21 Bridge Street Swindon. AKA a branch of Swindon Co-operative Provident Society from 1927 onwards.
I’ve featured the building you see here because it’s a fine building in a somewhat less parlous state than many. And it’s part of Swindon’s Co-op story. Something I feel I shouldn’t let this series pass by without mention.
It’s a story that’s less than ideal in its complexity. It’s rather a bad acid trip trying to unravel it. One reason for that being that Swindon managed to have not one but THREE Co-operative societies. They were:
The Swindon Co-operative Provident Society – founded in 1850 with a small bread shop.
1861/62 saw the formation of the New Swindon Industrial Co-operative Society – a breakaway from The Swindon Co-operative Provident Society.
Come 1880, a third group, the Kingshill Co-operative, opened in Radnor Street.
So what I’m going to do is offer a few facts, gleaned from a brief history of the Swindon Co-operative Provident Society Ltd, as it concerns our building, to give you an idea. In that document there’s a poor quality photograph of it in its former glory. And I’ll get to that in a bit.
As anyone that was a schoolchild in the 1950s and 1960s, worth their salt, ought to be able to tell you, the Co-operative movement began in Rochdale, Lancashire in 1844. There and then, a group of twenty-eight men, set about selling food at honest prices. And to share the profits through a dividend – known as the divi.
I remember well walking up the road to the ‘corp’, as we called it, to buy milk tokens – different colours for different types of milk. These we’d put on the doorstep, one token per pint required, and the ‘corp’ milkman would collect them and leave the requisite bottles of milk. And the tokens would return to the branch for reuse. Recycling before it had been invented. And I remember mum’s divi book too …anyway …
The building now
As the image shows the bottom half of the building is in a mess – but the upper floors do appear to be occupied.
As you can see the bottom half of this building most recently served as a drinking establishment. But it must have had more uses than that. Was there a branch of the much-loved-much-missed Norman’s furnishings in this building? If anyone can clarify anything I’d be grateful.
21 Bridge Street Swindon 1920s – from 1927 a branch of Swindon Co-operative Provident SocietyDetail 21 Bridge Street Swindon 1920sOur Bridge Street Co-op building and the two buildings to the right of it housing Norman’s furnishings in 1990.
Now 21 Bridge Street might around the corner, onto Fleet Street (see above) behind the Public Benefit Boot Company premises on the corner itself – and a modern building replacing what you see in the local studies pic below.
The Local Studies Flickr site has the image below described thus: 1934: East Street Co-op on Fleet Street, Swindon. Is this another entrance to ‘our’ building? Or is it another branch altogether? That it’s referred to as East Street Co-op rather suggests that. As does it not being the same style as our building. There again that might mean nothing at all. Answers on a postcard please!
The New Swindon Co-operative Provident Society – 1850 to 1951
Cover of a short history – 1850 to 1927 – of the Swindon Co-operative provident society ltd21 Bridge Street as it used to lookAnother Swindon Co-operative Provident Society building at 16/17 Bridge StreetSwindon Co-op Provident Society Ltd advert
It began with a box of bloaters … I think …
In the latter part of 1850, a group of Swindon men resolved to follow the Rochdale pioneers and buy goods from wholesalers and merchants. They started with a box of bloaters/herrings and followed that with grocery and flour.
From 1853 to 1862 the society’s fortunes varied. Business first took place at 4 High Street – by the the corner of Oxford Street. The society then rented a bakery in Church Place. At length Dr Swinhoe had a house built on the site – what we now know as Park House.
They then decided to buy land to erect a bakery. On Oct 21st 1862 the society bought a plot of land at East Place for £51 and moved the registered office to it.
But the grocery part of the business it seems, wasn’t as successful as the bakery side of the enterprise. As a result, the committee took the decision to drop the grocery and concentrate on the bakery. Unfortunately some of the membership were unhappy with this decision and formed a breakaway society. Thus the New Swindon Industrial Co-operative Society came into being.
On January 27 1951 the Swindon Co-operative Provident society (offices on Henry Street) ceased to exist as a separate entity. It became part of the New Swindon Industrial Society – known locally as the East St Society or the East Street Co-Op. And the name lived on until 2005.
East Street – ? the first branch of the New Swindon Industrial Co-operative societyBlock of flats across from the East Street Co-op building Membership card for the New Swindon Industrial Co-operative SocietyAdvertisement for the East Street Co-opProduce on offer at the East Street Co-op
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones
So there you have the barest of bones of Swindon’s Co-op story. Here’s an interesting thing though. If you go to Bridge Street and study this building you can see ghosts of the legend: New Swindon Co-operative Society Ltd (see images below).
