But in this post I want to talk about Mrs A’s Indian Gentleman by Dawood Ali McCallum. This book is set in Swindon, written by a chap that lives in Swindon and is even dedicated to Swindon.
And, with a central character that is my namesake – how could I not love it?
I heard about this book via this year’s Swindon Spring Festival – which of course, thanks to Covid-19, had to decamp as much of its output as it could to the virtual world.
Now, that’s clearly sad and terrible. But – on the other hand – it does mean that you can still watch and listen to the delightful Dawood Ali McAllum speaking to Matt Holland and talking about his book – described by him as ‘faction’. A mix of fiction and fact set in WWII.
I love the bit on Dawood’s talk where he describes how the book is dedicated to:
1. Swindon: a place which embraces, adopts, adapts and survives. 2. Swindon Central Library 3. Hachette, India 4. The Swindon Spring Festival
How could I not take him and his book to my heart?
Where the action is
I’m about halfway through the book now and I’m loving it. It’s a lovely read. It’s full of gentle humour and it’s so great reading street names and buildings and so on that we’re all familiar with.
Much of the action takes place Inside – and the Queen’s Tap, the GWR Railway Village and the Mechanics’ Institution loom large in the book. As does the GWR Park or Faringdon Road park – gratingly spelt Farringdon. I’m trying to let it go as I’m so enjoying the book. And I’m sure you will too.
Revolution Performing Arts Awarded £35,000 Covid19 Grant
Swindon Theatre Group Get Covid-19 Grant: Revolution Performing Arts – a company that provides classes to children and young people across Swindongets a grantfrom the Arts Council England’s Covid 19 Emergency Fund.
Founder, Fiona Da Silva-Adams said the money has been a life-saver for the organisation.
It’s currently offering its classes, one-to- one support and feedback online via Zoom and WhatsApp. It’s supporting around 350 young people aged 4 -18 years.
In addition, the team works with children in care and provides places free of charge to any young person affected by domestic abuse, referred by Swindon Women’s Aid. The aim is to provide an escape from the trauma of abuse. They also offer a family support morning to encourage autistic young people and their parents to experience the arts and network with each other.
Swindon Theatre Group Gets Covid-19 Grant – In shock
“When we knew lockdown was coming and that schools would close, I went into a state of shock. How would we survive this? Then we made a plan to go online and that’s what we’ve done. We got an initial premises grant which helped for a few weeks.
“This grant ensures that Revolution Performing Arts (RPA) can cover losses and remain a strong and viable company. With that there’s future delivery of performing arts twilight sessions for vulnerable young people. When I knew we’d got the funding, I cried and cried. It means so much.
“This now allows us to fund delivery of online sessions (a combination of live, pre-recorded and feedback). And provide a lifeline to young people during the pandemic.”
The birth of RPA
Fiona set up RPA in 2007 after a successful performing arts career which saw her study at the University of Middlesex and then return to Swindon to manage the Sixth Sense Theatre group – now known as Prime Theatre).
She struck out on her own under the original name of Drama Babes after having her children. The business has grown ever since and was later re-branded as RPA.
After school clubs
“We run after school clubs in many Swindon schools and often in non-school settings offering a range of activities from dance and drama to circus skills,” Fiona said.
“Young people often come to us to feel included, respected and celebrated. They strive to create excellent works of high artistic quality. They can do this because they feel safe to express themselves. These sessions will ensure they remain connected and included and safe.”
Fiona manages a team of 15 workshop leaders, some employed, some freelance and some volunteers. The grant, from Arts Council England via The National Lottery, allows her to keep working with them all as they deliver online workshops. This is valuable as subs have dwindled due to families being unable to afford the fees.
This isn’t the first time RPA have been in receipt of funding. In 2016, they received a smaller grant from Arts Council England in 2016 for an anti bullying film project in collaboration with Cre8 Studios.
Despite the fact that I’m less than fond of cooking, I don’t spend a lot of dosh on takeaways/brought in meals. Not as a rule. But with the Covid-19 lockdown situation curtailing any socialising, I’ve treated myself here and there. So, when the opportunity arose to try this Swindon super salad company I jumped at the chance.
What is Super Salad? Super Salad is a small new company that has created what might just be the healthiest single serving meal in the world. It’s a bold statement but with our salad consisting of between 50 and 65 different ingredients and 25+ Superfoods we believe this just might be true.
If you want something at home – and don’t feel like cooking – but want to be healthy these are definitely worth considering.
The two salads I ate were chock full of different ingredients – all finely chopped. It would have taken me hours to create something like that. It takes me all day to make a bloody quiche – snipping bacon and chopping onions and garlic. Pfft.
You can get an idea, from the image of the leaflet above, of the range that the company offers.
Talking of garlic, I topped both of the salads that I tried with garlic in olive oil, cubes of feta and a few vine ripened chopped tomatoes. And with that, each one was surprisingly filling! This is an important point – I do have quite an appetite (this why I’m not a size 10) so filling me up can be a challenge.
If I’m honest, I found the two that I had a bit on the bland side. That could be my palate – what with me being addicted to chilli olive oil. But anyway, that’s a minor negative soon sorted with a sprinkling of that Himalayan pink salt stuff – it doesn’t half give food a lift does that.
So what you get here is something that’s refreshing and filling. Uber nutritious and full of fibre. I think if you’re trying to lose weight but don’t want to forgo a takeaway treat, these salads are a good option and good value for money.
