South East Swindon Link March 2023 edition

Editor’s Note

By Jamie Hill

Jamie@positive-media.co.uk

March is a busy month for us here at Link Towers.

For me personally, I will be crossing the Sahara Desert in aid of Prospect Hospice, having managed to raise over £2,700 for the cause. It’s starting to feel a bit too real now. Keep an eye out on our website for progress on that (internet access in the most remote area on earth dependent). I leave on 19 March. You can still sponsor me at justgiving. com/fundraising/jamiehill12

But another reason it’s going to be a busy one is that we’re launching our new ‘business boost’ range of advertising packages to try and help Swindon firms through tough times. You can read all about how we can help on pages 14 and 15.

Swindon has always punched above its weight when it comes to business and we hope these packages will help the town thrive as we pull ourselves up through tough economic times.

Swindon secondary school raises money for charity by solving maths problems

By Jessica Durston jessica@positive-media.co.uk

Pupils at Lawn Manor Academy recently started every lesson by solving a maths problem to raise money for NSPCC’s National Number Day campaign.

This event took place nationally on Friday 3 February.

Schools around the country were encouraged to take part in Number Day, which enables pupils to support the NSPCC while learning more about the crucial part maths plays in everyday life.

Lawn Manor Academy

Head of maths Laura Conroy said: “The entire school goes

‘maths-mad’ on Number Day, with every lesson in every subject embracing arithmetic, geometry or algebra.

“Traditionally, maths has been perceived as a difficult or dull subject, but nothing could be further from the truth. We all come across the need to solve number problems every day, whether that’s calculating the amount of ingredients for recipes, or how long it will take us to perform certain tasks, or how to balance our own finances and budget for future expenses.

“We want every pupil to be confident about maths,

and actually have fun with numbers. There’s a lot of satisfaction to be had from cracking a maths problem –and it’s a great opportunity to work together in teams, and draw upon each team member’s talent and individual approach to problem-solving.

“Our pupils and staff really enjoy Number Day, and it’s also great to be able to support an important charity like the NSPCC.”

Lawn Manor Academy is part of the Ascend Learning Trust - formerly the Royal Wootton Bassett Academy Trust.

Group Editor and Owner: Jamie Hill

Deputy Editor: Barrie Hudson

Reporter: Jessica Durston

ADVERTISING

Call 01793 644540 or email: advertising@swindonlink.com

Closing date for April adverts and editorial: 10 March

Sales: Dave Stewart and Rosy

Presley

Accounts Manager: Karen Randall

Contributors: Tyler Ody, Becky Cox, Maurice Spillane and Alfie Howlett

April edition published: 24 March Got

Advertising starts from just £49.

Head of maths, Laura Conroy

Get ready to vote ahead of May’s local polls

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

With the local elections approaching on Thursday, 4 May, there are some key deadlines for voters to remember:

- Monday, 17 April (11:59pm): you need to be registered to vote by this date. You normally only need to register once, not for every election. Anyone who has changed their name, address or nationality will need to register again. It takes five minutes to register to vote onlinesearch ‘register to vote’.

- Tuesday, 18 April (5pm): deadline for postal vote applications and Tuesday, 25 April (5pm): deadline for proxy vote applications (when someone votes on your behalf). Details of how

to apply for both voting options can be found on Swindon Borough Council’s website.

Following national changes as part of the Elections Act 2022, anyone voting at a polling station must now show an accepted form of photo ID – this applies to the Borough and Parish elections taking place in Swindon on Thursday, 4 May.

Accepted forms of photo ID include passports, photographic driving licences, biometric

immigration documents and some concessionary travel passes. A poll card is not accepted as a form of ID.

Voters can still use expired ID, as long as it still looks like the individual and the name on the ID matches the one they’ve registered to vote with.

Postal voting will remain the same. Those voting by proxy will need to make sure that the person going to vote on their behalf takes their own ID, and not ID for the person they are voting

for.

What to do if you don’t have any ID:

Anyone who doesn’t have a form of accepted photo ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate (VAC). This can be done:

- By applying onlinesearch ‘Apply for photo ID’ on the Government’s GOV. UK website

- By post - call Swindon Borough Council on 01793 445 500 to request a paper form

- In person - visit the Reception of Civic Offices, Euclid Street, Swindon, SN1 2JH on any working day between 9.30am and 4pm

For a full list of accepted forms of identification and further details on how to apply for the VAC, head to the Council’s website: www. swindon.gov.uk/voterID

Cost of living advice could make for big savings

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

Many families across Swindon have been feeling the pinch over the past few months, so it’s important to take the time to check if you could be saving money.

Scan the QR code here or visit Swindon Borough Council’s website for a list of 19 measures that may help if you or someone you know is struggling with living costs

For example, you can check whether you’re missing

out on any benefits.

A good rule of thumb is that if your household income is less than £40,000 a year, you could be entitled to some state support. Around seven million people are missing out on incomerelated benefits. Using an online benefits calculator is a quick way to check if you’re receiving everything you’re entitled to.

Over one million families are missing out on up to £2,000 a year per child –or £4,000 if their child is

disabled – to put towards the cost of childcare.

People worried about energy bills are advised to contact their supplier as soon as possible.

Warm and Safe Wiltshire

(0800 038 5722) also offers free expert advice on insulating homes and managing energy costs.

In addition, Citizens Advice Swindon (0808 278 7813) can help people with benefits applications, and can help people to challenge decisions to turn down applications.

It also runs a drop-in service at Sanford House (SN1 1HE) on Mondays and Thursdays from 10am to 1pm and on Wednesdays from 2pm to 4pm.

New update on continuing transformation around Fleming Way

Work to transform Fleming Way in the town centre is continuing to take shape. Visitors to the area will have recently seen new hoarding appear on The Parade, outside H&M.

This fencing was put in place to protect residents and visitors to the town centre as contractor Colas began demolition work on the retail unit and formertravel shop next to the

subway under the road. The demolition should last a few more weeks. The subway remains open for use throughout this work, as does H&M and access to the rest of the retail centre.

People can find to the Fleming Way newsletter at www.swindon.gov.uk/ newsletter or download the free ‘Hello Worx’ smartphone app to get updates from Colas.

The Eco Briefing

Our climate is changing and so must we

Everyone has a part to play in responding to the climate emergency.

People’s day-to-day behaviour, choices and purchasing decisions go hand-in-hand with Government-led changes to transition the economy away from a dependency on fossil fuels.

The Government has made a commitment to end the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, and all new vehicles will be required to be fully zero emission at the tailpipe by 2035.

Also, through the Future Homes Standard, no new homes will be built with oil and gas boilers beyond 2025.

Local authorities have an important contribution

to make too. This month, an updated version of the council’s climate change action plan will go before the council’s cabinet.

This sets out actions to support a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by the council and achieve net zero by 2030.

Put simply, that means balancing the amount of greenhouse gas produced with the amount removed from the atmosphere. The council has also made a commitment to support residents and organisations on the journey to net zero, which links to the UK-wide 2050 target.

