vast proportion of time in the

confines of her home. Here is her voice.

5:40am – you don’t need to be up, Hannah, listen to a sleep meditation.

6:30am - ugh okay.

6:35am - yep you definitely need the toilet. And tea.

I’m a light sleeper and an early riser. Birdsong normally stirs me from my sleep. Luckily my body clock won’t need readjusting when we are back to normal.

My phone says the US oil price has dipped into its first negative ever. I try not to dwell on the madness of the detail. If I think about it too much it turns into a whirlwind of angst and apprehension.

When I feel my heart start to race a bit and my hands fill with adrenaline I yank myself back into the moment and reflect on the fact that although I’m stressed, I’m very blessed.

I’ve been furloughed until the end of May. I’ve got lots of spare time,

including a ‘Can-Do’ list for the first time ever. I think ‘To-Do’ is too totalitarian for my Zen space.

Week one I ploughed through, but week two I decided to do just one thing each day.

I don’t want to run out. I’m determined that 2020 is my year and I’m trying to use this abundance of free time as constructively as I can. For example, I finally finished decorating my bedroom which took nearly a two year break!

Hoorah!

I’ve always hated the gym so working out at home to start the day is actually my normal anyway. I’m rewarded with a sense of accomplishment afterwards, and then don’t feel so bad about elevenses or 4pm tea and cake. Or both…

I love cooking and baking.

I find it therapeutic, the hands sifting flour. The lack of flour, particularly the now illusive self-raising, has limited me slightly so I’ve been experimenting with different recipes to make sponges rise.

My tip of the day: you can

achieve similar results using plain flour by separating the egg whites from the yolks, whipping them into stiff peaks to fold in at the end.

Overall, great success. We’ve got a well-stocked fridge so I’ve been cooking a lot and we are eating well. I don’t think we’ve eaten the same meal twice yet. Reminding myself again how blessed I am.

I’m grateful to have the countryside around me. I love the sense of community around the village too. People greet each other with the warmth and energy of newly released convicts.

While I’m at it I’d like to shout out the Chiseldon Spar shop and their fantastic staff.

If you ever need a pineapple, or smoked salmon or halloumi they’ve got your back!

We live opposite a nurse and a physio who both work at GWH. I watch them come and go with such admiration, but also with angst for their safety.

They’re doing incredible work so a shout for them too.

It's 9pm now and I’m winding down. I’ll be up in 8 hours anyway, finding bless in the stress all over again.

Breaking the emotional fatigue of being confined to home Photographer Richard Wintle has run his own picture agency in Swindon for the past half century. Having suffered from cancer he is in the vulnerable category and had to spend 12 weeks on lockdown:

I remember when I lived in a flat 16 storeys up on the outskirts of Liverpool, and looking out from the balcony towards Southport where we could see the rain edging towards us.

As it moved ever closer I knew where it was raining, because people started running for cover. Coronavirus is like the rain and social media is the vision; we could see it coming.

As a cancer patient I had to be very aware of its progress, and my wife Pat sent me into lockdown well before restrictions were imposed in any formal way. Social media and news channels are my way of keeping informed, and what I

see scares me.

In being kept locked down, Pat and I have started to sort out the garden, and my allotment is one retreat that’s breaking the emotional fatigue of being confined to home.

Lockdown has

also given me a chance to organise my extensive picture archive, and start on a second book of images and stories from Swindon recent history.

When we went into lockdown the freezer and larder were quite full, and so I have delighted in inventing meals from what’s available, especially as getting a delivery from the big supermarket chains was impossible. Here my son and daughter provided a lifeline, delivering to us addons to their shopping lists of fresh food.

I feel sorry for the people in apartments, because I know how they must feel having had a spell living in a flat with no garden. I see future problems if we continue to build small and cramped housing, as I am sure pandemics will hit us again.

But I hope COVID-19 proves a vision into the future, and combined with the inevitable hindsight gives the world the vision to move on in a better way. swindonlink.com n July 2020

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Voices from the coronavirus Day 41 of lockdown and the return of the Marmite kid Paul Waites from Chiseldon tells us about his experiences in lockdown and the return of The Marmite Kid. Here's his voice: Diary of Paul Waites, age 64 1/2 The first 40 days of lockdown were, for me, typical of most people. My kids, siblings and Mum are scattered around the UK, so it was just the wife and myself at home. Days were filled with bursts of activity interspersed with periods of apathy and angst.

However, on Day 41 it all changed.

It started with a sardine and raspberry jam sandwich.

