The MIT (Mechanics’ Institution Trust) community engagement officer: Dan Fishlock
I’ve been meaning to get to this one for a while now. An introduction to the MIT community engagement officer, Dan Fishlock and what the Mechanics’ Institution Trustis up to. Aside from the elephant in the room that is the Mechanics’ Institution building itself – the trust is jolly busy! It’s important we remember that the MIT is responsible for much more than the Mechanics’ building itself. So, even if that situation appears static there’s a heap of other stuff going on.
MIT Community Engagement Officer – Dan Fishlock 3rd from the left
A Swindonian by birth and upbringing, Dan went off to university to study criminology & sociology. He lived in Cheltenham for a while and worked for McDonald’s for a period as an assistant business manager. There he acquired many useful and transferable skills. But now he’s in Swindon as the MIT community engagement officer.
It’s certain that the MIT has got way more visible since Dan stepped into his role. I’ve noticed the social media being more active, regular newsletters and more. Dan says that membership is growing and they’ve got more volunteers – all of which is fab.
The MIT is engaged with a planning process for staging a full programme of community and heritage events for the coming year. They’ve arranged the events to span all the seasons. This includes opening the railway village museum more often than is possible at the moment. To get more information on the MIT’s events all you need to do is pop to this link here.
The railway village cottage museum
Between January and March (so one is gone already) the MIT is staging a series of Swindon heritage talks. These will take place in Emlyn Square in the heart of the railway village.
The Cricketer’s Arms
We have hopes of starting work very soon on our current, Cricketeer’s Arms, restoration project. We’ve received all tenders and we’re now exploring ways to begin restoration work on the building’s exterior, along with some internal features – all within our current funding.
Community Projects
We’ve started hosting a number of community projects in Swindon’s railway village. These include community gardening, warm spaces and games and activities. But one with a particular heritage focus is our heritage and culture club that runs weekly at the Baker’s Cafe on Emlyn Square.
There you can get involved in local heritage activities such as research, archiving, oral histories and creating exhibitions. If you are interested in learning more or getting involved, please contact me using dan@mechanics-trust.org.uk
Further, we’re proud to be working at close quarters with the Wiltshire Family History Societyto collate information for the project: Our houses through time. We’re always looking for more information relating to each address within the railway village throughout history. We intend to collate all of this information onto a map that can explain the history of a building by location. If you have any information, please do get in touch.
I’ve read this book – and what an engaging read it is with many resonances for me – and even shared experiences. It’s also rather funny!
I had a working-class childhood in a mining area – Steve had a working-class childhood in an industrial Swindon. So many similarities. One working-class background is very much like another. And we both had Timex watches in our teens!
Steve though went to university in his youth – something that I did only in recent years. And in similar vein I’ve only VERY recently become somewhat politically active – whereas Steve grew into a most politically engaged youth – and that makes a neat segue into Badgeland. In Steve’s words:
‘… a book about a politics obsessed teenager in Swindon in the 70s and 80s. He believed that working-people had everything to gain from socialism. The only problem was they didn’t agree with him. It’s a story about coming of age, class, politics and social mobility.’
Badgeland – A Swindon Socialist’s Memoir – front coverBadgeland – A Swindon Socialist’s Memoir – back coverSteve’s actual jacket with all (well most) of his badges
About Steve Rayson
Born in Cirencester, the baby Steve came to Swindon when his family moved to the town – to upper Stratton near Penhill Primary School. In due course of course, Steve became a pupil there. Then from there to Ruskin Junior school and onto Headlands.
The first generation of his working class family to go to university, Steve’s venture to Bath university to study economics and politics left behind parents puzzled at his interest in politics.
So – I’m v.much enjoying this book and recommend it to you. But don’t take my word for it. Take that of David on Twitter:
‘I can highly recommend Badgeland a fantastic memoir of growing up, family, left wing politics and so much more. 5/5′
Also from Alan Johnson, the former Health Secretary:
‘Steve Rayson’s depiction of British politics in the 70s and 80s is pitch perfect but this book is much more than that. It’s a tender reflection on father/son relationships in working class communities and the fault line that can develop between them through a university education. The best memoir I’ve read in years.’