AND if your eyes are sharp enough, the lettering of an earlier incarnation appears. I can’t make it out but it’s possible it’s the one on the image in this history brochure:
Brochure Swindon & District Co-operative SocietyNewSwindon Co-operativeSociety
Wyvern’s Summer Youth Project Starts for 2024. This summer, the Wyvern Theatre Summer Youth Project is heading under the sea as they present the enchanting tale of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
This vibrant production, sponsored by Coatstone Surfacing, features a cast of talented young performers from across the county. With a mere two weeks of intensive rehearsals, these budding stars will be ready to dazzle audiences. With their portrayals of Ariel, Prince Eric, Ursula and other beloved characters. The show promises:
Stunning choreography
Elaborate costumes and …
… a captivating set that will transport the audience to the enchanting underwater kingdom.
Wyvern’s Summer Youth Project Starts – The little mermaid
Oli Webb, creative learning manager and producer for the summer youth project says ‘I can’t wait to see the energy and creativity that these young talents will bring to the Wyvern stage. SYP is a fantastic opportunity for them to shine and for us to support the next generation of creatives’.
Meet the team
Local legend, David Ashley, is leading the creative team. Along with musical director Andrew Collis and Meg McCarthy, choreographer. Assisted by Richard Abrams (assistant musical director) and Caitlin Nicholls (assistant choreographer).
Tickets are available now and you can buy them online at here. Or by phone on 01793 535534, or in person at the Wyvern Theatre Ticket Office.
We recommend early booking to secure the best seats and avoid disappointment.
Don’t miss the opportunity to support local youth talent and experience the wonder of The Little Mermaid in this exceptional summer production. Join us for a journey ‘under the sea’ that will delight and inspire the entire family!
The Little Mermaid | Wyvern Theatre – Thu 15 – Sat 17 August 2024 | swindontheatres.co.uk
Swindon Open Studios 20th Year. 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Swindon Open Studios (SOS). And it’s the BIGGEST EVER in its history. 130 artists and craftspeople in 56 venues across Swindon and the surrounding areas are participating.
Swindon Open Studios 20th Year – SOS2024 save the date Leaflet 2024
This FREE community-based art event during the last two weekends in September, gives access to a wide range of:
Oil paintings
Acrylics and watercolours
Ceramics
Stained glass
Jewellery
Mosaics and digital art and even life-size film props.
Swindon Open Studios 20th Year – website QR code
In the beginning
When Swindon Open Studios first began, a few artists invited family and friends but by 2004, fifty-three artists took part.
Since then, SOS has more than doubled. It’s grown into a thriving and supportive arts community. One that banishes the myth that Swindon is a cultural desert! Swindon’s event is proudly inclusive. It celebrates creativity by welcoming amateur artists alongside full-time professionals.
Benefits all round
Everyone benefits. Visitors see many beautiful creations and artists get to meet their audience, gaining valuable feedback. The muck and mess behind the scenes is all part of the creative process and visitors might even find inspiration to take up a new hobby. The back catalogue of work shows how themes develop and creatives share the stories behind particular works.
Some venues offer Have a go sessions such as pottery classes or how to cut stained glass. (Please check online to see if you need to book and pay for in advance).
According to Sheryll Fox of the committee, ‘Swindon Open Studios is for everyone. It’s really accessible, plus you get to meet the artists and see where the magic happens.’
There’s an incredible variety of arts and crafts on display in the twenty venues in central Swindon. They include Artsite with twenty-one artists and PodPad with nineteen artists. While New College offers an end-of-year show for students of their work in art & design, media make-up and photography.
Joining Bare Glazed Pottery, Eastcott Studios and MAMS gallery are Sue Barnes, Victoria Carter and David Bent. Then there’s Lisa Lowe, Tim Carroll, Steve Sewell, Andi Theokle, Ken White and Sholeh Jafari. Also you can visit Alex Crump, Helen Savin, Carmen B Norris, Tracey Baker-Stewart, Sheena Dickens and Deepti Arora.
Planning your visit
To plan your visits, check website map for details.
QR code for SOS 24 map
Several homes, studios and exhibition spaces offer light refreshments and garden spaces to enjoy which makes it a great day out.
Check the website swindonopenstudios.org for details of location, disabled access and a full catalogue of all 130 participating individuals and art groups.
For updates, follow #swindonopenstudios.
Don’t forget to save the dates now: Saturday/Sunday 21st/22nd and 28th/29th September.
From mid-August, brochures will be available across Swindon in Libraries, community centres, pubs and clubs.
Re-enactment Rounds Off Athelstan 1100. Malmesbury’s month long Athelstan 1100 celebrations ended with a re-enactment of an Anglo Saxon battle. The battle took place alongside an Anglo-Saxon village in the town’s riverside St Aldhelm’s Mead.