As I bit down on bone and pip, I pondered whether the sandwich was a catalyst for change or a symptom of change. I deduced it was the latter. Covid-19 is like a screw-press on my fate. What I could control was minimal. A younger, more carefree version of myself had returned. The ‘Marmite Kid’, aged nine and a half, was back.

The Marmite Kid was a lovable little rascal and my alter ego. Full of fun, no cares, always on the edge of trouble.

He sat at the back of the class, pants full of ants waiting on the bell.

Other kids either loved him or, well, kids of nine and a half don’t have enough venom to hate, they just avoided him in the playground. It seems social distancing was alive and well in the 60s He has been back since.

My first term at college was carefree with 40 days and 40 nights of parties and drinking.

The revelation came in the form of bank statement when I realised I had spent my entire grant. Fiscal responsibility 20

Kid knows swear words. “Your face, my arse.”

“Language Paul, language, its bottom, not arse, bottom.”

“Sorry mum, is tea ready yet?”

“Nearly, is marmite and sardines on toast OK?” “OK, mum? It’s perfect.” And I shall eat it in my Fort.

was forged there and then, adulthood slipped in and the Marmite Kid was pushed aside.

But, back to Day 41 of Covid-19 and the job list. But which job first? It would be decided by a coin toss, not the best of 3, nor 33.

The Marmite Kid was back, it would be the best of 333. The Marmite Kid didn’t know the word procrastinate but he did it very well nevertheless.

On coin toss 318, improbably, the count was 159 heads and 159 tails. The adult would have exclaimed: what an utter waste of time.

However, the Marmite Kid exclaimed: what an utter waste of time – brilliant.

As it happens 159 was the house number from my student days. It was a sign that the gods of mischief and mayhem were back, albeit with a twinge of arthritis and a touch of gout. But, how to pay

homage to their return?

I couldn’t torment my sister with worms, she lives 150 miles away in Penarth. Besides she’s now a keen gardener. As I was still hungry, I thought about making a second sandwich but this time with the sardines on the bottom and the jam on top. Simple, but it had majesty.

Sadly, this idea was short lived as I realised I could achieve the same effect by turning my sandwich over.

Two options remained. The first was to build a fort in the front room as I already had the hat. The second, build a tree house outback. But this would incur the wrath of my wife as it would disturb the nesting birds. But the Marmite Kid was afraid of no one.

Well, except for his mum, but she’s scary, scary.

But which? Now where’s that bloody coin. Yes, the Marmite

The Fort is surrounded by Indians and the Marmite Kid is heavily outnumbered. There’s no chance of reinforcements.

The wife’s gone for a bike ride. As he bravely plucks another arrow out of his chest, he realises he’ll have to make a run for it. If he can make the kitchen Island, he’ll be safe – it’s their sacred burial ground.

Keeping low he makes a dash for it, slips and falls. “This hip will literally be the death of me,” he mumbles. Crawling on his belly, the Marmite Kid reaches sanctuary just as the garage door is shut with a slam. The wife is back.

“What are you doing up there? That’s my great Aunt Flo’s hat. It was her Sunday best. What’s on your cheek? A scar? You best not have used my expensive mascara” “Squaw speaks with forked tongue,” replies the Marmite Kid "Get down from there, you daft bugger, before you hurt yourself” As the thrum of the hoover permeates through the house I realise it’s bed time for the Marmite Kid. Still, tomorrow is another day.

Tomorrow, we shall conquer Everest. After all, we’ve already got the hat.

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Experiencing life in the locked down Land of the Rising Sun The editor's brother Bill Hill, was in Japan as the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Here’s his voice about what life is like during a global pandemic in the Land of the Rising Sun. 06.52 Wednesday, 15 April 2020.. just boarded the Rapid Airport Train bound for Sapporo. So named because it goes to and from Shin Chitose Airport (CTS), rapidly. Fair smattering of passengers, 90% masked up. We’ll be in Sapporo at 07.19. Hang on!

That’s longer than the usual 24 minute journey time. Am I confused?

Not unimpressive snow-clad mountains pass me in the distance on either side. I was skiing on one of them a month ago, if you can call it skiing.

You try taking a 40 year break from the pistes.. a degree of rustiness had .. err.. set in.

And getting those boots off afterwards! That was by far the worst part. For an interminable fifteen minutes, I felt like one of those idiots that go to A&E to get cooking pots and the like surgically removed from their heads.

After 10 minutes my carriage is full, a few people standing.

