GO TRAVEL FOR BONUS POINTS IN SWINDONโS BEAT THE STREET CHALLENGE THIS WEEK
News from Beat the Street Swindon More than 27,000 people have signed up to play Beat the Street Swindon 2021. That’s more than the total number of players in the 2019 game!
This week, the game enters its Go Travel themed week. Here players can clock up double points on Beat Boxes around traditional commuting hours.
Go Travel Week
From Wednesday, 29th September, it’s โGoย Travelโย week.ย In this one, BTS encourages people to think about walking or cycling to work or school rather than taking the car. For those working at home you can ‘commute’ around your local area to start and finish your day with extra activity.
Participants in Beat the Street Swindon have already racked up almost 150,000 active travel miles. And there’d still time to get involved!
Stuart Arthur, engagement co-ordinator for Beat the Street Swindon
About Beat the Street
Beat the Street invites players of all ages to take part in the free game that encourages people to get active in return for prizes. The game encourages local residents to ditch the car, and walk, scoot, wheel, cycle or run instead.ย The teams that travel the furthest can win book vouchers or trophies. And there are individual spot prizes simply for taking part.
Collect a card and map from one of the distribution points listed on www.beatthestreet.me/swindon Then join a team and start playing!
The scores on the doors
There are total and average points leaderboards for schools, community teams and charities with vouchers for the teams thatย travelย the furthest.
Haydonleigh Primary School leads the total points leaderboard, with St Francis Primary School and Orchid Vale in second and third place.
Jenny Hulse from Bridlewood Primary School said: ‘The children are very excited to be playing Beat the Street once more. We’ve started our Tuesday night Beat the Street Club, where 45 children have been busy tapping Beat Boxes for an hour after school.’
Taking place until Wednesday, 27th October, Beat the Street is transforming Swindon into a real-life game. Players are busy tapping special sensors called Beat Boxes dotted across the town.
Councillor Brian Ford, Swindon Borough Councilโs Cabinet Member for Adults and Health said: โWe’re so enjoying seeing people getting out and playing the game. Itโs great to see people of all ages making the most of Beat the Street and incorporating an hour of exercise into their daily routines.
As well as having a positive benefit on our health,it has a positive impact on our environment.’
Dementia Cafรฉ Returns To Wyvern Theatre The easing of government restrictions means the welcome return of the townโs theatres, bringing a variety of shows and events back to our social calendars. Now locals can get their fix of comedy, drama, music and more.
Further, the re-opening of the Wyvern Theatre also means the return of the theatreโs community projects. Such projects as the popular and much-needed Wyvern memory cafรฉ.
Since 2014
Set up in 2014, the Wyvern memory cafรฉ offers a relaxed monthly get-together for those living with dementia. It’s also of huge service to their carers, friends and family. Sponsored by Home Instead, the service is completely free to attend and has previously entertained visitors with such activities as quizzes, therapy pets, cheese tasting and cupcake decorating, as well as the extra special Christmas sessions known for their festive fun (and food!).
The memory cafรฉ returns on Monday 4th October from 10.30am โ 12 noon. It will take place in the lower foyer of the Wyvern Theatre, allowing access through the venueโs accessible entrance.
‘Weโre thrilled to bring the monthly memory cafรฉ back to the Wyvern Theatre,โ tells Community and Education Officer, Kate Claxton. ‘Itโs been fantastic opening our doors to our audiences once more. But weโve also missed the regular sense of community and wellbeing that services like our memory cafรฉ offered, before lockdowns and social distancing restrictions. Our first session back will give us a gentle ease in. We’ll have a quiz, cake and plenty of chatter as we reacquaint ourselves with familiar faces and welcome anyone new to the fold.’
The supporting act
With support from the Swindon Dementia Action Allianceand sponsorship from Home Instead, the memory cafรฉ will offer guests the opportunity to enjoy activities such as flower arranging, poetry, music and movement. All in a dementia supportive environment. ‘We’re thrilled that the memory cafรฉ at the Wyvern Theatre is recommencing physically’ explains Home Insteadโs Toby Kirk. ‘It was always very well attended and formed a key engagement in peopleโs calendars each month. Over the past year itโs become ever clearer that the get-togethers and cafรฉs matter to the local community.
This has been a year where people havenโt been able to get out to see friends and family as much as they would wish. So it thrills us to help the Wyvern Theatre bring the community back together with monthly cafรฉs jam-packed with entertainment. We canโt wait to get back!’
If you would like to find out more about the Wyvern Memory Cafรฉ or register your or a friend/family memberโs place at a session, you can email Kate Claxton at Kate@wyverntheatre.org.uk
ลผywiec Polish Pilsner Beer Recent weeks have seen me make two visits toDo Syta (AKA the Bear Restaurant) in the Polish Club in Park South. Thus arises an opportunity for a Swindon in 50 Drinks post! This time we raise a glass to ลผywiec Polish pilsner beer.
The ลปywiec Brewery
According to that font of all knowledge, sometimes, Wikipedia – the ลปywiec Brewery (pronounced Zhi-vietz; Polish pronunciation: [หสษจvjษtอกs]) is one of the largest breweries and beer producers in Poland.
Founded in 1856 in the town of ลปywiec, the brewery manufactures pale lager with a 5.6% alcohol volume. Grupa ลปywiec S.A. consists of five main breweries: 1. ลปywiec Brewery 2. Elbrewery 3. Leลผajsk 4. Warka Brewery and 6. Browar Namysลรณw.
Currently, the Dutch Heineken Group (Heineken International Beheer B.V.), with a 65% shareholding, has control over its major operations. Harbin B.V. has 35% shareholding. The brewery has the capacity of producing 5 million hls a year, making it the largest brewery in Grupa ลปywiec.