While it remains a challenging financial landscape for all local authorities, the council is

looking to build on progress over recent years including:

• Completing the switchover of the borough’s 26,000 streetlights to LED

• Using renewable energy from local solar farms to meet around 40-50% of the town’s total electricity needs

• Planting around 51,500 new trees across the borough, including 18 sites in the Great Western Community Forest area

• Commitment to roll out a borough-wide food waste collection service to an additional 90,000 households from autumn 2023

• Installing solar panels and loft insulation to improve the efficiency of 669 lower income households, through the Local Authority Delivery scheme

• Running a renewable energy group-buying scheme (Solar Together) to give Swindon homeowners easy access to purchasing solar panels

• Installing the borough’s first on-street electric vehicle charging points

• Purchasing new ultra low emission operations vehicles to decarbonise the council’s fleet, which currently includes 27 full electric and seven hybrid vehicles

• Installing new battery storage and vehicle charging points at the council’s operations depot to fully harness solar energy

Find out how you can ‘Be the Change’ and join people across Swindon taking action to live more sustainably: www.swindon.gov.uk/ bethechange

inSwindon BID announces it will cease trading at end of March

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

The organisation tasked with looking after businesses in Swindon’s town centre is to end its operations.

inSwindon BID (Business Improvement District) is a not-for-profit company established in 2007.

According to its website

- www.swindontowncentre. co.uk - its mission is to work ‘for businesses and the local community to make Swindon Town Centre a welcoming, vibrant and distinctive destination’.

In a statement, Operations Manager Angie Blackford announced that the organisation would cease

trading from 31 March. No reason for the decision was given.

Within hours of the announcement, Swindon Borough Council leader Cllr David Renard issued a statement insisting that the town centre could still look forward to a bright future.

He also highlighted ongoing town centre regeneration projects.

Cllr Renard voiced gratitude to the inSwindon BID team, led by director Anita Bellinger.

He said: “I’d like to thank Anita and all the team at inSwindon BID for their great work in promoting the town centre over the years.

“Swindon’s town centre, like so many across the country, is having to adapt to ongoing changes in the retail industry, our shopping habits, the use

of office space and consumer spending power.

“As the town centre evolves to a mix of different uses, this has inevitably had an impact on inSwindon which relies so heavily on the funding it receives from retailers.

“Although I will be sad inSwindon will no longer be in place to support our great businesses, the town centre does have a bright future. A £100m programme of council-led investment is underway which is already beginning to stimulate private investment to boost the local economy.

“Following inSwindon’s announcement and in light of the major changes taking place, we will be engaging with all our partners on a new approach to managing the town centre.”

Zurich reveals 100 apprenticeships

Swindon-based financial giant Zurich has announced 100 new apprenticeship opportunities.

They cover a dozen sectors, including new opportunities in HR, marketing and data protection.

Zurich wants to attract young talent and futureproof its business, and potential candidates have until 19 March to apply. Details can be found at www.zurich.co.uk/careers/ apprenticeships

Vaccination workers thanked

Staff and volunteers at the Steam covid vaccination centre were thanked for more than two years of work involving more than 460,000 jabs ahead of the centre’s closure.

Cllr Brian Ford, borough council Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, said the hard work which had taken place at the vaccination centre since it opened in December of 2020 was something to be proud of.

Swindon Jazz and Soul Festival

The third Swindon Jazz and Soul Festival will be held at Christ Church and in its grounds on Friday and Saturday, 14 and 15 April.

Starting with a soul evening headlined by Omar Lye Fook MBE and jazz collective QCBA, it will go on to feature a full day of live music with performers from an array of nations including Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Tickets can be bought via ccccswindon.co.uk/page/ tickets

Bank staff help out Swindon mental health charity

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

A team from NatWest came to Swindon’s Phoenix Enterprises and worked alongside clients.

Based in Swindon’s Elgin Industrial Estate, Phoenix Enterprises helps around 100 vulnerable adults in Swindon each year.

Through working in their warehouse, people gain self-esteem, confidence and skills, with many going on to secure paid work.

NatWest have a policy of encouraging their staff to volunteer and get involved in the local community, and sent 28 staff to help out.

Phoenix Enterprises CEO Clare McDougall said: “Phoenix Enterprises is all about helping people with

mental health issues and learning disabilities.

“They are referred to us by the council, by GPs or by word of mouth.

“Everyone here is facing additional challenges in their life, with most coming from disadvantaged financial backgrounds.

“In spite of their challenges, these are some of the hardest working people you will ever come across.”

The volunteering session, involving assembling packaging, was arranged by Kelly Roberts, deputy manager at the bank’s Swindon branch.

She said: “We were all so impressed by the people who benefit from Phoenix’s services. They all want to work, they want to feel included in society and contribute, just like everybody else.”

More vital supplies sent from Swindon to embattled Ukraine

Swindon Humanitarian Aid Partnership continues to send crucial aid to Ukraine as the Russian invasion and occupation enters its second year.

In one of the latest missions, volunteers Natalya and Kelly, pictured, safely delivered a vanload of supplies and the van itself to a Ukrainian charity.

The long journey included overnight stops in Germany and Poland.

Swindon Humanitarian Aid Partnership chair Mike Bowden said: “ It is humbling to witness the incredible commitment and courage shown by Kelly and Natalya.

“They set the standard for the rest of us to follow. We will not match them but will do our very best to ensure the tragedy of so many Ukrainians stays in the public

eye and that much needed aid continues to pour into their devastated country.“

In a remarkable coincidence, while the two volunteers were in Kiev, which has a population of 3m, their van was spotted by a local woman, Victoria, who had come to the Swindon area as a refugee last year and been helped by

Swindon Humanitarian Aid Partnership.

Victoria was able to return to her homeland, where she lives with her husband, after the Swindon organisation helped her son, Denys, to secure a university place.

Shortly after she returned, her apartment had its windows blown out by a Russian missile strike.

Community charity again helps turn homes into works of art

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

Eastcott Community Organisation scheduled its fifth Window Wanderland event for Friday to Sunday, February 24 to 26.

As with previous Window Wanderlands, residents were urged to sign up to create a magical walking trail to light up the streets in the area.

Free workshops for participants were held at Eastcott Community Centre, which is run by the community organisation, a volunteer charity.

The sessions were possible thanks to support using public money from the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Co-chair Lauren Wallis

said: “It’s a miserable time of year and we all need something to lift our spirits.

“Window Wanderland brings a lot of pleasure: it’s lovely to view the windows and to see so many people out and about on the walking trail. Last year was a great success so we’re delighted to be running the

event again.

“It’s a great way of bringing the community together, particularly in times like these, and everybody in Eastcott is welcome to take part. Although the core area tends to be in the Old Town part of Eastcott, the ward includes Drove Road and the

areas around Queen’s Park and Commercial Road.

“It would be lovely to see people in streets that haven’t taken part in the past signing up. Let’s spread the light!”

The community centre was set to be open on the evening of Saturday, 25 February to give residents a chance to pick up maps of the window locations and enjoy a hot drink.

On Sunday, 5 March, the charity will hold its next Repair Cafe at the community centre from 2pm to 5pm.