Quick check of the Corona stats worldwide. USA forging ahead, but UK doing its best to climb the rankings, now deep into the top 10, like a lowhandicap golfer desperate to be off scratch. Have to say, it’s not looking good, this cv. Japan languishing down in 25th. This Asian country’s trajectory is however, upward, like most.

Burgeoning pockets of cases prompted central government to declare its version of a state of emergency last week in a number of provinces (called “prefectures”, of which there are 47, some very big, some very small), with restrictions currently less tight than those imposed in Europe. Hey, they’re making an extra stop at Shiroishi.. hence the extra minutes… but I digress…

My island of Hokkaido, a “prefecture” in itself, or

more specifically a “circuit”, whatever that means, has not been dictated to yet by Tokyo, but it is, as it did for 3 weeks in March, taking its own measures. These, I understand, include suspending school classes from yesterday. I was at an extra-curricular football practice session for 9 year old kids last night, and there were loads of them running around together.. so I’m not sure where the distancing measures start and end. Anyway, the Hokkaido governor in charge of the island is highly regarded, and trusted to take prudent decisions. That might be something to do with being a spritely 35 year old who cuts a fairly dashing figure with the ladies. Barely out of nappies for a high profile public servant, he’s regarded as “hansamu” (you can work that one out, methinks.

Japanese has a penchant for filching words from other languages, sometimes changing their pronunciation beyond all recognition, and giving them curiously different meanings.

This one, however, remains relatively true to the original).

I’ve never seen him without a mask, though, so he might have an awful-looking nose and mouth.

Well, 07.32 and I’m in a branch of Tully’s Coffee here in central Sapporo. They’re a chain, like any. In fact I’m using my Starbucks reusable tumbler (which gets me a 30 yen discount – tamburaa-nebiki …. tumbler discount -) .. which I bought last September while studying Japanese for 3 weeks before taking in a couple of the early Rugby World Cup matches in the same city. After that I bullet-trained it around the country seeing a lot more matches, including the England highs and lows in Yokohama at the end of October and start of November.

Well, I came back late February this year for more Japanese lessons at the same school in Sapporo (Hokkaido JaLs .. very good, by the way).. which Corona restrictions put an immediate hold on for three weeks before unleashing me on 23 March. What did I do for that “down” time? I traipsed aimlessly around supermarkets, coffee shops, department

stores.. and any place that randomly caught my eye, and I learnt and immediately forgot reems and reems of Japanese vocabulary. It’s what I do.

Tell you what though… this lingo has a certain impenetrability about it.

Perhaps that’s the attraction.

Masochism.

Originally due back early May, the uncertainty of flights and the Corona situation, particularly in the UK, prompted me to approach the regional immigration office recently regarding a possible extension to my stay. It bore fruit… my new deadline is late August. This is a welcome gesture of flexibility on the part of the Japanese authorities. Whether I’ll actually end up availing myself of this extra time is yet to be decided, but I am very grateful to have been afforded this buffer. I understand some other countries have made similar offers to visitors, including the UK. Who knows where this dizzying bullet of a rollercoaster ride through this mesmerising language and culture will take me. But, I recommend to one and all a dip in this mysterious ocean.

Okay.. 09.18.. classes start 09.30 a few minutes walk from here.

On entering the school reception-cum-lounge, I will have to don my face mask (yes, like Hokkaido’s dashing governor), have my temperature taken, which will invariably be about 35 degrees, meaning I’m some kind of zombie, and then take the lift to the 6th floor where I will sit down with my two classmates … a Canadian of Korean extraction, and a Frenchman.

The Canadian looks and sounds Japanese, and the Frenchman seems to understand most of what’s going on. Then there’s me.

Sayonara.. for now PS: Temperature was 36.0.. going up swindonlink.com n July 2020

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The Business Brief Swindon businesses slowly start opening up to the new normal after lockdown

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

Non-essential retailers reopened on 15 June, with new social distancing measures set out by individual shops and businesses.

Many essential retailers and businesses remained open during the lockdown period and have already put new social distancing into practice.

In the town centre while people thankfully followed the rules of lockdown, footfall remained low. As more businesses start to reopen and with footfall expected to increase, inSwindon BID spoke to some of its BID members which remained open during lockdown and some that waited until 15 June: James Gray, Store Manager of Wilko comments on the measures the store has in place and consumer behaviour he has noticed in the last few weeks: “When the Government first announced that only essential retailers would remain open, it was a worrying time for our staff and our customers due to the serious threat of the coronavirus. Our focus was on ensuring the safety of our team and customers and we’ve put several new measures in place to do so.

