Celebrating 50 Years of Baking. From marzipan mishaps to master baker – Swindon-born master baker, Paul Chambers is celebrating 50 years in the trade.
Paul once found himself banished from cookery lessons for throwing marzipan. But that early mischief didn’t stop him from building a remarkable career in baking. Because Paul is celebrating fifty years in the trade. And he’s now combining a lifetime of experience with a passion for teaching the next generation of bakers at Swindon-based artisan bakery Pipp & Co.
‘I left school at fifteen – as lots of people did in those days,’ said Paul, sixty-five, who lives in Grange Park with his wife, Vicki, and has two sons and two granddaughters.
Celebrating 50 Years of Baking – Master baker Paul Chambers
It started with a Saturday job
Says Paul: ‘I had a Saturday job in The Brunel and discovered a small stall from Swiss Chalet Bakery giving out samples. I tried the gingerbread, saw they were looking for an apprentice, and applied. It’s ironic that I’d been thrown out of cookery lessons for clowning around and throwing marzipan – it hit the teacher as she walked in! Though I’d not intended that of course.
Paul’s apprenticeship marked the start of a career that has spanned fifty years – so far!
Paul completed his City & Guilds at Cheltenham Technical College. He was supervising by age 19, mastering celebration cake decoration and sugar craft. He went on to hone his craft across several small bakeries, before stepping into management at twenty-eight. By then he was overseeing eight-two staff in a BRC food standard accredited business, supplying major retailers including M&S, Waitrose, and Costa Coffee.
Later, Paul joined a family bakery business in Bristol, managing fifty-two shops supplying fresh breads, confectionery and savouries. After eight years, he sought a role where he could pass on his knowledge, mentoring others and shaping the future of the craft he loves.
Training manager
Today, Paul is Pipp & Co’s Training and Development Manager, helping develop new products and guiding a team of passionate bakers.
‘I love it, and I have no plans to retire,’ he said. ‘I’m proud of what we make, and my passion is savouries. So it’s exciting to be expanding into that line while sharing what I’ve learned over the years.’
Mario Evangelista, who co-runs Pipp & Co with his wife Betina, said: ‘Paul is a fantastic asset to our team. His knowledge, creativity, and dedication inspire everyone. And he plays a huge role in maintaining the quality and artisan standards on which we pride ourselves.’
Pipp & Co bakes all its products in Swindon using only natural ingredients, with no artificial additives or preservatives. For more information, visit https://www.pipp.co
The Grief Opera, a moving musical journey through grief and loss, comes to Christ Church, Swindon. On Saturday 1st November 2025, Christ Church in Old Town, Swindon, will host The Grief Opera, a powerful production that uses music and storytelling to explore one of life’s deepest challenges: grief.
Blending classical, jazz, opera, concert and musical theatre, The Grief Opera follows a father’s final conversations with his son and the heart-rending aftermath of loss. It’s both an intimate portrayal of bereavement and a wider reflection on the enduring presence of grief in human life.
The Grief Opera – the performers
An unusual production
This unique production is not rooted in religious themes, making it accessible to people of all faiths and backgrounds. Its creators hope the performance will not only offer comfort to the bereaved. But also spark vital, potentially life-saving conversations about mental health and suicide. The leading cause of death among young men.
Nigel Linacre, who wrote the libretto after losing his son in 2021, describes the work as ‘giving voice to the unspeakable.’ Nigel is also the Founder Director of the water charity WellBoring. He recieved the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2023 for his charitable service.
Vladimir Miller is the composer of the music. Vladimir is an Anglo-Russian contemporary composer and band leader known for his expressive and genre-crossing style.
Acclaimed artists are performing the production. Amongst them:
Tenor Neil Latchman
Mezzo-soprano Keri Farish
Soprano Grace Dowdeswell with narration by Ashley Green and a distinguished ensemble of musicians.
‘The Grief Opera opens up a space of recognition, compassion, and healing. By engaging with another’s story, people often find the courage to face their own grief, gently and indirectly,’ said organiser Chris Smith of Christ Church.
Event details
When: Saturday 1st November 2025
Where: Christ Church, Cricklade Street, Old Town, Swindon, SN1 3HB
SALOS Bringing Evita to Town. And rehearsals are well under way for the first-ever production of Evita staged in Swindon. Thus bringing Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s legendary musical to local audiences for the very first time.
From the passionate rhythms of Buenos Aires to the iconic Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, Evita tells the powerful and poignant story of Argentina’s first lady. The show traces her rise from poverty to political power and fame.
Evita is one of the most beloved and challenging musicals. And we’re proud to be bringing it to a local audience for the very first time” said Russell Langdown,Director . ‘The response from the cast, crew, and community has been incredible.’
SALOS Bringing Evita to Town – Evita poster
A SALOS production
Presented by SALOS (Swindon Amateur Light Operatic Society), this groundbreaking production marks a historic moment for Swindon’s performing arts scene. With a talented cast and creative team working hard to bring the legendary and gripping story of Eva Peron to life.
The now closed, buzz-worthy West End revival starring Hollywood star Rachel Zegler as Eva Peron saw ticket prices rise to up to £500 per ticket. But with tickets to SALOS’s version of the show starting at only £23, the anticipation is building and tickets are already in demand. SALOS are encouraging audiences to book early to avoid disappointment.
