Fika Coffee Shop Swindon. Alerted by Facebook (it has its uses – as awful as it often is) to the existence of this place, I today hurtled down town to try it out. Well, I did need to go to town anyway so I had a good excuse.
Fika
Fika – pronounced fee-ka – is a new, independent business opened only a few days ago by Martin – who you see below.
Martin Keise proprietor of Fika coffee shop Swindon
Martin’s partner is Swedish – thus the inspiration for the name of his establishment. Fika, as you can see from the images below, is not dissimilar to the Danish concept of hygge. That’s something with which, thanks to a Danish family connection, I’m rather familiar. Did you know that, back in 2017, the word Hygge entered the Oxford English dictionary?
You’ll find this place in what was the 222 coffee outlet on Havelock Square. Martin is serving Rave coffee – and it’s darn good. There’s also a tasty baked good or two.
Coffee in Fika Swindon
He hasn’t yet done anything with the decor of the place. So if you were a 222 customer it doesn’t yet look any different. But watch this space on that.
The website says: ‘Welcome to Fika Coffee & Wine e, a cozy space where great coffee, fine wine, and meaningful moments come together.’ And there are plans for it to be an evening space with wine and music.
Further … there’s a big wall at the back ideal for the displaying of art. And indeed Martin is looking to display local artists there – on a rotational basis. A space where they can display (and hopefully sell) their work. So, if you’re a local artist get in touch.
Malmesbury Marking VE Day Anniversary. The town of Malmesbury will join the international programme of activities to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day on Thursday 8th May. The celebrations will include the lighting of a beacon as a mark of remembrance and respect. Â
VE Day, Victory in Europe Day, marks the Allied Forces formal acceptance of Germany’s surrender. It marks the official end of World War 2 in 1945.
The VE Day commemoration will be in Cuckingstool Mead, Malmesbury. It starts at 8.15pm, with residents and visitors welcome to the commemoration evening.Â
Malmesbury Marking VE Day Anniversary . Cllr Phil Exton, Mayor of Malmesbury who will lead the VE Day commemoration for Malmesbury
Malmesbury’s Mayor, Cllr Phil Exton said: ‘As the king’s representative in the town, it’s a great honour and privilege to serve him at events such as this that the nation is observing.
Many years ago I served in the army. And so respect the courage and dedication of all those who gave their lives. We should always remember that what they did back then is what allows us to have what we do now.
As mayor it feels very poignant to have this as my last engagement.’
Official surrender
Tuesday 8th May 1945 was the official surrender of all German military assaults and operations in World War 2. This occurred after the death of Nazi Party leader, Adolf Hitler, at the end of April 1945.
As part of the UK’s VE 80 campaign, over a thousand beacons and lights of peace will be lit across the country. With beacons being lit from 9:30pm.
Other activities taking place in Malmesbury the same day include the official proclamation at the Town Hall at 8am and the town bells ringing at 6.30pm.
This community event is free to attend and updates are available on the council’s website or social media – https://www.malmesbury.gov.uk
Scott Media Backs Award that shines a spotlight on women solopreneurs. The prestigious Best Businesswomen Awards are again supported this year by Swindon-based PR agency Scott Media.For a third year, Fiona Scott, Scott Media’s Managing Director, is sponsoring the Best Solopreneur category. This category is open to female entrepreneurs who are blazing a trail in their sector.
‘I’m very happy to support this award category again because it celebrates solo entrepreneurs running micro businesses. Such people are so often ignored and seen as freelancers rather than business owners,’ said Fiona.
Scott Media Backs Award – Fiona Scott, centre, with her daughters Lauren Roberts (left) and Georgia Scott
Changing the narrative
‘I’ve always disliked the narrative that these business owners are somehow less because they don’t employ people or have ambitions to scale up.
‘Many of our clients at Scott Media are solopreneurs. Further they’re innovative and driven. And I can see how much they give of themselves to make their businesses successful.’
Founded in 2015 by multi-award winning entrepreneur Debbie Gilbert, the Best Businesswomen Awards are among the UK’s most prestigious.
The awards cover a wide variety of industries, recognising and rewarding female business talent.
The Best Solopreneur category is open to any female entrepreneur not running a limited company or in a partnership. And who has created a successful business. It’s open to any industry.
Debbie said: ‘Shining a spotlight on solopreneurs is so important. Thus we’re so very thankful to Scott Media for sponsoring this category. Many awards overlook sole traders. So we’re proud to celebrate and champion small business owners who are making a big impact in their industries.’
Fiona added that entering or sponsoring awards is in itself an effective form of PR.
I encourage my clients to enter awards. Both to get the recognition they deserve and as a way of raising their profile. I’ve entered them myself and been fortunate enough to win on occasions. Supporting the Best Businesswomen Awards is my way of giving back to the solopreneur and businesswomen community. And I wish all the entrants in every category the best of luck.’