“We have implemented physical distancing across the entire store, highlighted through posters and floor stickers, and introduced a door marshal to monitor store capacity and to explain the new measures so that customers can abide by social distancing. Further changes such as screen guards, limiting the number of tills in use, baskets and trolleys which are cleaned every 30 minutes, and a revised internal queuing system, are also in place.

“I’m delighted to say that most of our customers have been patient as they understand the seriousness and reasoning behind the new 22

measures. They have followed our guidelines and generally comment that they feel safe to shop with us during this difficult time.

“We have noticed customers are making fewer visits but buying more of what they need when they do come into the store. This shows they have listened to the Government's advice and are only making essential trips when necessary, demonstrating that we can protect one another to keep infection levels down.

“Looking ahead as more businesses open, my concern is with the limited number of customers allowed into shops at any one time there will be a lot of customers queuing outside on the street, close to queues for other businesses. Local companies must support the Council and inSwindon BID who are looking at this to ensure we can all keep our customers safe.”

Love Brownies, a new business to the town centre, was only days away from opening on Faringdon Road when lockdown was implemented in March. By quickly adapting their business model, they were able to open

safely as a takeaway until the restrictions eased in mid-June.

Amy Elmer, Co-Owner of Love Brownies commented: “The business is run with my partner, and living in the same household, we’re able to work in the shop together safely. We were so excited to be opening our business in Swindon town centre, so it was important to us that we tried to open what we could as we had put so much effort into getting the business ready. We’ve put tables up at the doors so we can serve one customer as a time, with separate order/payment and collection doors to minimise contact and length of time we’re exposed individually to customers. Further still, to minimise contact and ensure safety, we’ve purchased a contactless card machine for use at the door and provide hand sanitiser for ourselves and customers.

“Love Brownies has had a fantastic response from our customers already, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming more in-store as lockdown eases. To reopen the store fully, we’ll be adhering to Government guidelines and

have completed a COVID-19 risk assessment for the shop.

As well as putting in measures to maintain the two-metre distance for customers who eat in and take away, we’ll do everything practical to manage the transmission risk to keep our staff and customers safe.”

Mark Rogers, Interim BID Manager for inSwindon BID: “It has been encouraging to hear the feedback from our businesses in the town centre. They have a huge understanding and appreciation of the measures that have had to take place to keep everyone safe and healthy. It’s testament to those in Swindon, and the rest of the South West, that we have been able to keep infection levels low, although devastating for people who have lost loved ones. We must now all remain alert, and as more of businesses start to reopen, respect each other’s social distancing, follow the guidelines in place and enjoy the summer back in the town centre."

For the latest guidelines for social distancing visit www. hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/socialdistancing

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LINK

FEATURES

20 years of Steam

Swindon’s railway museum celebrates its 20th anniversary this month.

Staff at Steam are marking this important milestone with a look back at the early days of the museum and some of its many highlights from the last two decades.

When the museum re-opens, visitors will be able to attend the museum for the same admission prices that greeted the very first visitors 20 years ago.

Steam’s doors opened for the first time on Wednesday, 14 June 2000, and royal approval soon followed when HRH the Prince of Wales officially opened the Museum on 27 June.

A number of volunteers and staff members that work at the museum today were involved with the preparations for the new museum, including the transfer of the collection from the former Swindon Railway Museum in Faringdon Road.

Liz Day, Membership Secretary of the Friends of Swindon Railway Museum,

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said: “The things I remember are being surrounded by cardboard boxes for months as we were trying to pack everything up ready for the move.

"When I first went into the new building, long before we opened, I thought I would never be able to find my way around.

“The night before we opened, we were in the building for many hours on our knees cleaning. I did my bit in Caerphilly Hall. I can’t remember what time we went home but it was not far off midnight.”

Kevin Shurmer, Visitor Experience Assistant at STEAM, said: “I started working for the STEAM Museum at the beginning of 1999. I worked in the Long shop opposite, renovating all sorts of things to go in the new museum.

My main project was the Shunters Truck.

The shunters truck was in a terrible state when it came in, and was almost deemed impossible to renovate.

"Over a period of six months, we successfully

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renovated parts and returned it to its former glory.”

Cllr Dale Heenan, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Town Centre, Culture and Heritage, said: “Last year more than 130,000 people visited the museum to learn about Swindon's rich heritage, and the staff do a tremendous job in bringing to life science, technology, engineering, art and maths topics for visitors.

“The success of the Science Festival and the Brick Show, which will both return, means I believe Steam has a bright future ahead for another 20 years. And there is still so much potential. A fun fact is that the original Hogwarts Express, Olton Hall, was built in Swindon 83 years ago, at Swindon Works.”

