Canadian Spitfire Pilot Memorial Swindon On a corner of Ermin Street in the Stratton area of Swindon there sits this bench. What follows explains why it’s there.
Canadian Airman Memorial Swindon – Ermin Street, Stratton
The bench you see above serves as a memorial to a Canadian airman killed when his Spitfire hit a tree on Ermin Street – the scars from which you can still see on the tree’s trunk.
The Canadian in question was one Sergeant Norman W. Barbeau, aged 20. He was one of six boys in his family, four of whom served in WWII. Two of them in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He left behind a widow, Florence Marguerite Louise Barbeau, of Montreal, Quebec.
On the 7th December 1941, at around 10:10 am as some of Stratton’s youngsters waited to go to Sunday school, Sergeant Barbeau crashed his Mark 1a Spitfire X4354 in Ermin Street cutting in half the Lime tree at Church Street junction. This Canadian veterans’ website has a virtual memorial to the young pilot. There you can see a picture of the plaque erected by Stratton parish council in 2005.
Barbeau’s plane had struck a petrol tanker on take off. Then, when in flight, the port became detached causing the aircraft to go down.
‘Ken Head was just a teenager when he witnessed the aftermath of a dramatic Spitfire crash in Stratton St Margaret. The plane landed on the lime tree at the intersection of Church Street and Ermin Street. The tree split down the middle but is still standing 63 years later.
‘All the kids used to come out on their bikes to the crash scenes’, Ken recalls. ‘We used to try and get there before the RAF Police to collect souvenirs.’
It was 7th December 1941 and Sergeant Pilot Norman William Barbeau had left Aston Down in Gloucestershire on a Spitfire training flight. Flying over Swindon, the 20-year old Canadian pilot lost control and nose-dived. He died instantly.
Visiting the scene, Ken remembers the day vividly. ‘I can see it. The wheels. The engine. The tailplane. There was parts of him laid on the ground and by the gutter a knee joint. I pushed it with my foot.’
It appears that people passed buckets of water to each other to douse the fire where the plane hit the tree.
The plane was seen to break up before it crashed, and one wing landed in a nearby street just missing resident who had been hanging out her washing. The local bobby P.C. Phillamore did his best to keep local children from getting too close, two boys, Reuben Scarrott and his mate saw the crash. Bill Taylor helped to cover the body with a hessian sack.
Sgt Barbeau rests in the churchyard of Holy Trinity in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire.
On 23rd April 2004, the Parish Council erected a plaque in Sgt Barbeau’s memory in a memorial garden.
Memorial plaque in Stratton for the Canadian airman
Memorial garden in Swindon’s Stratton area for the Canadian airman
And not far away … is this peace garden
Flower bed Stratton peace garden
Bench Stratton Peace garden
Flagpole Stratton Peace garden
Public art Stratton Peace garden
Related: A Swindon-born Battle of Britain pilot killed in action
‘One of the most compelling features about Bradford on Avon is its unique position on the edge of the Cotswolds facing the River Avon. The ancient bridge in the centre of the town remains its natural focus and the bridge still retains two of its original 13th-century arches. The historical view from the main bridge incorporates the hill above the town which is dotted with the old weavers’ cottages and the river bank flanked with the 19th-century former cloth mills.‘
The local building stone is the famed Bath stone – a mild yellow limestone with great architectural potential.
The shambles in Bradford upon Avon
Ravellos
And woollen mills, now converted into flats.
Woollen mills in Bradford upon Avon
An Anglo-Saxon church
And, on top of all these interesting buildings the town boasts an Anglo Saxon church. And the people of Bradford upon Avon don’t beat about the bush, they have an Anglo-Saxon church and they sure want you to see it.
History of St Laurence’s church
In a previous blog I described the Anglo Saxon art in Wiltshire. (Romilly Allen). Though there are some churches here that have the carvings, and elements of the architecture. St Laurence’s though is the only mostly complete building of this period in the county. Thus, it is well worth examining.
St Laurence from the south
William of Malmesbury says this church was standing in the 1120s, but he thought it dated to the time of St Aldhelm who died in 709 AD. It is thought to be early eleventh century, for the nuns at Shaftsbury to house the relics of King Edward the Martyr.
For many centuries the tiny church of St Laurence’s lay forgotten, hidden away behind further random building and ivy growth. Canon Jones, vicar and historian, rediscovered it in 1857 after it had been pressed into use as a cottage and schoolroom.
Later generations have often accused the Victorians of over-enthusiasm in their restoration of old churches. But what we must bear in mind is that most our mediaeval churches were in a poor state following long neglect and sectarian turmoil.
