I, like many other people I daresay, had formed the impression that the only piece of Ken’s Swindon work, still in existence, isthe Golden Lion mural.
So imagine my surprise when, just t’other day, a tweet appeared on my Twitterfeed from the friends of Lydiard Park with an image of a painting of Lydiard House, that Ken did in 2005. I rather get the impression it’s been in storage or something. Certainly, I’ve been in that house more than a few times and never seen it. Even now it’s leaning against the wall in a tucked away corner of the rooms that are open.
Ken created the triptych as a joint project between Ken and Intel. Some Intel staff did some of the painting. The idea of the artwork was, according to Ken, for children to find things in the painting around the house.
Indeed, hidden in the bottom right hand corner is the image of a very famous Swindon figure.
What else is there to see at Lydiard House?
Well. Quite rather a lot actually. The member of staff on duty, Adrian Smith, gave me a bit of a tour explaining some of the paintings etc. He’s really very knowledgeable – as you’d expect – and I must seek him out again and pay more attention. Why? Because, TBH, I was too stunned about the Ken White triptych to concentrate fully. That and thinking, as Adrian spoke, that small in number as the available rooms at Lydiard might be – there’s a heck of a lot of stuff that is simply not shouted about enough. WHY is Swindon so bad at this?
For example on this visit I noticed a couple of watercolours that I rather liked, created to accompany a 1951 newspaper article about the house written by none other than Aldous Huxley of Brave New World fame.
Now, more than once in recent weeks the topic of covering Swindon in 50 Drinks arose. It was somewhat tongue-in-cheek TBH. But then I got to thinking ‘Why not?’ Something a little different for this blog. I hasten to point out that this series of posts WILL feature non-alcoholic drinks too!
So these posts are not about drinks that are #madeinswindon – that would be beer and nothing else I imagine. Though no doubt someone can put me right on that. No, this series of posts are intended as a light-hearted journey around drinks once can enjoy in Swindon. I aim to namecheck 50 different establishments on this journey.
‘There is an old Greek saying that “ouzo makes the spirit” and this is especially true in Greece. The Greek spirit or kefi (KEH-fee) is found in hearty food, soulful music, and the love of lively conversation. A glass of chilled ouzo is the perfect companion to all of these things.
Most people would agree that ouzo is Greece’s most popular alcoholic drink. No other beverage is as uniquely Greek or as closely linked to a culture as ouzo is to Greece. In fact, in 2006, the Greek government won the exclusive rights to use the product name ouzo.’
The GWR Park, Swindon’s oldest dedicated park, in the centre of Swindon’s award-winning GWR Railway Village conservation areabegan life in 1844 as a cricket ground. In that year, the GWR bought land from Lt.Col.Vilett, a local landowner. That land, to the west of the new Railway Village, between Faringdon Road and St Mark’s Church became first a cricket ground and later the GWR Park – known also to some as The Plantation or Victoria Park. Or Faringdon Road Park.
Aside from cricket, the park played – and still does play – a big role in the social life of the the railway village residents and wider Swindon. As such it occupies a special place in Swindon’s history.
Before 1841
Where the park and the GWR railway villagelie used to be open farmland. Colonel Villet, mentioned above, owned two pasture fields that provided the land for the park. They bore the names Rodbourne Lane Ground and Part of Great Ground.
1841 – 1870 – The Railway village and cricket field
1843 saw the GWR open a factory at Swindon for the building and maintenance of trains. At the same the first 300 cottages of the railway village appeared to accommodate the new workers. In 1844 the GWR bought a little over seven acres of further land to give space for or houses, a church, a vicarage, a church hall and a cricket ground.
The Children’s Fete is Swindon’s oldest summer event – dating back to 1866. Organised by the Mechanics’ Institution, it ran until 1939 – except during the Great War. And was only halted by the outbreak of WWII. In 2003, the Mechanics’ Institution Trustrevived the tradition and have run it most year’s since.
In 1903 the Children’s Fête was described as the ‘event of the year’. Around 30,000 took part and by 1907 40,000 people attended.
The Trust maintains the tradition of providing a free piece of cake to all the children attending. Thus, the event has once again become a popular and recognisable part of Swindon’s social calendar.
Sadly, the ornamental, formal gardens, along with the cricket pavilion, the bandstand and glasshouses are long gone. There’s a lovely archive photo of the park here on the Historic England website.