About the brewery
The brewery began life in 1856 in the eponymous town – then part of Austrian Poland. The Habsburg Imperial family owned it until the post-WWII Communist government of Poland confiscated it. The beginning of the 1990s saw a court case started by the descendants of the original owners. It seems they sued the Polish government for compensation to the tune of 77 million dollars and rights to use the Habsburg family name and coat of arms for marketing purposes. There followed an out-of-court settlement on undisclosed terms in December 2005.
The ลปywiec Brewery began distribution to other towns of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1913. In the 1990s, Heineken acquired and modernized ลปywiec.
Tasting notes
According to Beer Advocate, Zywiec carries a bright, pale gold, transparent countenance. The beer smells of dry grasses, green apples and corn syrup – on this I wouldn’t know as I have no sense of smell. Now, I DO smell but that’s another thing altogether!
Anyway, Beer Advocate describes the taste thus: Sweet, and malty with green apple tartness and grassy flavours dominating it. As to its feel: light and dry, with a round softness that plays at the front and sides of the tongue.
So there you have it – a pleasant pilsner with which to wash down the schniztel or the perogi in Do Syta.
Okay, so a few words about the charming Do Syta, otherwise known as the Bear Restuarant in the Polish Club.
I’ve enjoyed two lovely occasions in this delightful little place, with fellowHobnob Press author, David Bradshaw. As you can see in the images below we did book swaps.
David Bradshaw and Angela Atkinson with respective copies of Growing up Barefoot and Swindon in 50 Buildings
Swimming without mangoes
From the Hobnob Press website:
Second volume of memoirs by a Montserrat-born author who grew up in Swindon during the 1960s and 1970s, and went on to become a successful lawyer and law lecturer. This volume describes his arrival at the age of 8 in the Wiltshire railways town, how he survived (‘swam for his life’) in unfamiliar surroundings, and how he flourished in his studies, sports and friendships at St Joseph’s School in Swindon.
A bit about the food
It’s good and the portions are huge. The pierogi are super scrummy, the chips are delicious and the schnitzel is not half bad. I’ve not yet tried the soups but they look fabulous too so must get round to that!
Swindon’s new new town-centre community hub has launched a kick-off crowd-funder appeal.
The Hub, aiming to provide a welcoming and affordable town-centre venue for classes, meetings, exhibitions and concerts, is asking Swindon residents to chip in. Whatever they can manage makes a difference.
The crowdfunding appeal has a target of three thousand pounds. The funds will cover: 1. Start-up costs including insurance 2. Servicing the customer lift and well as vital updates to fire, safety and security systems.
Volunteers at the Hub have produced a video as part of their crowdfunding page. As a sign of how long it’s taken to get to this stage, the volunteers in the video below mostly appear wearing winter clothes.
Natalie North, one of the volunteers behind the project, said โWe have arrived at an exciting point. Now we’ve signed the lease we’re ready to turn this empty building into an amazing Hub in Swindonโs town centre’
Calling Swindon residents and businesses
‘We’re calling out to all Swindon residents to support this charitable project. We’re all volunteers and itโs all not for profit’, Natalie added.
The Hub opened its doors for the first time last Saturday, offering a sneak preview and a chance to get involved.ย Volunteers welcomed shoppers and passers-by inside the former River Island store. They aim to make the new Swindon Hub a vibrant venue in the heart of Swindon.
Some of the over 100 visitors to the Hub picked up a cloth or a broom, lending a hand to the big job of cleaning and dusting. Almost two years since the last tenants moved out, plenty of dust had accumulated.
‘It was a big job’ said Mark Page, one of the Hub volunteers. โBut itโs going to be well worth it when all the events and activities start happening’, he added.
The gang encourged everyone who visited to pick up a felt pen and put their ideas down on the Dream Board. In other words a huge sheet of paper where people could suggest what they would like to do or see in the new community centre.
‘Weโve had so many great ideasโ says Jol Rose, one of the organisers on the day. โOur next step is to start making those dreams real. The Crowd-funder is key to getting the place ready’ Jol said.
The Beat the Street Swindon game is set to enter its Go Explore week. The point here is to encourage participants to find the areaโs best heritage and cultural gems.
So far, 23,700 participants have signed up and have together walked, cycled, run, scooted and wheeled 76,000 miles across Swindon.
Teams are in with a chance of winning vouchers for books or sports equipment. All they have do is walk, cycle or roll as far as possible between the beat boxes and hover their fobs or cards over the beat boxes to score points.
The furtherย players travel, the more points they score for their community or school team. The first Beat Box you hover your card over marks the start of your journey. Walk, cycle or roll to the next one and you score 10 points. Then keep going!
Beat the Street enters its go explore week
Leaderboards
There are leaderboards for schools, community teams and charity teams Jessie May and The Harbour Project.Each is divided into total and average points to ensure that smaller teams are in with an equal chance of winning.
Currently, Haydonleigh Primary School leads the total points leaderboard and Stratton Team Ministry leads the average points leaderboard. But itโs still all to play for!
This week is Go Explore. Events include a Swindon Town Centre Story Trail on Saturday, 25th September from 11am to 3pm. In that players can locate 10 missing scrolls around the town. And participants can also score double points on Beat Boxes 143 and 144.
Councillor Brian Ford, Swindon Borough Councilโs Cabinet Member for Adults and Health said:ย ‘Itโs great to see people embracing the Beat the Street game and clocking up an impressive number of miles. There are bonus points on offer on some Beat Boxes to help you get out and about and to find new routes to school or work, plus other local areas you may not have known about.’