Empathetic restoration
The work at St Laurence’s was undertaken with great sympathy. The only thing you see here that you could call modern are the buttresses, used to hold up the walls following the removal of a supporting cottage. During this work they discovered the carvings of two beautiful angels but sad to sat they are too high in the wall to see with ease.
Architectural features
The first thing you notice with this church is how tall it is, compared to its small size. This is a typical feature of an Anglo Saxon church.
St Laurence’ Church Bradford upon Avon – looking toward the east
The church has distinctive albeit narrow doors. Likewise the windows. Notice the Roman arches on both doors and windows.
And last but not least of course, is the arched arcading. A lot of effort has gone into this church.
Anglo Saxon Art
The Angels are not the only examples of Anglo Saxon Art in the church.
The altar saw reconstruction from a fragmentary piece of contemporary art. It’s interesting that this consists of two designs unique in the county, spirals and tessellated patterns. Unfortunately it is rather battered and Romilly Allen’s reconstruction may well be the best way to visualise the design. (Romilly Allen).
I don’t know what the carver was trying to do, making such a big block of design elements. In insular art, it is the practice to use them as mere fillers. Maybe they were attempting a decorated but minimalist effect? Or they wanted to use a more unusual design element and so turned them into a big feature?
Above it is a fragment of an Anglo Saxon grave slab. (St Laurence’s).
Altar frontal cloth
In a frame on the south wall is the altar frontal.
This is a somewhat modern piece, designed by the church architect Sir John Ninian Comper and worked by Lucy Bucknall, of the Sisters of Bethany School of Embroidery. It is goldwork on a red rose brocade. It spent many years in storage and was not in the best condition. Thus it saw restoration in 1999 by Flo Beith of the Sarum group of Embroiderers who restore ecclesiastical embroideries.
close up of altar frontal cloth St Laurence church Bradford upon Avon
In conclusion
To my mind, the interesting thing about St Laurence’s is that although it is clear that the architect was familiar with Roman ideas, and must have seen ruined examples in Bath (pretty much the other side of the river), they do not use actual examples of Roman stonework.
This is a Roman carving of a deity – likely Aesculapius, which has been re used on the 12th century church in Tockenham, a little south of Royal Wootton Bassett. We call it architectural salvage. But the Romans themselves had a word for it, Spoila. It was common in all societies and at all periods of history.
Some churches of this period do indeed re-use Roman material. The church of St Peter in the Wall, near Bradwell on sea, in Essex is a good example – a little church built on the remains of the Roman shore fort called Othona. (St Peter).
St Peter on the Wall
It includes the thin Roman bricks – more like tiles in fact. Though the Anglo-Saxons were capable builders in stone, as far as we know, there were no secular buildings in anything but timber. It was not a media they were too confident in.
At any rate, next time you are in Bradford on Avon, will you pay a visit to this tiny church that is over a thousand years old?
Thank you very much to Christopher Tanfield who opened up the church for me for an hour.
NB: All Photos by the Author except the Altar drawing (Romilly Allen), and the St Peter on the Wall. Photo: St Peter).
Bibliography
The Church of St Laurence, Bradford on Avon. A short guide. Trustees of the Anglo Saxon Church 2018. A leaflet.
Photography competition focuses on Swindon’s architectural gems
Visit Swindon is inviting photographers to focus on Swindon’s architectural gems in its 2021 photography competition.
The Architecture photo challenge follows the success of 2020’s Hidden Gems photography competition. That saw almost 500 images of the town uploaded to the organisation’s Instagram feed.
The competition is a fun way for amateur photographers to get back out into their local environment. All the while following social distancing guidelines. The Visit Swindon team will share selected images on their own social media channels.
As the town’s businesses emerge from lockdown, one lucky photographer will win a £300 prize bundle sponsored by businesses in Swindon’s Old Town. The bundle will comprise £50 vouchers to spend in the following businesses:
1. Food Magpie 2. Magnum Wine Shop 3. Contemporary art and furniture gallery Oink 4. Lifestyle store Kapada Vintage 5. Willoby’s Furniture 6. The Wood Street Foodhall
There’s also a Sunday roast for two at The Bank restaurant and bar in Wood Street.
* A great bundle of prizes for sure. But what a pity and an opportunity missed by the competition organiser not to show some support for other independent business in the town. There’s enough of them. It’s almost like the rest of the town doesn’t exist. Such a shame.
Old Town-based branding agency Jazzbones is coordinating the competition. It’s MD Nathan Sandhu said: ‘Swindon is steeped in architectural history. And that history is a photographer’s dream.
