94 Ermin Street Stratton. Today it’s an estate agent but this unprepossessing building was, it’s arguable, the crucible of the Morse family’s commercial empire.
Records are somewhat convoluted and not terribly clear. But an edition of the Stratton Outlook, from way back when, states he (Levi Lapper) was born ‘in the shop opposite the Ermin Street Methodist Church which was owned by his father Charles Morse’. And that corresponds with the description that exists of Ebenezer Morse’s shop. That being 94 Ermin Street. But it’s rather hard to verify any of this. The only address that directories and the British Newspaper Archive give is Lower Stratton. And there seems to be no address for Levi’s birthplace beyond the registration district of Highworth.
So! While we can say that it’s possible, more than likely even, that Primitive Methodist Charles Morse ran the shop at 94 Ermin Street first and that Ebenezer later took it over – we can’t say this for certain.
Anyway! If you’ve any knowledge of Swindon’s history at all, the name Morse ought to be familiar to you.
94 Ermin Street Stratton – once the shop premises of Ebenezer Morse – and probs his father Charles Morse before him.
On the image below, from Swindon’s Local Studies collection, you’ll see that the sign above the door, of the grandly-titled North Wilts Emporium, says ‘E Morse’. That’s Ebenezer Morse, a brother to Levi Lapper. This image dates from around 1905. According to the back of the postcard this photograph features ‘W. Wilson and W. Silk, two of the many assistants’.
This shop sat on the corner of Swindon Road and Ermin Street.
But by 1881, Levi saw opportunities in the new Swindon growing around the Great Western Railway. Along with his department store on Regent Street he owned a chain of other shops in England’s south west. He also ran a mail-order business. He cut a fine and important civic figure too – but here is not the place to go into all that. If you want to know more about Levi Lapper Morse then the My Primitive Methodists websitecarries a decent history of the man.
Morse’s Ermin Street shop
The building is listed as a draper and grocers as far back as the 1848 directory, under Lower Stratton. So Charles Morse, we think, was in business from the early 1840s at least. Though it could have been the 1830s. But the information available is scant and unclear.
And that is pretty much all there is to say about 94 Ermin Street. So why, I hear you say, have I included it here? Well there’s a good reason. And that reason is Charles Morse’s son, Levi Lapper Morse (1853 – 1913). Levi Lapper grew up to accomplish bigger and better things – in many areas – than ever his father did. As Frances Bevan’s Radnor Street Cemetery blogpoints out, Levi opened one of Swindon’s first departmental stores, which until the 1960s stood on the present site of WH Smith’s in Regent Street, Swindon.
A Nexus
The significance of this building then, is that it serves as a link between two other buildings in this Swindon in 50 More Buildings series:
And at the centre of this Victorian brickwork triangle is Levi Lapper Morse. For he’s a literal cornerstone of Stratton Methodist Church – in the blog I link to above there are photographs of these cornerstones. And for a period he lived in Granville House. And of course had involvement with his father’s business at 94 Ermin Street.
Grano Lab Italian Restaurant you’ll find in what was Gaetano’s on Victoria Road in Old Town. Yes, before you say it, we do have a goodly number of Italian eateries in the town. We’re blessed that way. But this one is offering something a little different.
As their website says: ‘Grano Lab is an Italian restaurant focused on serving authentic Neapolitan pizza and fresh homemade pasta.’ And fresh pasta is sooooo good.
According to their website the idea for Grano Lab arose when a pair of Sicilian-born chefs saw a gap in the Swindon market for a different dining experience.
Having run the kitchen in a popular pizza restaurant in a neighbouring city, Marco Mazzara and Luca Cusimano felt they wanted to create something for the good folk of Swindon.
So, using authentic Italian ingredients these chefs have created their menu of:
Classic and signature pizzas
Unique shapes of fresh egg pasta crafted in-house every day with sauces exclusive to Grano Lab.
Plus there’s a curated Italian wine list and desserts straight out of heart of Italy.
Below is an extract from the menu showing the in-house fresh pasta dishes. You can see all the menu on the website here: https://granolab.co.uk/menu/
Exract from the Grano Lab menu
What we ate
Between the three of us we enjoyed:
Pizza (fresh from the wood-fired pizza oven)
The pappardelle Grano Lab with wild boar and dark chocolate ragu
Focaccia with the most fabulous dip
And, I think, a caprese piccolo salad
Rounded off with an affogato. I bluddy love an affogato.
The chefs doing their thing at Grano LabThe pizza oven in Grano LabTable setting – loved the mismatched crockery
And the food – I reckon it’s fair to say we enjoyed every morsel. I’m looking forward to returning soon – I’ve got my eye on several menu items!
Pizza at Grano LabCaprese saladFoccacia and divine dipThe wild boar with dark choc ragu and pastaAffogato with pistachio ice cream
Recently completed, the community painting of the mural began during the blossom festival on the 28th April. Using a ‘painting by numbers’ method, visitors had the opportunity to pick up a brush and contribute to the artwork.
Caryn Koh and Paul Exton from Artsite designed the mural. It incorporates local landmarks and imagery to evoke Swindon’s rich heritage. The wall facing the Mother Language Memorial features the word ‘welcome’ in many of the languages spoken across Swindon.
A two-year project
This mural project marks the culmination of two years’ of improvement works in the GWR park as part of the Historic England Heritage Action Zone initiative. The National Trust have part-funded it.
The past two years has seen transformation on the park. There’s the addition of a new blossom circle, formal gardens, park furniture and information boards.
This new addition will surely bring a shot of glorious colour to the western side of the park?