Dessert Salad
Swindon Super Salad also do a home-delivery fruit salad with which to finish off your super healthy meal.
I tend not to eat much fruit. I don’t personally consider fruit to be food for a start. And aside from that it mostly makes me fart and smell like dead people. Or so my daughter tells me.
However, eaten together with a piece of lemon drizzle cake brought to me by a friend, it was most enjoyable. Though I suppose the cake rather negated all the other healthfullness. Oh dear. How sad. It was was good though!
Simon Webb, is well-known as a maker of beautiful hand-turned writing implements that tell stories. He’s crafted pens from woods that include church pews, Isaac Newton’s apple tree, the mulberry tree at the Richard Jefferies museum, HMS Victory and more.
But it’s arguable that his drumstick pens beat it all.
In 2019, Simon had the great good fortune to get an invite to a charity event at Middlewick House – erstwhile home of Camilla Parker-Bowles – and now the home of Nick Mason of Pink Floyd fame.
Selling his fine pens at the charity event, Simon sold one to Nick himself. An email exchange followed as Nick needed a fine nib fitting to his pen. A service Simon happily provided.
Said Simon: ‘During our email conservation I offered to make something for his charity auction – perhaps from one his drumsticks.
At length, to my great delight, I received a pair of his drumsticks signed by the man himself.’
‘I’ve been working this project and am now proud to reveal the result’ added Simon. ‘I’ve made a rhodium and gold fountain pen and included the signed section of the drumstick in the presentation box with the pen.’
Drumstick Pens Beat It
It’s been a real thrill to do this and Nick has said he’s happy for me to use whatever is left of the wood for what I want. So I’m planning some cufflinks.
They’ll be available from me soon, complete with a certificate of authentication. See picture below showing a prototype where the hickory wood of the drumstick is surrounded by ebony in a sterling silver setting.
Prototype cufflink
An anecdote
Said Simon: I’d heard Nick on the radio early before I set up at the event. The presenter asked if he did any gardening. He replied that it was a standing joke that he was a ‘zero hours’ gardener.
So when my stand caught his eye and he wandered over to me, I shook hands with him and said it was great to meet another zero hours gardener.’
Jubilee Lake Nature Reserve RWB – Royal Wotton Bassett
3rd June 2023 – update
In the period since Lis wrote the post below about Jubilee Lake, my good friend Marilyn Trew has busied herself painting a map and information boards for a nature quiz trail that takes you all round the lake. You can pick up the trail leaflet at the cafe by the play area. Be sure to have a pen/pencil.
jubilee lake nature trail quiz -art work by Marilyn Trew
And one of the information boards featuring Marilyn’s most marvellous artwork:
Information board about bats on the Royal Wootton Bassett Jubilee Lake nature trail
I did this trail with my 6-year old granddaughter and she loved it. In part that was because she’s a task-oriented child. So even if the subject matter of a trail doesn’t interest her too much she’ll still focus on finishing the task. But that wasn’t the case here. So this is a fab, free activity for any time of year.
The cafe at jubilee lake in Royal Wootton Basset
The cafe at Jubilee Lake – there’s also a great play area.
About the lake
Here’s a smashing guest post from Lis Mcdermot about Jubilee Lake Nature Reserve Royal Wotton Bassett. Until recently I had no idea about this place. And, as you’ll see, it took Lis a while to realise it too!
We had lived in Royal Wootton Bassett for eleven years before we realised there was a lake!
In 1940 the Town Council purchased Wootton Bassett Lake. But it wasn’t until 37 years later, in 1977 that it became Jubilee Lake Park, renamed to mark Queen Elizabeth ll’s Silver Jubilee.
2007 saw the lake area designated as a Local Nature Reserve. It is a beautiful, small area of ancient woodlands and meadows, located north east of the town, a little over a mile from the High Street.
After parking in the lake car park you can choose to either walk though a little copse or walk down the tarmac road. The latter being a much easier option for anyone pushing either pushchairs, or wheelchairs.
Taking the road
The road though has quite a steep incline as you near the lake, which can make it hard work on the way back up to the car park. The copse has a little stream that runs down through the middle. In spring months it’s with blue bells and wild garlic; a wonderful aroma.
f you choose to take the road you’ll pass the large children’s’ play area, and Jubilee Tea Rooms where you can stop for tea and cakes, or ice cream on extra hot days.
The park has plenty of activities for children including quiz leaflets. You can colllect these from either the Lake Tea Rooms, or the Town Council Office on the High Street. There are also public toilets in this area.
Seasons in the sun – or maybe the snow
If you visit the lake often during the year, you can watch the seasons change. During the spring it’s lovely to watch the family of geese swimming with their newly hatched chicks.
n the summer the meadow beside the lake is the perfect spot to sit and read, or simply enjoy the sunshine with the family. Later in the year, the trees look magnificent dressed in the autumnal colours. The area is very quiet, and it’s easy to forget that you are on the edge of a small town.
There is also a thriving Angling Club and you often see fisherman sitting in quite contemplation around the edge of the lake with the rods. NB: You need a license for fishing.
The walk around the lake is not that long. So, if you’re walking there for exercise, a mere one walk around never feels quite enough. It’s a somewhat small lake, as lakes go after all. Yet it’s a beautiful area, and well worth visiting.
At present during the Corona Virus pandemic, there is one-way system in place, to ensure people are able to self-distance more with ease.
For more information about the Angling Club, please contact Terry Strange on 01793 346730.