Repair Cafes are an international movement in which people are encouraged to bring items for repair by volunteers rather than getting rid of them unnecessarily.

Local am-dram group looking for performers and crew members

Wroughton’s WADAMS have announced they currently have a range of opportunities for local adults and juniors who have an interest in the performing arts. People may be familiar with the group’s annual pantomimes and plays.

The group meets every Wednesday (between 6.30pm and 7.30pm for juniors, and 7.30pm onwards for adults) at the Ellendune centre.

More info can be found at www.wadamsdrama.org.uk or by emailing secretary@ wadamsdrama.org.uk

Special

social and

emotional

literacy

programme is launched at Red Oaks

Red Oaks Primary School has partnered with The Happy Confident Company to pilot a social and emotional literacy programme.

The programme will be used as a UK case study for best in-class mental health and wellbeing programmes.

The launch event was held on 9 February, and featured a keynote speech by best-selling author, coach, and founder of the Happy Confident Company, Nadim Saad.

Local parents had the opportunity to hear Nadim explain the programme and provide advice and strategies for the home.

They were also able to hear from the school’s mental health team and mental health ambassadors.

Locals encouraged to try something new and make friends with Swindon u3a

By Jessica Durston jessica@positive-media.co.uk

Swindon people are being invited to learn, laugh and live with Swindon u3a, and try their hand at a new skill.

Formed over 40 years ago there are now over 1,000 u3as in the UK with over 430,000 members.

It is a non-religious and non-political organisation run entirely by volunteers and financed by members’ subscriptions. Each u3a operates independently under the umbrella of The Third Age Trust.

Like all other u3a groups in the country, Swindon’s u3a promotes lifelong learning, friendship, fellowship and fun. There are no age limits to becoming a member. Originally, the u3a was designed for people who had

reached the stage in their life when they had more free time to enjoy themselves. Without the pressure of work or exams or bringing up a family, individuals are said to be able to relax in the company of like-minded people who want to take part in different activities together.

Swindon has a particularly active u3a. There are over 130 interest groups which meet all over the town and the surrounding area. They cover a vast range of activities which aim to keep the mind and body active. There are also monthly meetings with guest speakers, and opportunities to go on day trips, holidays and outings. This includes trips to the cinema and the theatre.

A person’s annual membership fee entitles them

to join as many groups as they wish, and to take part in all the other communal activities.

The current membership fee is £35 a year and is due to reduce in the 2023-24 session.

To find out more about u3a, people can visit: www. swindonu3a.org.uk or www. facebook.com/u3aSwindon

People can also call the Swindon u3a office on 01793 614629 between 10am and noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, for more information.

How your council tax is spent in Swindon – and it might not be how you’d expect

Eighty per cent of the council’s budget is prioritised on essential social care services to support adults and children in Swindon –that’s the key message from Swindon Borough Council as council tax bills are issued.

The remaining 20 per cent funds day-to-day services, such as waste and recycling, potholes and libraries.

High costs of social care and increased demand for these services mean that 80 per cent of the Council’s annual budget is used to fund social care services. For instance, £27.8m will have been spent in 2022/23 to provide residential or nursing care placements for 567 people in Swindon.

Meanwhile, £11.8m is projected to be spent on residential placements for approximately 42 children with complex needs.

This year’s council tax booklet, which will be delivered alongside bills in March, shares some stories from residents who receive social care services to explain the sort of support they receive and how it has helped them.

Separate to the day-today fund, the council also receives additional funding from the Government which

it has either successfully bid for or been allocated. This money can only be spent on the purpose it has been granted, and is often provided on a one-off basis or must be spent within a set time period.

To find out more about how your council tax is used in Swindon, look out for the booklet or visit www. swindon.gov.uk/annualreport

A message from Swindon Borough Council

The South Swindon Parish Council column

By Cllr Chris Watts Chair of South Swindon Parish Council

GWR Park Improvements

I am delighted to say that the improvements to GWR Park are nearing completion. Parish Officers and contractors have worked very hard over the past few months to deliver £130,000 worth of improvementsfunded primarily by Historic England and National Trust.

The new Blossom Circle and formal gardens will transform the eastern side into a vibrant hub of colour, where public gatherings and events can occur.

On 14 March, the Director General of the National Trust and Chief Executive of Historic England will be visiting the park to see the improvements themselvesputting Swindon on the map with these important heritage organisations!

If you haven’t seen the improvements yourself please do come and visit.

Swindon Blossom Festival

Supported by the National Trust, Historic England and the Town Gardens Café, the Parish Council is hosting a Blossom Festival throughout March and April to celebrate the completion of the Blossom Circle at GWR Park and the National Trust’s Festival of Blossom.

The Swindon Blossom Festival will launch on 14 March at 12pm with the Director General of the National Trust and representatives of South Swindon Parish Council, Swindon Borough Council and Historic England formally opening GWR Park’s new Blossom Circle. At the launch there will be walking tours of the completed works and the new features in the park.

There will be food and refreshments provided by the Town Gardens Café, who hosted their own Blossom Festival in the Town Gardens in 2022.

Events will be running right across the parish, with events and workshops at the new Blossom Circle at GWR Park on 5 April and 8 April and a music concert on 29 April; events in the Town Gardens over the weekend on the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of April (organised by the Town Gardens Café), and a Wildlife Discovery Day at Shaftesbury Lake on 15 April (organised with the Friends of Shaftesbury Lake). There will be family friendly art workshops and activity stands aswell as learning more about blossom and nature. For more information visit www. southswindon-pc.gov.uk/ blossom-festival

Badbury Park Community Hub

We will be opening a new amenity in Badbury Park later this year. We are currently in the process of designing the layout of the centre, where we will offer a new space for private bookings and a new community library, which will be run by our team at Old Town Library. The opening followed a public consultation last year where we asked residents on what they wanted to see from any community facilities. The feedback was that they wanted a community centre and a library and we are delighted to be able to deliver this for them.

A big thank you to Cllr Neil Hopkins, Chair of the Leisure, Environment and Amenities Committee who put together the business plan for the council taking on this facility.

Lawn Manor Academy pupil chops her locks for charity

By Jessica Durston jessica@positive-media.co.uk

Lawn Manor Academy pupil

Beth Webb ‘braved the chop’ for charity, cutting off 12 inches of her hair to support children with cancer.

Year 7 pupil Beth waited six months to grow her hair for her donation, which resulted

in her raising £449 for The Little Princess Trust.

The Little Princess Trust provides free real hair wigs, to every child and young person up to the age of 24 who needs one.

The Trust says it also funds research and studies that not only look for ways to improve a young person’s chance of survival but to do so while reducing the side effects from treatment.

Beth, who says she didn’t have much hair until she was three years old, explained:

“It took six months between having the idea to having my hair cut,

and all the time I was sure I wanted to do it.

“My hair will grow back but some people can’t grow their hair because of cancer, so I decided I wanted to donate it and have it made into a wig. My friends and family, and even people I don’t know, donated. I’m very happy with the amount I raised.”

Beth’s mum, Jo Webb, added: “Beth has such a kind, caring personality and she was so passionate about doing this to help children with cancer.