The book is also available from Bert’s Books in Swindon’s Old Town. More info about Bert’s Books here:
Swindon charities unite to support Time to Talk Day
Charities from across Swindon are coming together on Thursday 2nd February to hold Swindon’s Biggest Conversation.
Time to Talk Day aims to get as many people as possible talking about mental health. Events across Swindon will encourage people to talk, listen and change lives.Swindon Wellbeing are coordinating the day. That’s a network of local organisations focused on helping people with their mental health and wellbeing.
Time to Talk Day – Yazmin Taylor of Swindon and Gloucester MIND
Yazmin Taylor, Service Lead at Swindon & Gloucester Mind, said: ‘Mental health problems are common and can affect any of us. Yet too often people are afraid to talk in an open way about mental health for fear of judgement.’
It’s easy to think there’s no right place to talk about mental health. But the more we talk about it, the better life is for us all. Time to Talk Day is a chance for everyone to open up – to talk, to listen, to change lives,’ she said.
Events
Swindon & Gloucester Mind is running events throughout the day at Swindon Hub, the community space on The Parade in Swindon’s town centre. Other organisations have events running at:
Pinetrees Community Centre
Olive Tree Café
the Nythe Centre.
People can struggle to find the right time or place to talk about mental health. Thus Time to Change is asking people to have a conversation wherever they are – at home, at school, or even at the top of a mountain.
One in four of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year, but many of us are too afraid to talk about it. Starting a conversation about mental health might seem daunting. But simply sending a text, checking in on a friend or sharing something on social media can break the ice.
‘We want to encourage everyone one to get involved and get talking’, says Jol Rose from Voluntary Action Swindon, one of the campaign organisers. ‘We all have mental health so it’s something for everyone.’
Gosh! It’s been a while since I’ve been able to do a new Swindon sons and daughters post. But thanks to a bit of help from Chris Eley, here’s William Stanier (Jr) – Swindon born and lifelong railway man. With a bit of mention of Stanier senior for the craic.
William Stanier Railway Man – in the GWR magazine in 1913
When William Stanier entered the world in Swindon on 27 May 1876, he was born into a railway family. His father was William Dean’s Chief Clerk at the GWR. So it came as not much of a surprise to anyone when, in 1891 young William followed his father into the GWR. First as an office boy before serving a five-year apprenticeship in the Swindon Works.
Stanier Snr paid the massive sum (in the day) of £150 to get his son onto the premium apprentice scheme – this comprised much more than merely making the tea. The system went like this: the first apprenticeship awarded to a family came free. But subsequent children cost £100. It’s no surprise that a many missed out because their parents couldn’t afford to pay. Thus some joined the Swindon works having trained or worked elsewhere first.
So Stanier junior started his apprenticeship and worked his way up. And in 1904 he achieved promotion to the post of Assistant to the Divisional Locomotive Superintendent in London. He returned to Swindon in 1912 as Assistant Works Manager and in 1920 became the Works Manager.
William Stanier Railway Man – in the GWR magazine in 1920
It appears that William Arthur Stanier had a rather cool nickname. His black hair and suit and uncanny ability to appear out of thin air in the workshops earned him the moniker the black arrow.
Headhunted by the LMS – the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
In 1931, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway headhunted Stanier to become their chief mechanical engineer. The LMS wanted him to use the knowledge he’d gained in Swindon to design bigger and more powerful locomotives for their network.
There, Stanier oversaw the design of a range of locomotive including the 8Fs, the “Black 5s,” and the Princess Coronation Class.
A record and a near miss
A Princess Coronation class locomotive, No 6220 Coronation, hauling a train of invited guests set a new speed record of 114 mph just south of Crewe on 29 June 1937. It held that record until the Mallard beat it (of arch rivals the LNER) in 1938. Things didn’t go quite to plan as the brakes got applied a bit late and the train hurtled round the station’s reverse curves at 57 mph. The speed limit was 20 mph!