The park does though have a small play area for tiny tots. And, installed in November 2018, in the park’s northwest corner, a WWI memorial. It affords a peaceful spot for some quiet contemplation.
1871 – WWII – A designed park
During this period the open character of the cricket field morphed into a civic park – much like Town Gardens. There came a park keeper’s lodge, glasshouses, fountains and formal gardens.
Also around this time there appeared a drill hall in the parks’s north-west corner for the 190 men of the 11th (Wilts) New Swindon Rifle Corps.
Records show the park in frequent use for cricket, athletics, cycling and rugby. It was often a venue for the New Swindon and GWR Cricket teams. And also the New Swindon Wanderers rugby team.
During the Second World War the entire northern edge of the park was given over to trenches and/or shelters. The park had heavy use for drill practice and it’s said that fairground rides were put up in the park throughout the summer.
The park’s decline
Post war many of the park’s features were lost or removed – the bandstand and pavilion included – by 1956/57. The lodge and glass houses remained until much later though as you can see them on Ordnance Survey maps from 1067-71
A park with a view
What makes this park stand out is what you can see from it. As you walk around the park you can see several of Swindon’s land marks. There’s the water tower and UTC, St Mark’s Church of course. Then there’s Park House and – towering over everything, the David Murray John Tower. Not forgetting the view up to Radnor Street cemetery.
And besides all that, and despite the fact that the glasshouses and ornamental gardens are long on, it’s a lovely park. As soon as you’re a few steps inside it the traffic noise of Faringdon Road recedes and it’s all tranquil greenery.
He’s Out!
This 2015 article from the Swindon Advertiser reports how the legend that was WG Grace played in Swindon several times – both at this park and at the county cricket ground next to the football stadium.
‘Turning out for Bedminster against Swindon at Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol on May 7, 1870 Grace was caught and bowled for a duck by 25 year-old GWR worker John Laverick.
Back to make amends in the second innings, the Grace’s scalp was again acquired for a big, fat, delicious nought, courtesy of a gleeful Laverick.
Despite Grace’s “non-contribution” Bedminster won by eight wickets.
For a man who batted almost 1,500 first class innings, WG was only clobbered with a double-duck on three occasions.
We don’t know whether Laverick was a fast bowler, a spinner, or whatever. We do, however, know that in a sporting sense the Swindon foundry worker singed a very famous beard.’
IMHO, Intelligent Dialogue is a rather good name for a business that does what this Wiltshire-based business does do: training and coaching. And more of that soon.
But first let’s have a little look at the words that comprise this business’ name. Humour me – I did an English degree not long back – so I rather like a word! And there is a point to it – as I’m sure you’re intelligent enough to see.
The mass noun, intelligence, is late Middle English, via Old French from the Latin Intelligentia. That in turn comes from intelligere – meaning understand. Intelligence then is an ability to get and put to good use, knowledge and skills. Besides that, as well as being something we have (or not), intelligence is something we get when we gather political or military information.
Moving on to dialogue– one definition/application of the word is that of a discussion between two or more people or groups. In particular where it involves exploring of a certain subject or problem resolution.
You see now why this is such a great name for a training deliverer? ‘Yes, I do. Tell me more about them!’ I hear you cry.
By which I mean new(ish) to the Swindon/Wiltshire area – (Royal Wootton Bassett to be precise) and not new to their field. Nothing could be further from the truth there.
Indeed, they have well over twenty-five years’ experience in helping their clients to achieve tangible results from the training they deliver.
If you’re in the business of wanting to grow your business and need help with the following then you’re reading the right blog post:
Developing your sales team
Improving the quality of the telephone conversations you have with your customers
Developing your customer experience
Helping your team leaders and managers to flourish
Developing your future managers and leaders
‘Okay, so they’re experienced and they’ve been doing it for a long time. Well so have plenty of other coaching deliverers. Why should I choose them over the Terrific Training Delivery Company that I’ve used before?’
That’s a good and fair question. One which I’ll try to answer.
Why choose Intelligent Dialogue training and coaching for your training needs?
Well there’s the years of practice they’ve had between them for a start. They’ve walked the walk and talked the talk. And I know that’s a cliché – but that’s because it’s true. That’s how clichés form.
The people at Intelligent Dialogue have first-hand, hands-on experience of sales, of management, of call centres and of customer service. In short: they’re training you in what theyknow. That’s not always the case with trainers – there are some who work from a generic written training programme.