“She spoke to me and her dad and asked if we would let her do it but we put it off for a while because she loved her long hair, so she asked us again and we said yes.

“She raised £449, which was a lot more than we were expecting and we are so proud of her.”

Lawn Manor Academy is part of the Ascend Learning Trust - formerly the Royal Wootton Bassett Academy Trust

Backing business

There’s a lot to celebrate in Swindon when it comes to business. Being ideally situated halfway down the M4, only a stone’s throw from the airports, it’s always been an ideal location for several highprofile HQs including Nationwide, Zurich, WH Smith and Intel. A new report from Centre of Cities highlights how productive the town is for the workforce which is definitely something to celebrate. But times have been tough over the last few years for lots of businesses in the town and there’s still lots of work to be done to help the town’s economy for all types of firms from big tech to your local painter and decorator. At Swindon Link we are passionate about boosting business in the town and helping our economy perform. Editor Jamie Hill reports...

Swindon has one of the highest productivity rates in the country

People in Swindon are among the most productive in the country, according to the latest data from one of the country’s leading national research and policy institutes.

In its latest annual report published at the end of January, which ranks towns and cities in the UK against a set of economic indicators, Centre for Cities lists the town well above the national average in terms of productivity and above cities such as London, Edinburgh, Bristol and Oxford.

Swindon ranks fourth overall (£50.80) when it comes to GVA (Gross Value Added) per hour, which is the Office for National Statistics’ preferred measure of labour productivity. It measures how efficiently labour input is combined with other factors of production.

Swindon also has the fourth highest ratio of private sector jobs to those

in the public sector. The statistics show that in 2021, there were four times the number of private sector jobs (92,000) compared to those in the public sector (23,000).

An indicator focusing on innovation showed Swindon performing solidly compared to other towns and cities, with the borough having 18 ‘new economy’ firms per 10,000 of the working age population. ‘New economy’ firms are those within the emerging knowledge-intensive and advanced manufacturing sectors.

It is anticipated that this sector will grow in Swindon over the next few years with the Swindon Economic Strategy identifying Central Swindon as a future major knowledge economy hub supporting a workforce of 10,000.

The report did show that Swindon was among the 10 towns and cities with the lowest number of subscriptions

achieving ultrafast broadband speeds of more than 30Mbps, although the figures showed this is improving and is likely to increase further following the completion of CityFibre’s borough-wide full fibre network rollout.

Cllr David Renard, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, said: “The Centre for Cities annual Outlook report is always a good barometer for how we are performing as a town compared to our neighbours.

“For a town of its size, Swindon has punched above its weight for a number of years and I know our strong economy is the envy of not just other towns, but many cities.

“I’m incredibly proud that our productivity rates continue to be among the best in the country. It is a great reflection of our local workforce and it is why businesses still see Swindon as a place where they want to invest.”

Swindon

Swindon Link vows to back business

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

I don’t think there’s any argument that we all want to live in a prosperous town with thriving businesses providing employment at every level.

And we all know that Swindon definitely punches above its weight when it comes to a lot of things.

The town is growing every day with new developments like the Eastern Villages expansion and the growth of new estates like Tadpole Farm and Wichelstowe only adding to the mix, giving prospective businesses a skilled workforce on their very doorstep.

For business there have been some good news stories like Zurich’s new HQ, the Foundry, in the Carriageworks, becoming a haven for start-ups and tech, and Pannatoni’s £700 million plans to redevelop the Honda site.

There’s a robust business community in Swindon who do all they can to help each other thrive with the help of organisations like Business West and The Federation of Small Businesses.

But the elephant in the room is that on a local level especially the town has been suffering.

It’s all well and good building all of these developments around the town but until we have the political will and investment in the town centre, Swindon will always be a ring doughnut with dormitory housing around the outside but nothing enticing in the middle.

We want residents and employees to be proud of the town and not just use it to sleep and then go out to neighbouring towns and cities where there has been proper investment like Cheltenham, Reading, Bath, Oxford and Bristol to spend their hard-earned money. That money should stay in Swindon to help local business thrive.

I would like the powers that be to do the following to support business. These are over simplistic but they raise good points -

n Create a holistic plan for the town centre that incorporates Old Town, The Railway and Outlet Villages, and The Oasis with good hop-on hop-off public transport routes and maybe a value for money park and ride at one of the motorway junctions or at least reasonable parking charges that actually encourage rather than discourage. At the moment it all seems piecemeal with no overall plan. These plans should incorporate hospitality, retail, culture and leisure.

n Have vision and the courage of your convictions. Don’t highlight a new project and then go into hiding as soon as there’s someone being a bit negative on Facebook. Sell your vision to us. Get us on board.

n Stop spending hundreds of thousands on outside PR and marketing consultants, ending up with just a logo and brand identity meaning there’s no funding left to sell it to the people that matter - the residents. There’s plenty of talent within the town that could easily do the same for a fraction of the cost. I have seen this happen with different projects on at least five occasions over the last seven years and each thing comes to nothing with just a shiny logo and brand to show for the trouble. It’s just haemorrhaging money that could be used to support more local businesses.

It’s been a hard time for businesses over the past few years and that is why we should all be supportive and why Swindon Link itself has come up with a range of bespoke business support packages to help firms through these tough times.

Let’s help Swindon thrive.

Swindon Link Business Support Packages

Gold – The Ultimate Promotional Package - £800 plus VAT

- 1* Half Page print advert in each edition

- 1* Online Advert 300px by 300px box advert on www.swindonlink.com running for 30 days

- 1* Business Profile – Full Page in print

- 1* Business Profile online on www. swindonlink.com

- 1* Social Media share of Business Profile

- 2* Additional business news article throughout the month on www.swindonlink. com and social media share

Silver - The Business Boost Promotional Package - £500 plus VAT

- 1* Quarter Page print advert in each edition

- 1* Online Advert 300px by 300px box on www.swindonlink.com running for 30 days

- 1* Business Profile - Full Page in print

- 1* Business Profile online on www. swindonlink.com

- 1* Social media share of Business Profile

Bronze - The Start Up Promotional Package - £200 plus VAT

- 1* Online Advert 300px by 300px box on www.swindonlink.com running for 30 days

- 2 *Online Business Articles going out on www.swindonlink.com

- 2 *Social Media Post shares of online article

Welcome to Abbey Meads Community Primary!

At Abbey Meads Community Primary School, we develop citizens of the future, who are caring, resilient to change, and skilled both academically and socially. In its simplest terms; we aim to develop caring, conscientious, free thinking children with a love of learning.

We have very simple school rules:

Always Pay Forward and

1. Be Kind

2. Be Kind

3. Be kind

From our 3-year-olds in the Nursery through to our mature and capable Year 6, we operate as one big family; focussing heavily on caring and supporting each other - developing leaders for the next generation!

Feedback from our parents survey was as follows: “I would recommend this school - 100% YES!”