Follow the Museum on Facebook and Instagram (@SteamMuseum), or Twitter (@Steam_Museum).

To find out more about the Museum, please visit: www.steam-museum.org.uk

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CULTURE Shufflin' onto streaming

It is pretty clear by now that the festival season has been wiped out by the lockdown. Organisers have had to take early decisions to pull plugs to avoid serious financial repercussions through lost deposits and strict supplier contract terms. However, some festivals are moving online to ensure events can happen. One such event doing this is the legendary Swindon Shuffle.

The Shuffle is in its 14th consecutive year, so organisers were keen to make something happen and raise what funds they can for the local branch of mental health charity Mind. So, from Friday 17 July through to Sunday 19 July they will be live streaming as much local music as they can from the original line-up. So expect to see some acts playing from gardens, lounge, bedroom or kitchen.

Just sit back in your home, relax and not worry about the weather, mud or the state of the toilets (probably). www.facebook.com/swindonshuffle or www.swindonshuffle.org.uk

World without a stage

O

ne of the biggest sections of society that has been decimated by the coronavirus has been the arts.

In Swindon both The Arts Centre and The Wyvern Theatre have had to close their doors. At the moment they are still advertising future performances for later in the year but there is a stark warning on their website at www. swindontheatres.co.uk - "Events at the Wyvern Theatre & Arts Centre that were scheduled to take place before and including 2 August 2020 have been suspended. Some shows beyond this date may also be subject to suspension or rescheduling."

It is the same for music venues and art galleries as they face an uncertain future not knowing when they can return and in what capacity they can return with social distancing measures still in place.

Festivals around the region have also

had to cancel and move things back until 2021.

Once things get back to normal and it is safe to do so these venues and events will not survive without our help. It will be up to all of us to do all we can to support the arts once this is over.

The arts brings joy to our lives and we all need a bit of that nowadays. Life is a lot greyer without it.

Poetry: Words to make you smile during lockdown

Poetry column with Maurice Spillane of Poetry Swindon

I reorganised my bookshelves during lockdown. I’m a bit anal about it, collections by author, compendiums by country - drives my wife crazy. I think she’d prefer them by colour. I was easily distracted and an hour’s task lasted weeks.

Buried in the shelves I found gems, such as three collections by Pat Ingoldsby, who writes outrageous poems. I knew Pat years ago when he was a TV presenter and playwright. He eschews that life these days and focuses on selling his poetry books in Westmoreland Street in Dublin if you’re ever over there. He’s much loved and in fact his life-like figure is in the Irish Wax Museum.

One clever poem “Vagina in the Vatican” depicts a vagina sneaking into the Vatican unstopped because no one knew what it was, except for a few who couldn’t let slip that they knew. But I won’t go there!

Here are other verses that still make me laugh: 24

You can win the National Lottery And fall out of a plane The same day, And land in a combine harvester Which shreds you up Into little sections And compacts you Into a bale of hay And all that money Is no good to you.

Why? Because you haven’t got your health.

Or this: This bottle of whiskey Is accused Of wrecking my marriage Alienating me from my family Losing me all my money And completely wrecking my life.

That’s one hell of a guilt trip To lay on a glass bottle.

Or this: Wouldn’t it be lovely To paint a hole in your floor Which looks so real That people drop pebbles into it

And ten seconds later They hear a splash.

These are the kind of poems we need during lock-down. Unfortunately, there are no poetry readings in Swindon this month.

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Swindon Arts Company saved by grant launches creative project for young people

Swindon Pride delayed until 2021 Swindon and Wiltshire Pride have cancelled their 2020 event due to be held on 8 August. It will now take place next year. The organisers said: "The reality of the lockdown means that we face months of uncertainty, and we couldn’t have planned for the event during the next few months with this hanging over us."

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CULTURE

hen she agrees to accompany her girlfriend to visit her wealthy family, trainee nurse Anna (Daniella Faircloth) begins to suspect that her presence may have more to do with ritual sacrifice than it does meeting the parents.

Written and directed by Swindonian Alex Secker, and produced by Marcus Starr, the team behind post-apocalyptic thriller Follow the Crows, comes ONUS, a modern day folk horror.

The film stars the aforementioned Daniella Faircloth, as well as Erin Leighton, Alex Pitcher, Karen Payne, Shaniece Williams and Tony Manders. The film, distributed by High Octane Pictures, will be released in the US and Canada before being sold into other territories, including the UK.

by Jamie Hill

Digital Writes offers a fantastic opportunity to take part in a project to write, illustrate and then publish an interactive fantasy novel.