That expertise makes them credible. And with credibility comes faster participant buy-in. And buy-in brings faster results.
Tailored Training
What’s more, Intelligent Dialogue work with you and your specific outcomes in mind. What that means to you is this:
Intelligent Dialogue deliver a training course or a development programme that helps its participants build the skills and confidence they need to support your business. And that’s another thing that helps you achieve your ROI in the training.
Be In Tune with Intelligent Dialogue
Let’s assume now that you’ve seen enough to think ‘Yes! I’d love to use these people in my business. I’m sure they’d be great at meeting my customer service training needs but …’ The BUT being that you don’t have the budget. Well never fear, the Intelligent Dialogue, In Tune downloadable training materials are here.
Armed with these easy-to-use materials* you can run your own customer service training.
*Available in US English or British English packs.
You can download a free sample from the website before you commit yourself to buying. And there’s a whole range of materials to choose from. Buy them either as discrete units or as a complete In Tune training package. Either way you won’t hit a bum note.
Prices range from £150 + VAT for the In Tune with Extraordinary Service unit to £950 + VAT for the full package.
What do their clients say?
Another good and fair question. Why should you take my word for it?
Well, you don’t need to because there’s a whole heap of super testimonials here on their website. And a funky illustrated one plucked from their Twitter stream:
Public art at Swindon’s Orbital centre recognises the role of Swindon people in both the defence of the realm and the town’s transport history
Everyone knows about Swindon’s incredible railway history, and the effect it had on the world during its heyday. But fewer people are aware of is Swindon’s aviation heritage. But this piece of public art at the Orbital centre in north Swindon is doing its bit to spread the word.
Swindon Spitfire Heritage Celebrated in a public art piece called Made in Swindon. In this video Dr Mike Pringle talks about it
In the 1800s, Swindon-born, Victorian nature writer, Richard Jefferies, predicted manned flight. From that to the town’s links with today’s space industry, Swindon reaches fo the skies. And even beyond!
Swindon Spitfire Heritage Celebrated
This public art piece celebrates the town’s commitment to being at the forefront of transportation and the defence of the nation.
A range of artworks and interpretation boards tell the story. The installation includes: 1. paving slabs with pictures from students at Abbey North School 2. poems from children at Haydon Wick and Haydonleigh Primary Schools … 3…. and ever-changing art from other local children in the British Land Visitor Centre.
The centrepiece is a sculpture based on the shape and size of a Spitfire wing. It stands in honour of the aircraft built in Swindon towards the end of World War II.
Mike Pringle with the aviation related public art piece called ‘Made in Swindon’ at Orbital
About the Made in Swindon sculpture
The research and design of the sculpture and other works around the Orbital, is the work of local historian/artist Mike Pringle, of Green Rook. Mike is also director of the Richard Jefferies Museum near Coate Water.
The figures within the wing represent the men and women of Swindon involved in the town’s aviation heritage. Both in the sky and on the ground. Swindon provided pilots for the Battle of Britain, and female pilots for transporting planes from one place to another. Besides that, many women working on aircraft repair and construction.
Inthe centre of the sculpture, the two uprights and the glass panels represent tracks and sleepers of the railways. Out of which Swindon’s rich engineering heritage was born.
The management of Orbital shopping park, Broad Gates Estates, commissioned the public art on behalf of British Land. Local fabricators, Stainless Supplies Limited laser cut and welded the sculpture.
For more on the Spitfire you see above:
‘I only learned recently of Swindon’s connections with the aviation industry. And that’s where Supermarine and Vickers came in.
Around 1912 the first aeroplane, a Bleriot monoplane, visited Swindon. Then, not so many years later, Swindonians found themselves thrust into the midst of both aviation industry and history. In 1938 South Marston was chosen as a shadow site due to its good communication links and proximity to the skilled workforce of the Swindon’s GWR works. As Swindon Web explains, shadow sites were sites intended to provide back-up to the leading aircraft factories in the event of war-time attack.
As the jolly useful Swindon Web website further describes, at length the factory passed to Supermarine. The South Marston site became a shadow site of the Castle Bromwich site in the Midlands and the original Supermarine factory in Southampton.
Little remains of that factory now – it’s become an industrial estate. And in part of the massive Honda plant there are echoes while the sports club that was once part of Vickers still retains the name.
In addition of course, there’s the Supermarine roundabout and further homage to the Spitfire is paid in the industrial estate in the area.’