The full display of Anglo-Saxon living, included:
Cooking
Baking
Weaving and making
Plus stirring battle-re-enactments
Re-enactment Rounds Off Athelstan 1100 – battle re-enactment scene in Malmesbury
Hundreds of residents and visitors enjoyed the opportunity to discover how people lived their lives in Malmesbury over 1000 years ago.
A town hall transformed
On Saturday Malmesbury’s Town Hall underwent a transformation into an Anglo-Saxon feasting hall. There, more than 100 people from the town gathered to enjoy a meal put on by the team at the Old Bell Hotel. Evensong at Malmesbury Abbey rounded off the weekend.
Athelstan 1100 project lead Cllr Campbell Ritchie said:
This was a great way to finish our events marking the 1100th anniversary of Athelstan becoming King and his special relationship with Malmesbury.
‘The re-enactors of Regia Anglorum, who live and breathe the Anglo-Saxon period, were brilliantly engaging and informative. They provided a great opportunity to see beyond the words and pictures in text books. Visitors got a feel for the period of Athelstan and the people who are part of our rich history.
‘We’ve had a great month. We’ve enjoyed internationally famous speakers. There’s been Malmesbury’s Big Athelstan Dig, which still has its finds to reveal. Not forgetting of course:
The banners
Art and drama and films
Publications
The markets and picnics that have filled our high street and open spaces around town.
‘This was alongside the world class Athelstan exhibition in the Athelstan Museum. And not forgetting the opening of new permanent visitor attractions, including Malmesbury’s Athelstan Trail and the Athelstan Pilgrim Way, with a statue to come.
‘I’d like to thank everyone who has helped make Athelstan 1100 so far reaching and engaging.’
The Athelstan 1100 project was a huge community event involving 100s of volunteers and businesses.
St Mary’s Church Rodbourne – given a Grade II listing by Historic England in 1951. The British Listed Buildings website tells us that this is an Anglican parish church of C13, C19 and C20. Consecrated c.1250 although it looked much different then.
1848 saw it enlarged and restored.
As you can see from the photo, the church sits in a quite open situation on the northern side of the B4587. Pavements and grassy verges separated it from the road. A stone wall borders the graveyard and a gate at the western end gives access.
St Mary’s Church Rodbourne C13The interior of St Mary’s church at Rodbourne Cheney
Church history
No written record of a church in the 13th century exists. But, the present building has incorporated into it, two carved stones, thought to be Saxon. It’s probable that they came from a Saxon preaching cross. And further, were most likely, formed in the pattern known as ‘The Tree of Spiritual Life and Knowledge’. This would indicate the presence of an earlier place of worship on this site.
A replica of the saxon cross over the grave of a previous vicar, Rev E R Knapp, near the South door.
In 1324 the Church passed to the monastery at Hailes, Gloucestershire. From there, there came a sporadic and itinerant exercising of a ministry. As far as anyone knows, the main concern of the Glocs owners was one of extracting as much as they could from it. Following the dissolution of the monasteries during the Tudor period there came a hiatus in parish records.
The Parish
St Mary’s is the parish church for Rodbourne Cheney – once a village called Hreod Burna after the stream that runs through it. It later became Reedy-Bourne – but listed in the Domesday book as Redbourne.
John Aubrey wrote in around 1666: ‘In the reign of Edward, the Advowson was in possession of Ralf Le Chanu. He being the possessor of the manor, under Richard, Earl of Cornwall. On the death of Richard, the crown granted the Lordship and Advowson to Hugh le Despencer, Earl of Winchester. By whom, in 1323, the advowson and some lands were given to the monastery of Hales in Gloucestershire.’
The 1848 restoration
An 1845 description of the church’s nave put it as ‘much disfigured with hideous pews and galleries.’ And the south chapel was described as ‘damp, dirty and disused’.
An appeal, dated 5th May 1848, stated that Rodbourne Cheney’s population had much increased. Much thanks there to its vicinity to the railway station of Swindon’s new town. At that time, part of the church was regarded as being in a dangerous state. And the whole in a dilapidated condition.
In order to achieve that, and to meet the needs of the growing population, it was felt necessary to lengthen the nave and build another aisle. The consensus was, that this would enable the church to afford comfortable sittings for 434 persons. Rather than indifferent accommodation for 246.
The estimated cost of the work hit £1500. Though even before the launch of the appeal the parish had itself raised £500 – quite an achievement. Before the year ended they’d raised the money and got the church hallowed.
The restored and enlarged church featured the commodious north aisle and west tower with Norman and Saxon stones built into it. All serving as the abiding evidence of the unbroken succession of Christian worship on the site for over 1000 years.