Back in March, arts education company Digital Writes, suddenly found itself on the verge of shutting down due to lockdown.

However, thanks to one of the Arts Council’s Covid Emergency Grants, they’ve been able to step back from the brink and find innovative new ways to deliver the same quality creative experiences.

Their first lockdown project, Immersive Authorship, will see young people collaborate to write an illustrated, interactive fantasy novel, which they’ll publish in print format and as an app.

The printed book will be available to buy through Amazon and they hope to stock copies in secondary schools and public libraries.

Participants will take part in virtual workshops in storytelling, creative writing, and illustration. facebook. com/digitalwrites/

LINK Film Review: Onus

e

Marlborough Puppetry Festival cancelled This year's Marlborough Puppetry Festival has been cancelled with hopes that it will now take place next year.

It was due to take place on Saturday 25 July and would have seen extra special puppet performers taking over the town.

If you needed to describe the film in five words it would be 'Get Out meets Wicker Man' being as the plot revolves around a girlfriend bringing her lover home to meet the family who aren't all they seem.

But that's as far as the similarities go, as this locally made film is an altogether simpler affair with a small cast and a constrained location. On the screen you can see the budgetary constraints that the film-makers were under hence the small cast and single 'country house' location. But director Alex Secker deals with these constraints with aplomb to create a genuinely creepy atmosphere using clever camera positioning and a great use of sound to build up the tension throughout. One particular extended dream sequence ratchets up the horror to fever pitch with the screen flickering like a strobe light with horrific images burnt onto your cornea almost subliminally.

magnitude of her dire situation.

For anyone who watches horror films there are many familiar tropes here and the plot doesn't really offer us many surprises but that could be more to do with the budgetary constraints than anything else as there were definitely times where an expansion of the world might have helped.

The rest of the cast is adequate apart from the matriarch of the family played by Karen Payne whose wooden actiing ability unfortunately takes the viewer out of the reality of the situation every time she opens her mouth.

Particular credit must go to the main protaganist Daniella Faircloth who acts as our eyes and ears to this strange new world.

She essentially carries the film and as the plot moves forward it is through her facial expressions that we are able to see the

But these are minor quibbles in what in the main was an enjoyable yarn. Praise needs to go to Alex Secker for creating this film with such budgetary constraints and we can all hope that his talent is rewarded in the future with a bigger budget and more freedom to express his creativity. swindonlink.com n July 2020

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PETS & NATURE A Swindon small animal hospital has donated thousands of pounds to help hard-hit charities affected by a loss of income during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eastcott Veterinary Hospital, which is based in Swindon and covers both primary care and referral cases, has donated £2,000 to New Start Cat Rescue in Gloucestershire, which works to rescue and re-home unwanted and abandoned cats.

Eastcott, which is part of Linnaeus and Mars Veterinary

Eastcott Vets support charities

Health Group, has also donated £1,250 to Blue Cross, a national charity which provides veterinary care for pet owners who can’t afford private treatment for their animals.

Hospital director Niki Burton said Eastcott’s staff were delighted to be able to offer support at a time when charities across the country have been hit by a lack of funding in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak.

Niki said: “At Eastcott, we are continuing to provide the

highest level of care for our patients, clients and referring vets.

“However, we recognise other organisations may be struggling to run to their previous capabilities.

“That’s why we felt it was important to try to do our bit.

Our parent company Mars Petcare invited staff to choose charities to receive a share of the donation and we opted for a locally-based initiative and a nationwide charity."

Terrie Garrod, New Start’s foster co-ordinator in the

Swindon district, said: “We were amazed to receive this donation from Eastcott, it’s absolutely amazing."

Eastcott offers both a primary care service and a multidisciplinary specialist referral service offering the full range of investigation and treatment options for ill and injured pets.

For more information about Eastcott Veterinary Hospital visit either www.eastcottvets. co.uk or www.eastcottreferrals. co.uk, or search for Eastcott Referrals on social media.

LINK

MOTORING

Honda Jazz : The new generation

Swindon’s Honda factory has opened up again after almost three months due to the Coronavirus but the Japanese were the first company out of the blocks with a new car. Welcome to the fourth generation Jazz.

It comes in at £21,385 with a 1.5 four cylinder petrol plus two electric motors.

This is the age of the hybrid with a top speed of 108mph; 0-62mph in just under 10 seconds and CO2 is 104g/km. Fuel economy is around 60mpg.