School Profile: Abbey Meads Community Primary

Get to know the schools in your area

This issue: Abbey Meads Community Primary School

Address: Hugo Drive, Abbey Meads, SN25 4GY

Tel: 01793 723239

Email: admin@abbeymeads.swindon.sch.uk

Website: www.abbeymeads.swindon.sch.uk

AMPC: The Land Of Opportunity

At Abbey Meads Community Primary School, we believe children should have life-long memories of their time at Primary School.

Academic achievement is of course important, but how we achieve our high standards is crucial.

Children need to feel safe, be nurtured and have so much fun that school is a joy. There are so many opportunities offered at AMCPS which extend children’s own passions, as well as introducing them to new and exciting experiences.

Whether these experiences be through amazing trips and residential fieldwork, inspirational visitors, specialists in music, dance and drama, Forest School and STEM activities or the high quality of our everyday teaching, children are left with a love of learning and life-long memories.

Business Profile - Blaylocks Shoes of Swindon

Business Type - Shoe retailer

Established - 1920

Address - 1-3 Bath Road, Old Town, Swindon, SN1 4AS

Telephone number - 01793 534271

Website- blaylocks-shoes.co.uk

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

Mark Blaylock is manager and a director of the company which has proudly carried his family’s name for more than a century.

His father, David, is a fellow director, and one of Mark’s children has already said he hopes to work there one day.

According to Mark, the reasons for the firm’s longevity and continued success are perfectly straightforward:

“I put that down to good, longstanding staff. One lady did 50 years for us and another lady did 40.

“Of the current staff we have one who must be coming up to 29 years working here.

“We carry a range of stock and brands that you wouldn’t find in your department stores or your normal high street stores, and we couple that with a one-to-one service to the customer.

“When a customer comes through the door, they are

with a member of staff until they leave - hopefully with a bag in their hand!”

Staff pay attention to detail. Customers’ feet are carefully measured, with separate specialist devices for men, women and children.

Mark said: “On the men’s side we do brands like Barker and Loake, which are traditional Englishmade shoes, made in Northampton. They are fully leather; leather soles, leather-lined, leather upper. They are very good quality.

“For ladies we have

The History of Blaylocks

brands like Hotter, Ara, Rieker and Padders.

“These brands create styles that look good and are built with longlasting materials and hard wearing in mind.

“We have a good rapport with our customers. We have our regulars.

“I’ve got customers who no longer live in Swindon, and who now live as far away as Australia, but when they need new shoes they contact me and I send the shoes that they’re after because they don’t want to buy their shoes anywhere else.”

Although Blaylocks has been a familiar Old Town landmark since 1928, the company began its long life as a shoe repair business in Gorse Hill.

Many customers still bring shoes they bought in the shop years previously for repair, and they are sent by Blaylocks to a specialist firm.

In some cases, manufacturers offer a repair and reconditioning service. The firm has traded through four generations, and is proud not only to be Swindon’s just family-run shoe shop but also to be recognised as one of the leading independent shoe businesses in the south of England.

It carries a wide range of high-quality brands not generally found in high street chain shops, covering men’s and women’s shoes and school shoes for children.

Mark Blaylock in the store

Interview: Chloe Ford, Swindon branch chair of Wilts & Berks Canal Trust

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

For Chloe Ford and her colleagues there is no question that their charity will succeed in its aim.

And when it does so, that success will be apparent to everybody in the Swindon area and for miles beyond.

The aim is simple.

“Wilts and Berks Canal Trust,” said Chloe, “is an organisation that wishes to restore the Wilts and Berks Canal from just below Melksham at Semington and approximately 70 miles up to Abingdon in Oxfordshire, where it joins the Thames.

“It connects the Kennet and Avon at one end and the Thames at the other.

“The whole 70 miles will have water access for boats of all kinds. Ninety percent of all canal users are towpath users, so we expect cyclists, walkers, joggers, hikers and, for the smaller sections where people live, paddle boarders, dinghies, kayaks.

“It will be accessed and used by all, open for all.”

So far the trust has realised this ambition with six miles of the waterway, and Chloe was interviewed near the Wichelstowe mooring of its vessel, Dragonfly, which takes visitors on trips.

The mooring is near the Hall & Woodhouse pub and restaurant, whose canalside location is a major attraction according to online reviews.

According to Chloe, bringing in commercial revenue for a broad range of companies is only one of the benefits the

restoration will draw to the waterside.

She said: “We’re hoping to encourage businesses.

“The Canal and River Trust recently did a UK study, and going on their study of what wealth business-wise canals can bring to the UK, 70 miles of restored canal going through rural and town would bring £200m in long-term benefit to the area.

“It would bring canal side cafes, canalside pubsHall and Woodhouse is an example. It wasn’t there a few years ago and now you’ve got a canalside pub. That’s just one on the open body of water, but there would be many.

“Once we’re open to boaters, local shops and things like that will benefit as well. With the Kennet and Avon and many of

the Northern canals we see things like pop-up launderettes and all sorts of things connected to where the boaters go.”

Chloe stresses that there are many benefits beyond commercial ones.

“The water brings everything that lives in or near water - we attract everything that rivers attract. The bird life is phenomenal. We’ve got swans and there’s a heron always seen at Westlea.

“All of these things do not thrive when there’s no canal there. When it’s just an abandoned field you’ll see much less wildlife than you do at an active canal.

“There are lots and lots of studies now saying people in urban areas need to go to a green space to relax, to wind down. There are massive mental health

implications.

“There was a recent study nationwide which found that people in most urban spaces did not have enough access to green space.”

The trust has existed in its current form since the late 1990s, roughly 200 years after construction work on the original canal began.

It has about 2,580 members, and people can join for as little as £1.50 a month singly, £2 for a couple or £20 per year.

Members can volunteer for the trust’s various projects should they wish.

Current work includes a plan to take the canal beneath the M4.

The waterway was officially closed by act of Parliament in 2014, several years after the last vessel passed along it.

It had long been eclipsed by the railway, much of the material for which had been brought via the canal to Swindon.

Chloe joined the trust a little over three years ago, having been intrigued by an old YouTube video showing a glimpse of a longabandoned canal lock near Grove in Oxfordshire.

Tracking it down for a video on her own Youtube channel, called Retro Ratz, she was told by commenters that the structure was part of the Wilts & Berks Canal, and then learned about the work of the trust.

Her channel has a section devoted to history and the trust’s own website can be found at www.wbct.org.uk

A column by Swindon Borough Council Leader David Renard

Twenty years ago Labour-run Swindon Council was rated one of the worst councils in the country, council tax increased by 45 percent in three years, children were educated in schools with leaky roofs, the elderly were in care homes deemed unfit by the regulator, there was no town centre regeneration or plan for our heritage, the Central Library had been in portable cabins for decades and the list of shame goes on.

Today, under successive Conservative administrations, there is extensive town centre regeneration with investment in our heritage and an award-winning Central Library.

We have ‘fit for purpose’

Don’t go Back to the Future

schools and care homes, council services such as Children’s Services and the Youth Justice Service are judged good and outstanding, all with council tax increases kept on or below inflation year after year.

Educational opportunities have been expanded with the Institute of Technology, University Technical College and various higher education courses, giving our young people the skills they need.