Phillip Harland, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks’ Team Manager for the area, said: ‘We’re delighted to see the transformation of this SSEN substation. From a plain building to this fabulous work of art that everyone can enjoy.
‘We’d like to thank Swindon Parish Council, Artsite and the local community for all of their efforts to bring this project to life.’
With thanks to South Swindon parish council for the use of their photographs.
While we’re talking about the GWR park here’s a post about the First World War memorial in the park:
PR podcast reaches download milestone. A podcast whose mission is to shed light on the world of PR, to help businesses build their brand, has reached more than 4,000 downloads.
Fiona Scott launched ‘PR not BS with Fiona Scott’ in December 2021. The podcast has aired over seventy episodes.
PR podcast reaches download milestone – Fiona Scott
Fiona, whose background is in journalism, wanted to give SMEs advice and tips on PR and how to get traction in the media. Her guests have included fellow journalists, PR professionals and small business owners.
Now the twice-monthly podcast has reached more than 4,100 downloads. It’s got listeners in almost every continent, with a big contingent in the United States and South Africa.
I’m so pleased with the reception the podcast has had,’ said Fiona. ‘I wanted to create a space where I could talk about PR and the benefits to businesses and brand owners. In terms of raising their profile and building trust and credibility with their audiences.
‘I also wanted to bust a few myths. PR is often delivered in a smoke and mirrors way, but it needn’t be mysterious or complicated. PR is something you have to keep working on. It’s not a magic wand. But by using some tips and advice from me – and my guests – it can help cut through to consumers in this busy online and offline world.’
As well as the podcast, Fiona now has a YouTube channel, called ‘Reel PR with Fiona Scott’. Both the show and the podcast feature interviews with PR and marketing specialists. And also business owners who have found PR works for them, and have advice of their own, related to their sector.
Fiona’s top five podcasts were:
Do you feel safe in Wiltshire? Guest, former police officer Mike Rees
No BS PR predictions – solo podcast with Fiona
PR Brilliance from national journalist Jill Foster
Understanding the story of a trans woman, with guest Katie Neeves
How do you get your products in front of journalists? Guest, Nicola Snell.
The carriage works. The first thing to say about them is that, despite what you read on the Internet, they are NOT Brunel’s. They are in fact the work/initiative of chief mechanical engineer, Joseph Armstrong.* Brunel died in 1859. And the carriage works didn’t appear for another decade!
The Carriage Works – a section of the repainted carriage works on Bristol Street looking towards Emyln Square
Swindonian and railway village resident, Jack Hayward, talks of the great wall of Swindon – of which the length of our building is a part. That’s an apt description separating as it does, the railway cottages from the main London to Bristol line and the factory itself – thus lending itself to the term ‘inside’.
Its western section is waist high and fronts the Vicarage and St Mark Church. It then reaches its full hight as the boundary wall of the Carriage Works and Sawmill built by Joseph Armstrong beginning in 1868.
But the complete wall, including the remaining listed workshops forming the eastern section, runs from the drill hall through the whole length of Church Place, Bristol Street and Emlyn Square. It includes the Workers’ tunnel entrance, then on to London Street, Sheppard Street before continuing to the station where it was completed in 1876.
In 1869, the board of the New Swindon Company approved an initial sum of £26,000 for the carriage works. On Armstrong’s recommendation they appointed Thomas Clayton as carriage and wagon works’ superintendent.
Work progressed at speed on the building of the westernmost buildings which were to house the sawmills. By March 1869 they were in partial use. This is recorded by the report of a frightful incident involving a 16-year-old boy. Wandering round the shop while his sawing machine was stopped he went into the cellar where the drive shafts were being erected, got caught up on one of the shafts and was killed at once.
The carriage works comprised a significant development for New Swindon.
In February 1871, the Swindon Advertiser reported that despite being ‘as yet very incomplete … and only partially erected, they already employed some 1,100 men. 800 in coach building and 300 in manufacturing the ironwork for the carriages.
So the CW then is a series of warehouse unit structures built in phases from west to east but known collectively as the west shed.
The carriage works had extensive workshops at the upper level to allow for an easy transfer of completed carriages onto the track. The workshops to the east also featured a lower level. Over the years they housed a mess hall, bike sheds and a rehabilitation centre – in the 1950s. Not forgetting the nightclub during the 1990s.
Women at work
The carriage works gave work to a wide range of tradespeople – cabinet makers, French polishers, upholsterers and sign-writers. But it’s worth noting this building brought women into the GWR’s employ for the first time. In the main they worked in areas in need of dexterity and skill – the sewing shop for instance. They worked such things as upholstery, window blinds and netting for luggage racks. It was often the case that women did the same work as men. They did though have separate entrances and different start and finish times.
During WWI women came into the workshops in ever greater numbers to replace the men away at the war.
Occupying unit 11 is the Royal Agricultural University’s new Cultural Heritage Institute. They’re delivering postgraduate courses to train the next generation of heritage managers and professionals.
Inside Workshed – the business unitsOpen plan kitchen and social area in WorkshedInside Workshed in the carriage works
NB: Most of the information in this post I’ve sourced and distilled from the excellent publication: ‘Swindon: The Legacy of a Railway Town’ from the Royal Commission of Historical Monuments. As was. The bit about the great wall of Swindon is from Jack Hayward.
A little anecdote
From a Facebook reader: Italian POW’s worked here during WW2. We children used to climb on to the window sills to talk to them. They were working on electrical wiring and would make bracelets for us. I lived in Bristol St.