SALOS Presents: Evita | Wyvern Theatre |15 – 18 Oct 2025| swindontheatres.co.uk
Social Media tags:
SALOS – @salosmts
Evita rehearsal 1
A bit about SALOS
SALOS – a Swindon institution since 1951! THAT is even older than me! Blimey. Indeed, back in 2022, they celebrated their 70th birthday.
The society performed their first production, The Arcadians, in 1952 holding auditions at 79 Bath Road. A current VP, Byron Carron, recalls that his job that day was to greet the would-be, hopefuls for the production. His father, Arthur Carron, an international English operatic tenor, produced that show.
New Care Segment on 105.5. Leading care services podcast You Care, I Care expands into a prime slot at local community radio station, SWINDON 105.5. In so doing it’s bringing awareness of the demands of the social care system.
Janet Shreeve, founder of Shreeve Care Services, is a care consultant with over twenty-years’ experience within the care industry. Janet started her podcast You Care, I Care in 2023. She did it to delve into the state of the social care system with Janet welcoming guests as they share their stories of the system in the UK.
With the topics of the You Care, I Care podcast being uber relevant, Swindon’s 105.5 radio asked Janet to bring her successful format to their air waves.
‘It is a real pleasure to welcome Janet Shreeve and her new programme to SWINDON 105.5. The subject of care is important to discuss, question and to promote good and helpful practices. Janet’s new monthly programme You Care, I Care will help address related issues and highlight local services’ says Shirley Ludford, station manager and trainer.
New Care Segment on 105.5 – Janet Shreeve and Shirley Ludford at Swindon 105.5
Ethos
‘An ethos of SWINDON 105.5 is to broadcast programmes not heard elsewhere in the region. And this show adds to our unique programming.’
You Care, I Care, hosted by Janet Shreeve premiered at 11am on Tuesday 16th September on Swindon 105.5. The show aims to encourage discussion and visibility around the importance of social care.
Aside from hosting this care show, Janet is sponsoring ‘Girls About Town’. That show plays on Wednesdays 10am to 12-noon on SWINDON 105.5, discussing topics from a female perspective.
‘I’m honoured that Shirley has asked me to take my podcast onto Swindon’s local radio. I know how important information and awareness of social care is to the public. So I’m excited to bring that to Swindon 105.5’s listeners,’ said Janet Shreeve. ‘To support “Girls About Town”, a broadcast I adore, is a fantastic opportunity.’
‘I started my podcast and now my radio show to make the social care system more approachable. To be a person people can speak and engage with and know they are getting the support they need through my experiences within the care system.’
‘It’s about bringing care to the forefront of people’s minds. And I’m honoured to be a trusted person to go to for advice and support,’ concluded Janet.
The initial broadcast launched on Tuesday 16th September 2026, You Care, I Care will continue monthly on the third Tuesday of each month. The first broadcast is available for download now.
Historic Walled Garden Welcomes Visitors. Wiltshire’s Grade II-listed Bothy Gardens has launched its 2025 corporate season in style. They welcomed The National Trust, Europe’s largest conservation charity, for a day of training and team building inside its historic walled garden.
Owners Jules Gilleland and Mark Wheeler have poured their energy and imagination into reviving this once-forgotten Georgian walled garden. This horticultural heaven lies on the edge of the Burderop estate, at Chiseldon near Swindon.
Since taking it on in 2021, they’ve transformed the site into a living laboratory of creativity, conservation, and curiosity. There’s:
a restored Victorian greenhouse
rare plant nurseries
a garden library
and the historic Efford sand bed system, an ingenious Victorian irrigation method. In it, layers of sand and gravel allow water to rise evenly through the soil by capillary action. That keeps the beds moist and productive without overwatering.
Historic Walled Garden Welcomes Visitors – Mark Wheeler taking gardeners from The National Trust around Bothy Gardens recently.
Making use of a special space
Using this unique space, the training day with the National Trust combined workshops and garden tours, with sessions on climate resilience, soil regeneration, conservation and horticultural successes.
Among the speakers was Sheila Das, Head of Gardens and Parks, alongside other National Trust specialists. In the afternoon, Mark led a tour of the garden, showing how history and innovation combine at this unique site.
‘Hosting the National Trust felt like the perfect way to start our season,’ said Jules. “For us, it’s about more than growing plants, it’s about growing ideas, skills, and connections.’
They hosted the day in Thomas’ Tunnel. That’s a new 25m polytunnel within the walled garden named in honour of Mark’s father. Once, this walled garden relied on coal-fired furnaces and bothy boys. They slept beside them to keep peaches and pineapples warm. Today, the garden is again a hive of activity, this time buzzing with conservation, collaboration, and creativity.
Historic walled gardens can be up to 5°c warmer than the surrounding environment. Thus they create microclimates. In such environments, Victorians cultivated exotic fruits such as figs, apricots, and even pineapples, right here in Wiltshire.
Bothy Gardens is a passion and vocation for me and Jules. To see the beautiful gardens used for so many different events is astounding. Whether we host a volunteer day, a community open day or a corporate event, seeing the place come to life is exhilarating. It feels like we’re honouring the history of the space,’ concluded Mark.
With a 60-person classroom now in planning, Bothy Gardens’ Living Lab programme is open for bookings. Thus offering businesses the chance to connect with nature, history, and each other in one of Wiltshire’s most unusual event spaces.