Millions of pounds have been invested in our roads and other infrastructure.

As a Conservative administration, we have had great success with securing Government funding for Swindon to help provide critical ‘up front’ infrastructure. This has guaranteed that Swindon’s road network is future

proofed against additional demand.

The building of thousands of new homes including new council housing will see our children and grandchildren housed.

As a direct result of our engagement with investors, we have seen millions of pounds of private sector investment in employment sites and new jobs.

In addition to the £400m investment and 2,000 jobs at Symmetry Park, we have worked closely with Panattoni on the redevelopment of the former Honda site.

This regeneration will see a massive boost in jobs and an unprecedented £1.2bn boost to the Swindon economy, benefiting all of us.

Climate change is being tackled with schemes such as

the LED lights roll-out saving thousands in energy bills.

Super-fast broadband is now available to nearly all households in the borough.

The reliability of waste services is rated higher than ever before.

A Conservative-run council will continue to deliver what the borough needs in a fiscally responsible manner.

In the forthcoming local elections, it is vital that Labour is not given the opportunity to run the council and take us back to the future.

Labour leader Jim Robbins accuses Tories of mismanagement

By the time you are reading this, Swindon Council will have set their budget for the next financial year and I’m assuming that the Conservative administration will have again raised council tax by 4.99 percent, the full amount allowed without needing to go to a referendum of residents.

The budget contains £15m of cuts to essential services and will make it harder for vulnerable people in the town to get the help that they need.

I don’t blame the local Conservatives fully for the council tax rise; the national Conservative Government have been slashing council budgets for 13 years and more damaging cuts would have been needed to balance the budget.

However, I do blame the Conservative councillors for the eye-watering debt that they have built up since they took over the council.

At the recent cabinet meeting, it was revealed that the debt has now topped £400m, and that the £7.8m annual cost to the council of servicing the debt dwarfs the money raised by the council tax hike.

The financial mismanagement of the local Conservatives, alongside the crashing of the economy by the shambolic national Conservative Government, means that the cost-of-living crisis is set to be longer and worse than it had to be.

Swindon residents deserve better than this.

Labour are doing all we can to take control of the

council in May, and we are working tirelessly to get out on the doorstep to speak to as many residents as possible. I can’t promise that Labour will be able to change everything straight away, but I do believe that the five pledges we are setting out ahead of the election will allow us to build a better Swindon.

Our five pledges are:

Your Roads – We’ll get Swindon moving by stopping excessive roadworks and sorting potholes

Your Parks – We’ll protect Swindon’s green open spaces from development

Your Economy – We’ll put Swindon businesses, jobs and people first, and improve the town centre

Your Community – We’ll build a Greener, Healthier,

Your Money – We’ll relentlessly focus on making sure we spend taxpayers’ money wisely

These pledges have come from the thousands of conversations we have had with Swindon residents. We’ll keep working to understand your hopes and aspirations for the town, as well as hearing your concerns. We’re keen to hear from you, to work with you and to convince you to lend us your vote on 4 May so that we can build a better Swindon.

Safer and Fairer Swindon

Diners converge on muchloved Old Town restaurant following major expansion

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

Newly-refurbished Old Town restaurant Los Gatos held a launch evening which attracted more than 100 diners and 60 VIP guests.

The popular venue held the gathering following an expansion into premises next door to its existing ones in Devizes Road.

The restaurant was created in 2006 at a smaller site on Wood Street by couple Phil Saunter and Shareen Campbell, and was immediately at capacity on most nights.

Over the past 16 years the restaurant has built a loyal following of tapas-loving customers and after Phil and Shareen retired in lockdown it was taken on by two local entrepreneurs who vowed to continue its legacy.

In early January 2022, The Core juice bar next door agreed a deal with the new owners of Los Gatos to move the juice bar and cafe upstairs

FEATURES

Malaga and Barcelona.

Christopher said: “When Los Gatos opened in Swindon it was quite a bold move as not many places were doing tapas. Phil, Shareen and the team created a menu of classic Spanish tapas favourites that have become really popular with our regular customers, like Berenjenas (our aubergene chips) and Albondigas (our classic meatballs).

before a move to a new Old Town location.

Over the last 12 months, a new vision for Los Gatos was developed to modernise the bar, while keeping its Spanish roots and significantly extending the dining space into next door.

The new extension doubles the capacity of the restaurant to over 120 seats in a bid to keep up with the huge weekend demand from customers. The expansion also allows for larger groups of up to 60, and private functions.

The new owners have also promised to keep the new wrap-around bar for walk-in customers only, so as well as table bookings, people making last minute plans can take one of the 20 seats at the new feature bar.

The now famous menu is still prepared by original Head Chef Christopher Ventura, who was there when Los Gatos was on Wood Street.

The restaurant’s dishes cater for all food types and are typical of traditional tapas from Spanish cities such as

“We put on specials every weekend too, and also have a large range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.”

The name Los Gatos, meaning The Cats, was taken from a tapas bar in Malaga which the previous owners found while exploring Spain. Over the years, customers have brought in cat-based collectables which are on display in the old side of the restaurant.

The restaurant’s website is www.losgatos.uk

An interview with 10cc’s Graham Gouldman LINK CULTURE

By Jessica Durston | jessica@positive-media.co.uk

Did you know it is said that people swallow eight spiders in their lifetime?

I’m not sure I’m convinced this is true, but I’ll tell you something I am sure about –most people will definitely have heard (and loved) a Graham Gouldman song in their lifetime.

The man is a musical genius, with a career spanning six decades. He is responsible for a seemingly endless list of iconic chart hits for bands from the 1960s & 70s.

Graham was also behind 10cc’s well-loved hits ‘Dreadlock Holiday’, ‘Rubber Bullets’, ‘Art for Art’s Sake’, ‘I’m Mandy Fly Me’, ‘Wall Street Shuffle’, and ‘I’m Not In Love.’

In our interview he discusses everything from his upcoming semi-acoustic tour, to his thoughts on songwriting and ownership, to his time writing his brilliant 60s hits for other famous artists, to his advice for budding songsmiths.

I recommend reading the full piece at swindonlink.com/ lifestyle/graham-gouldmaninterview-jan-2023.

This excerpt has been taken from the part of the piece discussing Graham’s upcoming tour ‘Heart Full of Songs’ (HFOS).

Graham will be joined by bandmates Iain Hornal, Keith Hayman and Dave Cobby, and will take audiences on a trip down memory lane, and also on a journey through the 10cc legend’s own songbook. I was keen to find out more about what audiences could

expect.

Graham said: “Heart Full of Songs is a real mixed bag setlist-wise. We do some 10cc songs that I co-wrote, and a lot that I wrote from the 60s for artists including The Hollies, The Yardbirds, Herman’s Hermits, and some from my time with Andrew Gold in Wax, as well as album tracks and film music.

“HFOS actually started off during a 10cc tour because we didn’t have a support act, and I felt we should. I used to go on stage before 10cc and sing a few songs. The idea really stuck with me.”

Audience members can also expect the man himself to be introducing each of his tracks and contextualising them.