The deadline to enter the Best Businesswomen Awards is June 10, with finalists announced in July. The final is on October 10, in Daventry. For more information visit https://bestbusinesswomenawards.com/
GLASS CROWN FOR BOTHY GARDENS‘ historic Victorian greenhouse. Bothy Gardens’ Victorian glass greenhouse is reaching the end of its long-awaited restoration. It’s receiving its glass roof ahead of the site’s first open day on Saturday May 10th.
Restoration of the greenhouse started in January 2022. Back then dense grapevines covered it. They were eroding beams and glass panes and a carpet of overgrowth hid the floor.
The hints of its Victorian hey-day lay buried and broken. But Bothy Gardens’ owners Jules Gilleland and Mark Wheeler have worked hard to see the structure returned to its former glory with some modern additions.
‘The restoration has been a long process. Two fig trees had rooted themselves behind the greenhouse. Now cleared, that’s allowed light to reach the structure again. Wooden doors and beams were either removed completely due to decay or restored to preserve the historic nature of the greenhouse,’ Jules said.
We replaced or restored the original brick as trees had forced themselves through the structure. We also had to have the metal framework removed and restored. But we managed to keep and clean a third of the original floor tiling.’
GLASS CROWN FOR BOTHY GARDENS – the Victorian greenhouse at Bothy Gardens
Historic significance
The greenhouse is of historic significance because it’s among the earliest steam-heated greenhouses of its time. Many of the original cast-iron heating pipes and some of its original Victorian-tile flooring were intact when Jules and Mark discovered the greenhouse.
The final stage of restoration was replacing the glass roof. This needed removing for reasons of safety and modern insulation. Thicker and more reliable glass will be installed in the coming weeks. The new flooring, salvaged heating pipes, and glass roof will preserve the historic significance of the structure.
The greenhouse will become a creative studio for Turtlewings Ltd. That’s Jules Gilleland’s design practice. And it will also serve as a dedicated space for rare orchid propagation, as well as an area to preserve seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Victorian greenhouse at Bothy gardens
More information on the greenhouse restoration and the open day is available at www.bothygardens.com
Jim Hurst Blue Plaque. Well this is fab – a blue plaque in our GWR Railway village, celebrating a son of Swindon, unveiled by our current transport minister, and South Swindon MP, Heidi Alexander.
The unveiling came as part of the 200th anniversary celebrations of the birth of the railway.
Jim Hurst Blue Plaque – Transport minister and South Swindon MP, Heidi Alexander. Photo from GWR.The blue plaque dedicated to Jim Hurst – photo from GWR
Who was Jim Hurst?
Well James (Jim) Hurst was a man who worked at close quarters with such railway pioneers as George Stephenson, our very own Sir Daniel Gooch and the legendary Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Hurst found himself appointed as the first locomotive shunter for the GWR, taking to the tracks on 28th December, 1837.
Now the commemorative inscription sits above the front door of the last dwelling that Jim called home. And that was Taunton Street in Swindon’s historic railway village.
Hurst’s backstory
Entering the world in Lancashire, in 1911, Hurst began his railway career aged 14, as assistant to George Stephenson, surveying the land that became the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. As a result of this work, 1832 saw Stephenson employ him at an engine house in Salford as a fireman. Two years later, Hurst achieved promotion to engine driver. Every school boy’s dream?
While driving locomotives to the Vulcan foundry of Charles Tayleur & Co. in Lancashire, that he met and befriended a young apprentice by the name of Daniel Gooch. He of course went on to the dizzy heights of first Locomotive Superintendent, appointed by the chief engineer of Great Western Railway, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Jim Hurst joined his good friend soon afterwards, relocating to Paddington.
Another tale to tell
And of course, all the above is all well and good. But historian Frances Bevan, paints a different/alternative portrait of Jim on her Radnor Street cemetary blog. She tell us that, a personal friend of Gooch he may well have been. Yet there was escaping that Jim Hurst was a tricky character. It seems that GWR official reports tell a tale of arguments, rows, conflicts, accidents and even fights – all through the career of the company’s first driver.
It seems his first driving accident took place in 1856 while still in the employ of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. Though sacked, Gooch, by now Locomotive Superintendent of the GWR, hired hm again almost at once. Though Frances tells us that, when recounting the story to the company magazine, many years later, he gave an entirely different explanation of the circumstances.
To finish
There’s much more to Jim’s story in Frances’ blog so do follow the link above to read the rest. I’ll finish though with this extract from it:
For the last 30 years of his life Jim was a Swindonian, living in the Railway Village and earning, through his pension, more than most of the general workers ‘inside.’
Jim’s time ran out in August of 1982 when he died in his 81st year. He lies with his wife in Radnor Street cemetery. It does seen odd that, given that he and his family had the means to afford a memorial, his grave is unmarked. The Swindon heritage team uncovered it in the summer of 2016.
Thus it’s kind nice, I suppose, that there’s now a blue plaque commemorating him.
Heidi Alexander, MP Swindon South and Jim Robbins, Leader of SBC.