Swindon boasts:
1. The GWR Railway Village conservation area 2. Victorian houses aplenty in Old Town including Vilett’s House – much-loved by Sir John Betjeman. 3. The Mechanics’ Institution and the Corn Exchange/Locarno and of course … 4. Our GWR Works reimagined as the Designer Outlet centre.
Indeed, what Swindon offers is a giant history book waiting for you to capture with your camera or smartphone.
Not only about old buildings
But it’s not only about the historic buildings. Swindon also boasts plenty of photogenic modern buildings.
Such buildings as the skyscraping David Murray John towert that casts a dramatic shadow over the Swindon skyline. And of course the Brunel shopping centre itself.
And for something left field, consider the Hongxin Chinese Restaurant at Peatmoor Lagoon – AKA the Chinese Experience. Or the futuristic Whale Bridge Car Park in Swindon’s town centre.’
Saving the Oasis – the story so far The Save the Oasis campaign has picked up many followers of late and gathered more traction on social media. So, I figured I’d post an update on who they are and the story so far.
The key figures spearheading the Save the Oasis campaign are Neil Robinson, Emma Williams and Helena Bowie. Though there are many others helping in many ways.
Neil and Emma were regular users of the Oasis, right up to its closing in November 2020. Helena Finch became involved with concern for the loss of the Oasis as a tourist attraction and as a vital facility for families and the disabled. So their passion for saving the Oasis is born of wanting to save a facility that they either used themselves or wish to see preserved for others whose needs only this facility can meet.
Said Neil: ‘I learnt to swim at the Oasis. What’s more I took my toddler daughter swimming there just before it closed. We were one of the last people to use it. This is the best facility for people with young families for miles around. Its loss will be tragic.’ While regular Oasis swimmer Emma Williams, who has knee and hip problems thanks to sports injuries, finds the centre a Godsend because she simply walk into the water, whereas she finds getting into a regular pool with ladder access difficult and painful.
About the listing application
Almost the moment the Oasis closed, Historic England received a listing application from an unknown individual. The SOS campaign does not know who this person is. They’ve tried to find out but data protection prevents.
The20th Century Societyalso put in a listing application – but they were turned down as someone else had got there before them.
How the campaign has unfolded
In the first instance the SOS campaign didn’t support the idea of listing the Oasis fearing it would impede renovation. They changed their minds on it as they understood that there how funding streams available ONLY for listed buildings. The Save Grange Lido campaign tweeted the group late March to give them information about funding streams for listed buildings.
Before that though, article from the 25th February edition of the Swindon Advertiser, reported that Cllr Heenan had written to Historic England asking them not to list the Oasis. He/Heenan said:
‘People are passionate about the Oasis Leisure Centre and its emotional connection to families learning to swim, but this building does not have special architectural or historic interest, and no part should be listed.’
‘Oasis dome is at the end of its life – it’s time for a modern leisure centre’ and ‘I for one, will be keeping my fingers crossed Historic England does not grant it listed status because it is time to give the Oasis a new lease of life and many more families treasured memories.‘ And you can read my rather furious and impassioned response to that here.
All that was in response to a considerable amount of flak that SBC got on releasing this:
IN THE MEANTIME
While all this was happening the SOS campaign didn’t sit on their laurels. They carried out extensive digging and researching to find ways to renovate the dome so it could be sustainable.
Towards the end of March the group had contact from two engineering companies, Studio Octopi and the Iceni Project. Both are experienced in restoring heritage swimming pools. And both were firm that the Oasis dome could be renovated by placing the roof panels with EFTE pillows.
Around this time the team also made contact with Mike Kirkman, director of Sports at Aston University and also involved with Historic Pools of Britain. It’s his belief that refurbishment is possible. Further, the fact that the Oasis has excellent access for the disabled, makes its renovation and saving vital.
In addition, the team’s diligent research and social media use brought to their Twitter door, Robert Guy and Otto Suarez.
‘The loss of the Oasis would represent the loss of an entire building type which is both culturally and architecturally important,’ says Robert Guy, a partner at Bristol-based Arturus Architects.
At every step of the way the team have passed everything they’ve learned and discovered to Cllr Renard. They’ve also tried, many times, without success thus far, to contact Seven Capital – the lease-holders of the Oasis site.
Indeed, the team have tried – hard – to engage with the current administration about the Oasis but with very little response and no noticeable cooperation.
Security and maintenance of the site
Between their own site visits and the ‘work’ of urban explorers and community litter pickers it became sadly clear that both security and maintenance on the site were less than adequate. Break-ins began to happen. This despite the team quite literally begging SBC/Seven Capital to do something about security.
Back in January the team asked for heating and ventilation to be operational to prevent structural damage. All fell on stony ground.
The team have seen many photographs of the dire condition the Oasis is in now.