Graham added: “Yeah, that’s one of the things that makes this tour a bit different - I’m able to talk about the songs, and about what inspired them. I find people are always really interested in that.”

Graham will be performing a number of UK shows as part of the HFOS tour that will run from 9 – 23 March. The tour includes a date at the Haymarket in Basingstoke on Saturday 18 March.

More information and tickets are available from www.thegigcartel.com/ Artists-profiles/10ccsGraham-Gouldman.htm

Moving on, I was interested to know if the songwriter had any particular favourites songs to perform, after we had both expressed our shared love for his iconic

1966 track for The Hollies ‘Bus Stop.’

After all these years performing different tracks with different musicians – were there any songs he began to tire of performing, or similarly, were there any that were so dear to him that he felt he could play them for all eternity?

“They’re all great – all the songs.” Graham said. “I suppose it’s different – fresh, every time we perform, because our audience is different every night. I always sort of put myself in the audience and remember it’s the first time for them. There’s not really any song or piece that I get tired of singing to be honest. I just really enjoy it.

“That enjoyment is key –and as long as everyone else is also enjoying themselves at our gigs, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing. That drives us on.”

With the tour being semiacoustic and not the full band setup he would be used to with 10cc or Wax, our discussion turned to how he adapted his songs for this particular style of concert.

Graham explained: “We have had to adapt the songs to a certain extent with this semi-acoustic tour, and it has given us a chance to arrange the songs and showcase them in a slightly different way.

“We have worked to only adapt certain tracks that

we think suit the style of the semi-acoustic band best. There are some songs I could do, but I won’t because I don’t feel they suit the acoustic arrangement. I’m really careful with that, because I want every track to sound good.”

Graham will be placing himself in the spotlight for this tour and has appointed himself as the band’s frontman.

As his 10cc days saw him famously sing lead on the 1978’s ‘Dreadlock Holiday’but also share the lead vocal duties with his bandmates - I was curious to know if he was going to feel more exposed. He was quick to agree with this notion.

“Definitely, I’m singing everything on this tour. You’re absolutely right - you are more exposed in this kind of setting and you have to be a bit more on your game!

“I don’t mind though – I enjoy myself. If I stopped enjoying it, I wouldn’t do it, and I say this for two reasons. One, I don’t need to do it. And two, I think audiences pick up on it. They can tell when a performer isn’t happy or is just ‘going through the motions.”

Swindon Link’s Jessica Durston spoke to prolific songwriter Graham Gouldman to pick his brain, ahead of his ‘Heart Full of Songs’ tour that will take place across the UK in March.

Words by Jessica Durston

What's On: Musical Must-See Events In March

& April

Blood Brothers at the Wyvern Theatre

All are invited to witness the Willy Russell classic ‘Blood Brothers’, at Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre this March.

Performance dates will run from Tuesday 7 March - Saturday 11 March.

A spokesperson for the event said: “Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences.

“The superb score includes Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It’s Not True.”

This year’s dates have been rescheduled from 2020, and then from 2022.

Tickets can be found at swindontheatres.co.uk/Online/ticketsblood-brothers-swindon-2020

Supersonic Queen at the Meca

Friday 24 March will see Supersonic Queen (billed as the UK’s most dynamic Queen tribute) perform at Swindon’s Meca.

The show will start at 7.30pm.

A spokesperson for the show said: “Take a trip back in time to experience the magic and excitement of a live Queen concert with Supersonic Queen: their energy, enthusiasm and on-stage chemistry is mesmerising as they belt out hit after hit.

“Round up your family and friends, book your tickets and get ready to rock – It IS a kind of magic!”

Tickets are priced at £24.20 including an online booking fee.

More information, and tickets, can be found online at www.mecaswindon.co.uk/events-tickets/supersonicqueen-2/

Ten in a Bar: The Sweetest Sounds at Swindons Arts Centre

Local choir group Ten in a Bar are marking their 30th anniversary with three special concerts at Swindon Arts Centre.

The performance dates will take place from 13 - 15 April, each starting at 7.30pm.

These shows will be the 12 members’ first outings together since 2019.

A spokesperson said: “The group have prepared a little homage to their first show from 1993, and director Jill Hodge has been busy devising a sketch based on a day in the life of the Bronte family.

“But as always, the music comes first and we are fortunate to continue to have the fabulous arrangements of Kirstie Smith in an array of beautiful, legendary songs and uplifting ballads. “

Tickets are available at swindontheatres.co.uk/Online/tickets-tenin-a-bar-swindon-2023

Team Link’s Trek across The Sahara Desert in aid of Prospect Hospice

It’s time for our just deserts...

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

I’m getting nervous now.

It seems an age ago that I signed up for this mammoth task back in January 2022. And now after a frantic fundraising year, the month is finally here where I’m going to have to put my charity money where my mouth is and actually cross the Sahara Desert in aid of Prospect Hospice.

We leave for Morocco on Sunday 19 March and within 24 hours of our arrival we will be shoved into the desert and told to start walking before we’ve even had a chance to wipe the sand from our faces.

There’s about a dozen of us trekkers all doing it for Prospect Hospice. But between the four members who made up Team Link, which are myself, Amy O’Reilly, Kieran McCarthy and Laura Johnson, we’ve managed to raise £10,717 towards Prospect Hospice. It was a stressful year with a very busy autumn of fundraising events from quizzes and feasts to gig nights but miraculously we got there with the fundraising and we can’t thank all of those who donated enough.

We will be spending five days in the Sahara Desert trekking about 20-25 kilometres during a full day.

When we finally finish our desert leg, we will then be spending two days crossing The Atlas Mountains before finally coming back to Marrakesh.

Obviously I’ll be trying to update you all via the Link website but that all depends on signal, and I’ve got a feeling there might not be much reception in the middle of the desert. In fact my Trip Advisor review will probably read ‘Lovely golden dunes, the camels were fun even though they didn’t let us ride them, but shame about the wifi.’

I have been training for this. In fact some of you might have spotted me huffing and puffing around

Old Town, but I don’t think there’s much I can do about acclimatising to a desert heat during the winter months in Swindon, so I’ve got a feeling that might be one thing that could see me become a sweat monster who is constantly dying of thirst.

But we are still fundraising as although we have raised our targets for Prospect Hospice any more donations will still be very welcome and much-needed by the Wroughton-based charity.

To donate please visit justigiving.com/team/ linksahara

Right, I’m off to cross a desert.

Wish me luck!

I was chair in a local wine group this past year and it was delightful.

We’ve been going for 10 years with 12 members maximum. An old friend told me years ago that we should have friends who are older and younger, and this group hits the spot.

Each month one couple hosts the evening, having done deep research on

Joining friends for a joyful reminder that wine is bottled poetry

when children live at a distance, friends become the immediate support.

Maurice Spillane: Of Poetry Swindon

their topic.

The unwritten rule is no blind tasting, so nobody is set up to fail. In the last year we explored Gascony, The Sherry Triangle, New York State, Campania, visited Burgundy, and invited guest speakers.

We are friends who enjoy wine and indirectly look out for each other.

I often reflect that

As a group we have fun, tease and debate, and appreciate our diverse views.