The Jazz will be soon celebrating its 20th birthday and it is Honda’s most popular model. It is beloved of the older motorist and around there are 20,000 customers every year.

The new Jazz is pretty good, just like the older ones, and Honda continues to improve its models. This has better and more comfortable seats, improved visibility and a body which has been stiffened to help its handling.

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Leigh Robinson: Motoring writer

and less clutter.

And being Honda everything works properly including a touchscreen and an excellent infotainment system.

But it is still much the Jazz as it always was - totally reliable, bags of

room, safe and sturdy.

Honda is hoping to get a few converts to the new model but being a hybrid there is just an automatic gear box so that might affect possible customers. The new model has the magic seats which are quickly folded flat to give you a large, flat loadbay or have their bases lifted up to create a considerable load area in place of the rear seats. There are plenty of other useful storage areas including under the boot floor and two gloveboxes.

The Jazz provides an effortless driving experience with efficient and responsive performance delivered by advanced e:HEV hybrid technology as standard.

Part of Honda's new e:TECHNOLOGY range, the nextgeneration Jazz is available exclusively with e:HEV twomotor hybrid powertrain technology and is the first of six electrified Honda models scheduled to be introduced in Europe by 2022.

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SPORT Champions!:Town emerge top of League Two Swindon Town Football Club have been officially promoted as League Two Champions.

Fans knew the news was coming but have been waiting weeks for it to be officially confirmed.

The news was delivered this afternoon after clubs in English football’s bottom two divisions voted on how best to end the 2019/20 campaign.

The team have been promoted alongside runnersup Crewe Alexandra and third-placed Plymouth Argyle after it was decided that tables would be settled by a points-per-game format, while promotion, relegation and

Alfie Howlett: Swindon Town FC writer

For all Swindon fans the 2019/20 season will forever be installed in their memories.

A season that was perfect on the pitch and ultimately decided off the pitch. When the season was suspended midway through March, many Town fans were expecting promotion to come in late April when Town would complete their season.

However as the Coronavirus pandemic grew larger, Town's chances of sealing promotion on the pitch back to League 1 faded. Eventually without playing another game Swindon were crowned champions for only the 4th time in their history via an EFL board meeting.

Swindon were confirmed champions via points per game.

play-offs all remain.

In League One, Coventry and Rotherham go up to the It seems a long time ago now since Richie Wellens suffered a 4-0 thrashing at home to Carlisle in his first game. With very few players retained from the poor squad that finished 13th last season Richie and his staff underwent a pre season in which 14 new players joined the club. This season unlike previous seasons Swindon's recruitment has been outstanding with more or less every fresh face in the team going on to make an impact in our superb season.

Wellens did a remarkable job to bed in all of his new recruits as the new batch got off to a flyer. As Autumn came Swindon hit a rough patch, suffering defeats at the hands of Newport, Crewe and Bradford. However the turning point soon came as Swindon's top scorer Eoin Doyle netted a late late winner against bottom club Stevenage to set Swindon up for a 9 game unbeaten run.

Title belief turned into expectation as 2020 started with a bang. The reds went away on New Years Day to Plymouth as over 19,000 fans

Championship, but 'ongoing disciplinary matters' meant it is not yet certain who will packed out Home Park. Town ended up turning their title rivals over with Eoin Doyle scoring another late winner in what many thought would be his last game. Back to Bradford he went against his own will however Town showed they're more than a one man team as a tired threadbare squad overcame challenges from Crewe and Port Vale.

February arrived and was greeted by a packed County Ground in party atmosphere as Yates and Doyle returned home, the reds lived up to the bill getting the job done to beat rivals Exeter 2-1. As the season entered the final hurdle Town swiftly beat Northampton, Grimsby and Scunthorpe. The season was brought to a premature end but despite this Richie and his men had still achieved their goal - Champions of League 2 again via points per game. It was a tremendous season and all praise goes to those that made it happen.

Every player has made their impact on this fine season. From the consistency shown by Rob Hunt, Zeki Fryers, Steven Benda

drop out of League Two. Stevenage are currently bottom of the league, but they could be reprieved after Macclesfield Town were given a misconduct charge on 1 June.

The final games of the season were sidelined in the days before lockdown three months ago after the English Football League clubs voted to pause the season due to the ongoing health crisis.

The team and staff at Swindon Town are currently on furlough and it is not known yet how or whether they will celebrate their promotion. and Danny Rose to the magic shown by Michael Doughty and Lloyd Isgrove. If Eoin Doyle was batman then Jerry Yates would be Robin.