NB: The contents of this blog are a condensed record of a great deal of tweeting and emailing and Internet research etc, etc, etc undertaken by the SOS team. I couldn’t put every single item into this blog or it would have even longer than it is now. If you want to know more then I urge you to contact the team via their Facebook page or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaveOasis
To conclude … for the moment …
Given all the above and given that GLL, who operate the Oasis, ripped out lighting and all the gym equipment when the announcement came that the Oasis would remain closed after lockdown, there’s no way it could re-open now.
Irrespective of the listing application currently in place.
That’s all for now – we wait with bated breath for Historic Engjand’s decision.
Why do the council hate the Oasis? Indeed, DO the council hate the Oasis?
I confess I’d not considered these questions at all until more than one person gave voice to them on Twitter in recent conversations about the Oasis. And the more I ponder, the more I’m forced to confront the possibility. Let’s look at the evidence for the prosecution.
In the first instance that action, I assume sanctioned by the Council leader, raises many questions. 1. Is it an appropriate thing for a Cllr to do? 2. Does such an action best serve the residents they’ve been elected to serve – many of whom do not want to lose the Oasis for a not-very-lovely, definitely-not-iconic gasometer look-a-like. And many others of a similar ilk.
I don’t know – I’m merely putting out there that maybe this is not something a councillor ought to do.
But putting all that to one side for a moment, isn’t such a thing an overt act of hostility to the Oasis? At the very least it feels like a petty action to take. One that smacks of a mystifying desperation to demolish something deserving of the term iconic. Something interesting, something significant and replace it with something about which, the word bland is the most positive spin I can find.
*Why wouldn’t a town’s administration want to do their damnedest to keep a heritage building? And let’s be clear – the Oasis is equally as much a heritage building as the Mechanics’ Institution, the GWR Railway Village, the town hall and many more.
*There are answers to that question for sure but I’ll leave it there for now.
The aforementioned Adver article quotes Cllr Heenan as saying: ‘People are passionate about the Oasis Leisure Centre and its emotional connection to families learning to swim, but this building does not have special architectural or historic interest, and no part should be listed.’ Cllr Heenan speaks there with both breath-taking arrogance and an authority on architecture I didn’t realise he possessed. Who knew?
Note – since the publication of that piece the Save the Oasis campaign have amassed a great deal of evidence to refute that statement.
Is this or is this not an act of hostility towards the Oasis? And indeed, I will argue, Swindon itself:
I for one, will be keeping my fingers crossed Historic England does not grant it listed status because it is time to give the Oasis a new lease of life and many more families treasured memories.’
Yet again, so many questions raised. How is it appropriate for a Council leader to actively and openly wish for the demolition of a heritage building? That’s an astonishing thing to say and surely wrong on so many levels?! For a start – how are we meant to have any trust in a Council leader with such an approach to heritage assets?
‘Oasis dome is at the end of its life – it’s time for a modern leisure centre’ screamed the Adver headline.
In the first instance there’s no such thing as a building lifespan – only lack of maintenance. And again the Save Oasis campaign have evidence to support that assertion. Apart from that, what gives Cllr Renard the authority to tell Swindonians that it’s ‘it’s time for a modern leisure centre’. Yet more breath-taking, paternalistic arrogance. Whether Swindonians want a new leisure centre or not, is for them to decide – not the council to dictate.
The Oasis as a tourist attraction
The Oasis used to be a huge draw. As Barry Leighton wrote in the Swindon Advertiser in 2015, it was a bigger attraction than Stonehenge! And it could be again! With vision and the right management. Whereas, ‘let’s go to Swindon to swim in a leisure centre that looks like a gasometer’ no-one will say ever!
Anyone would think that our current Conservative administration don’t want people to come to Swindon and spend their money here. Certainly, demolish the Oasis and you’ve got a gaping hole on the Visit Swindon website. #awkward
Have they thought this through AT ALL?
And another point to be clear on there. Any replacement leisure centre that doesn’t feature:
The dome
A freeform lagoon pool that offers easy-access for the less mobile and for small children the like of which nothing else in Swindon offers.
… a tropical themed interior …
… isn’t the Oasis. It’s a North Star Leisure centre.
Thus, dressing that hastily-shoved out CGI as ‘saving the iconic Oasis’ is a misrepresentation at best. And woeful ignorance of what the word iconic does in fact mean. Unless they were being ironic …?
And aside from the swimming, there was football, live music, roller-skating, martial arts, gymnastics and more. I could go on for hours.
But instead, I’ll return to my original questions: Why does SBC hate the Oasis? DO SBC hate the Oasis?
Answers on a postcard! Preferably to the Swindon Advertiser Office!