Our monthly sub is a decent budget for wines we wouldn’t buy as individuals.

We finish the evening with everyone’s contribution to the food table.

It’s an inexpensive social evening.

Learning and curiosity are perfect bedfellows, and there’s the cross-over with poetry.

Poets as friends learning and sharing is no different to friends sampling wine with a keen interest in grape, producer and terroir. And as much fun.

I’m no expert but I’ve

certainly improved my knowledge on both fronts. So raise a glass to a cross-over poem, Ben Jonson’s ‘Song to Celia’:

Drink to me only with thine eyes,

And I will pledge with mine; Or leave a kiss but in the cup,

And I’ll not look for wine. The thirst that from the soul doth rise

Doth ask a drink divine; But might I of Jove’s nectar sup, I would not change for thine.

If you’d like input on setting up a wine group, let me know.

www.mauricespillane.co.uk

Future of Mechanics’ Institute was big news of February 1998

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

The fate of what is arguably Swindon’s greatest architectural jewel was at the top of Swindon Link’s news agenda a quarter of a century ago.

“SAVE IT FOR SWINDON” was the message we plastered across the corner of a front page colour picture of the instantly-recognisable Railway Village building, which had first opened its doors in 1855.

The future of the building had been a concern of many people in the town since it was last used in the 1980s, and remains a concern to this day.

Our February 1998 edition devoted its main story to a new development in the ongoing saga.

We wrote: “Swindon’s Mechanics Institute could become the centre for the town’s arts, cultural and community life, if the dreams of a band of committed volunteers come true.

“But they need £848,000 from the people and businesses of Swindon.

“A decision on a National Lottery grant for £2.5m is due in June and local fundraising is essential to secure it.

“The local appeal by the New Mechanics Institute Preservation Trust was launched on 22 January under the slogan, ‘Get the Mechanics.’”

The organisation was run by a band of volunteers including Martha Parry,

then already a respected community campaigner, who remains involved in heritage preservation.

We said of the team: “They believe [the building] can be refurbished to provide a central base for voluntary organisations, space for performance, arts workshops and exhibitions, and a cinema. Conference facilities, a social history archive and a high-tech multi-media centre are also proposed.”

Unfortunately, a series of issues including a rejected bid by a private owner earlier this century to turn the structure into a hotel, meant that the building remains unused.

However, the Railway Village is now at the heart of a Heritage Action Zone, and there are hopes of a brighter future for the

Mechanics’ Institute and the area in which it stands.

Moving from the old to what was still very much the new in 1998, we carried a report from the emerging North Swindon neighbourhood of Abbey Meads.

stands.

The resolution of various building delays meant work on the planned shops and pub could begin that April.

It also meant that the Church of Christ the Servant in Abbey Meads was a step closer to having a permanent

“Church ready to claim village centre site,” ran the headline of the story centred on the Elstree Way land where the Abbey Meads Village Centre now

home, having been quartered initially at Church House in Hayward Close and subsequently moved to the temporary Abbey Meads Community Centre.

Alfie Howlett: Swindon Town FC writer

From the outside looking in, the appointment of Jody Morris as Swindon manager is questionable. Surely entrusting a first-time manager, with under half the season remaining, is a roll of the dice to say the least. In this latest column I shall explore both the pros and cons of the 27th Swindon manager since the year 2000.

The CV of Jody Morris is impressive to say the least. Before coaching, Morris represented Chelsea 173 times, becoming their youngest Premier League player in the process.

After hanging up his boots Morris continued his allegiances with Chelsea as a youth coach. There, as

With the stakes high, Swindon take a risky gamble LINK FOOTBALL

Head Coach of the Under 18s, he won seven trophies in two years, playing a pivotal role in the development of future England international Mason Mount.

Morris would next gain invaluable experience working as a number 2 for Frank Lampard at Derby County and Chelsea. This demonstrates the glowing reputation Morris boasts amongst the elite in football. Moreover, the 44-yearold will be able to deliver the top rate techniques deployed at the highest level of the game.

In addition Morris’ pedigree and long list of contacts could see Swindon attract a higher calibre of youth player.

However, it could be

argued that the appointment is a risk. Every appointment in football carries an element of risk, but none more so than hiring a manager for his first crack at the whip in the hot seat. Morris will be thrown into the deep end with little opportunity to work on new ideas with his team.

His new surroundings will be a far cry from those he has worked in before. With no previous experience of League 2 football it could take the new gaffer time to adapt to the roughest league in the EFL.

Arguably the timing couldn’t be worse, with Swindon approaching the home straight, leaving Morris little room for error. This, however, is only a problem if

he is expected to win the race. Perhaps the objective for the remainder of the season is to build for the next. Potentially this could be a good plan.

Richie Wellens and Swindon offer the perfect blueprint for this scenario, with the former gaffer using the 2018/19 season to build his famous titlewinning team for the following campaign.

If history is anything to go by, Morris’ chances of success are 50/50. In some cases, Assistant Managers have gone on to be outstanding number one’s. On the other hand there have been many examples of assistants failing to make the step up. Look no further than failed England manager Steve McClaren. Only time will tell us which category Jody Morris falls into.

AGONY GIRL

From the pages of Swindon Link's sister publication The Ocelot comes Agony Girl in the form of ten-year-old Amy. We read her the questions and she tells us the answers. To ask Agony Girl a question yourself email us at publisher@ swindonlink.com with 'Agony Girl' in the subject line.

Dear Agony Girl, Springtime is soon coming up. Do you have any recommendations for any spring related activities to pass the time?

Tyler, Swindon

You should play tag and walk around the forest. You can do a picnic and you could smell and pick flowers.

Dear Agony Girl, I hear your dad is heading to Morocco to do a trek across the Sahara Desert in aid of charity this month. Have you got any tips for him to make the most of it?

Amanda, Abbeymeads

You should have fun with the camels and ride them and explore. Drink loads of water and don’t have too heavy a backpack. And if you get lost you should call the desert emergency services.

Dear Agony Girl, I’ve heard you have a boyfriend. I’ve been single for nearly five years now. What is the best way to snag a man as I’m getting pretty lonely?

Bianca, Town Centre

Be confident. I didn’t really do anything to get a boyfriend. I was just being myself. For Valentines and for his birthday and Christmas I would get him presents. He got me loads of presents too.

Dear Agony Girl

I’ve just quit my job and am going to retire as I found it too stressful. Should I get another job or just enjoy my retirement? And what should I do to pass the time?

Nicola, Holyrood

Enjoy your retirement. You can go trampolining or ice skating and just have loads of fun. You can party all the time. If you run out of money you

can always get another job then. Dear Agony Girl, I’m a bit worried about climate change. It all just seems so scary. I know that you have lots of ecocredentials. Got any advice on how I can help save the environment?

Dave, Gorse Hill

Plant some plants in your garden and make wellies that don’t fit you as plant pots and stuff like that. I’ve made some money for the school for their dirty pond. I slay at making the environment better. If you’re close to the thing where you are going you should always walk but if you live in Swindon and need to get to Marlborough you might have to drive as the buses always come at strange times.