However despite the stellar seasons had among these players one truly stands out.

The season of Anthony Grant has been formidable. The last player signed in the summer is often the last player down the tunnel at the end of the match, often soaking up the deserved applause from the Town faithfull.

The addition of Grant has been what the midfield of Swindon has been crying out for. A tough tackling midfielder who's not afraid to shy away from danger. Grant has so often this season been the catalyst from turning defence into attack and without him I believe at times Swindon would've struggled.

So the season has ended as Town as rightful champions.

When football resumes Town will be looking to retain many of these champions and add a few fresh faces as their journey up the football ladder looks to resume. swindonlink.com n July 2020

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FOOD & DRINK West Berkshire Brewery launches crowdfunding campaign as future growth brews West Berkshire Brewery, creators of iconic Good Old Boy and Renegade Lager, has launched a crowdfunding campaign on leading investment platform Seedrs (www.seedrs.com/west-berkshirebrewery1) in a bid to raise £750,000 to build on yet another transformational period and add further scale to the fast-growing business.

The money raised will fund the next stage of development of the award-winning business following significant progress and numerous successes in recent times – since the brewer’s first crowdfunding campaign in 2016, West Berkshire Brewery has established itself as one of the highest-growth beer businesses in the UK, with recent trading highlights including:

Planned developments for the brewery business will include new brews in-line with consumer trends and an ambitious plan for the Maverick Pubs portfolio, which will continue to re-claim the pub as a place to enjoy great beer, locally sourced, high-quality food and as a hub for communities. Brand new West Berkshire Brewery subscription boxes will also be launching over the coming months, catering not only to the demand in home-delivery but capturing consumer interest through the exploration of beer. For each subscription sold, a donation will be made to NHS Charities Together – more information will be shared at and following the launch.

Live from 1 June, investor perks include lifetime 10% discount, brewery tours, vouchers and for larger pledges, access to the 100L pilot kit for shareholders to create their own bespoke beer.

• A doubling of revenues to £6m+ in its most recent full financial year • A trebling of its state-of-the-art packaging and canning business, now worth circa £2m of revenues annually • Contract packaging has increased by up to 12 times, from 3,400 hl per year to 3,400 hl per month • Own-label contracts secured with leading national grocery multiple, Aldi • Packaging for a number of regional breweries including Wadworth, Black Sheep and Adnams • Landmark national distribution deal with Matthew Clark • Growing portfolio of unique managed pubs in partnership with Maverick Pubs • High volume, highly profitable, on-site brewery Taproom & Kitchen launched • Continual beer innovation and creation of brews in-line with consumer trends • Imminent launch of beer subscription or regular ‘beer box’ service

In line with consumer trends, one of the most recent additions to the line up of WBB beers is Solo (0.5% ABV), the brewery’s first ever alcohol-free beer. Available in 330ml bottle and can formats, with trials into kegs, the Solo range has grown considerably since the launch earlier this year and now includes a classic Pale Ale, Pilsner and Peach Pale Ale variant. The future will see WBB continue to experiment with innovative beers that cater to the modern consumer.

Looking to the future, the award-winning brewer has already received pledges of £500k from its community of more than 1500 existing shareholders during the exclusive pre-launch stage of the campaign.

David Bruce, West Berkshire Brewery Chairman, said: “West Berkshire Brewery is as authentic as British brewing gets. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the team and be a part of the journey over the past seven years, but this really is only the beginning. We are opening up once more to offer beer lovers and craft-brewing enthusiasts with a thirst for fantastic breweries a chance to join us and become a part of this extraordinary story."

Testament to the strength and resilience of the West Berkshire Brewery business model, and despite the unprecedented global pandemic, which saw the closure of all pubs, bars and restaurants nationwide, the business has been able to continue to grow and build some parts of its business in the past three months – with distinct success with its online retail offering and packaging business.

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Commenting, Tom Lucas, West Berkshire Brewery Managing Director said: “The past few months have been extremely tough for everyone, ourselves included, but despite these challenging times, we have been able to trade through and some parts of our business are in significant growth, which is testament to the extensive work we have completed in the past couple of years to establish a much bigger and multi-faceted business, which has positioned us well to weather the current storm. We are in a very positive place and ready to continue accelerating our business in the months and years ahead.”

In the wake of recent COVID developments, the WBB team continues to innovate and work with the local community to help and support. Offering home delivery services across the country, and also community grocery delivery support to those that might be self-isolating/vulnerable within a 20-mile radius.

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