The locomotive design was super stable with the only casualty being the crockery in the dining car. There’s little doubt that the success of these locos was attributable to Stanier spending the early years of his apprenticeship in the Swindon Work’s drawing office, under the guidance of GJ Churchward. He took some of Churchward’s genius with him to the LMS.
It’s testament to Stanier’s design that the locomotive was able to head back to London on the same day.
World War II, retirement and honours
During WW2, Stanier acted as a consultant for the Ministry of Supply.
He received a knighthood in 1943 and election to the Fellows of the Royal Society in 1944. That made him the only engineer, George Stephenson excepted, to receive that honour.
The final Princess Coronation class locomotive built before natonalisation, No. 6256 was named afer him, Sir William A. Stanier FRS.
Another Swindon link
Sir William has another Swindon connection. He married Ella Elizabeth, daughter of Levi Lapper Morse in 1906. They had a son and a daughter.
He died in Rickmansworth in 1965. A school in Crewe, another railway town, bears his name.
A bit about the Stanier family
Hailing from Staffordshire, WH Stanier Snr (William Henry) joined the GWR at Wolverhampton in the early 1860s. 1871 saw Stanier Snr move to Swindon and take up a role as confidential clerk to William Dean, chief mechanical engineer to be. Able and versatile, Stanier Snr soon became Dean’s right-hand man. It’s after this guy that Swindon’s Stanier Street was named.
He it was who initiated technical education in Swindon by introducing evening classes for apprentices at the Mechanics’ Institution. He conducted these lectures himself for twenty years until the Wiltshire county educational committee took them over in 1891. For more of this go here. Stanier Snr became Swindon’s first ever mayor.
William Stanier Snr – taken in August 1904 – photo courtesy of Swindon Local Studies
The Athelstan Museum’s popular teatime talks return again in February. They promise intriguing recollections about Malmesbury and its history.
Bill Reed will deliver the first talk next month. Bill is the man behind the award-winning Malmesbury Voices collection that began in 2015. It currently contains approximately 250 stories, all in the voices of local people.
A Case of Gross Exploitation features the experience of an agricultural labourer in Malmesbury and recollections about Cracker Clark owner of Abbey Mill Farm. The labourer was Frank Grimshaw and highlights working conditions at the farm in the late 1950s.
Museum Tea Time Talks – Bill Reed
Bill Reed
Bill, who has a background in educational recording and moved to the Malmesbury area in the 1980s, said:
The people of the town tell their stories in the first person. We started to collect the stories before they became lost forever. These are the stories that aren’t written down and are usually told among families or via personal reminiscences.
In this case it’s interesting to hear what conditions were like for Frank. One stand-out incident was a court case involving Frank and Cracker which took place in 1960.’
Bill Reed received a Personal Achievement Award from The British Association for Local History for the Malmesbury Voices project. The award came in recognition of his extensive and longstanding voluntary work in local history. He explains how his persistence digging came up with surprising results:
I’d always wanted to pull together the complete story. And it was only last year I found the actual court case, brought by the then named Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food against Clark. What I discovered is that what people had told me was true.
Even more curious is that the Turner picture which now hangs in Athelstan Museum shows Abbey Mill Farm where Clark and Grimshaw lived.’
Other tea time talks
Other tea time talks include in March Five years in the Choir of Westminster Abbey and Beyond and in April a talk on Graffiti throughout the ages.
The teatime talk A Case Of Gross Exploitation takes place on Wednesday 8th February and starts at 2.30pm. It costs £6.50 (including tea).
The Athelstan Museum is now known for its own work by the celebrated artist Joseph Mallord William Turner RA (1775-1851). The piece shows an aspect of Malmesbury Abbey and is on permanent display.
Tickets for the talks are on sale at the Town Hall, via the website and at the museum.
