Three West Swindon writers collaborate. Angela Atkinson, Frances Bevan and Roger Ogle have come together to author a book all about West Swindon, where all three live.
It began as a small-scale project between Angela and Roger, chronicling a number of the interesting buildings in the Western Expansion. With mention of those that no longer exist. But it was soon obvious that there was so much more to tell about the area. So the pair decided to bring in local historian, Frances Bevan.
Said Angela:
‘We realized that, to to do West Swindon proper justice, we had to include the stories of Lydiard House, its farms and St Mary’s church. Thus involving Frances Bevan was a simple a no-brainer, thanks to the painstaking research and writing she’s already done. Otherwise we’d have been re-inventing the wheel.’
It’s quite a common perception that West Swindon is a soulless, urban conurbation offering nothing very much. Well aside from easy access to the M4. Yet as this book reveals, there’s rich history there. Indeed, the story stretches way back before the modern development, and before the St. John family hunted the parkland around our much-loved Lydiard House. The Romans lived and died – and made bricks in this area.
West Swindon Book Covers
Weaving a tapestry
The authors have woven a rich tapestry of West Swindon. It starts with its Roman beginnings and goes through to the how and why of the western expansion, the name of the area almost fifty years ago as the first residents arrived. Forming part of the tapestry’s pattern are public art and open spaces, ancient hedgerows and the selection of street names. It’s rounded off with a focus on some of the more striking and interesting 20th century buildings that West Swindon boasts. The book’s also richly illustrated with interesting, and some rarely seen, photographs.
The authors are launching the book at the Village Inn in Shaw village centre, West Swindon, on Tuesday 14thNovember from 6pm to 9pm. They’re offering the book at a special launch offer price of £13.
They’re also planning a couple of promotional events at the West Swindon Centre. But they haven’t yet confirmed dates for those.
If you live in West Swindon the authors will deliver the book to you free of charge. If you’re further afield, there’s a £2 P&P charge.
DADDY/DAUGHTER CLUB-TO-CLUB CHALLENGE. After eight years, Mia Davis (14) decided to replace her cheerleading shoes with a pair of rugby boots to play in the girls’ section of Swindon Supermarine Rugby Football Club.
Image of Mia Davis (right) presenting cheque to Mike Groves, Head Coach
She’s loved her first year of contact rugby. But, there’s little publicity for girls’ rugby, few sponsors and minimal funding. So Mia decided to try and raise some money herself for her girls’ section at the Swindon Club.
Mia’s idea was to do a sponsored walk going from Faringdon RFC, where she first started playing, all the way to Swindon Supermarine RFC, where she now plays and back again – a total of 30.2km.
On Sunday 27th August, Mia and her dad, Adam completed the 30.2km challenge in 8 hours and 21 minutes. Two weeks later, on Sunday 10th September, at a joint training session of Cotswold Lionesses made up of Supermarine, Faringdon, Cirencester and Minchinhampton players, Mia handed over a cheque to the club trainer.
Mia’s target was, in the first instance, £150. But she managed to raise a massive £600 plus an estimated £98.75 in Gift Aid. The Crowdfunder page has now closed. But if anyone would like to support or consider sponsorship for the girls’ section of the Supermarine Rugby Club, then please contact Girls’ Section Team Manager, Christian Slade on 07813 191895.
The club, established in 1946, takes its name from the social club associated with the Supermarine aircraft company. Originally called Vickers Armstrong, it later became shortened to Vickers FC.
In the first instance the club played in the Swindon and District league, becoming founder members of the Wiltshire football league in 1976.
During the 1982-83 season, under the name of Supermarine, the club joined the Hellenic league in Division One.
In 1992, a merger with fellow Hellenic Football League club, Swindon Athletic FC, formed a new club: Swindon Supermarine FC.
RPA Classes for Wiltshire Teens. RPA Rapport Community Interest Company (CIC) has launched new performing arts classes for teenagers in Swindon and North Wiltshire.
Rapport CIC is a not-for-profit sister company to Wanborough-based Revolution Performing Arts. Its mission is to explore all forms of performing arts. That includes drama, singing and dance. And also ‘behind the scenes’ arts such as design, tech and stage management.
Rapport’s artistic and outreach director Laura Barnes, said: ‘We’re offering the opportunity for teenagers to take part in inclusive performing arts. One where they can sing, dance, act, perform or learn about backstage tech. We’re not a performing arts ‘sausage factory’. We care about individual young people and their personal dreams, confidence and success.’
RPA Classes for Wiltshire Teens – youngsters taking part in a Rapport class
Aimed at children from 11 to 18-years-old, the sessions will focus on:
Confidence
Self-expression and
… celebrating each young person’s uniqueness and individuality.
Rapport runs two weekly classes, with new classes recently launched in Malmesbury and Wroughton. The sessions in Swindon have also moved to a new venue:
1. RPA Rapport Malmesbury:
Wednesday evenings from 6.30pm to 8pm (term-time only) at The Riverside Community Centre, Malmesbury SN16 9JS
2. RPA Rapport South (Wroughton)
Wednesday evenings 7:30pm to 9:00pm (term-time) at Wroughton Parish Church Hall, Priors Hill, Wroughton SN4 0RT
3. RPA Rapport Central (Gorse Hill):
Thursday evenings from 6.30pm to 8.30pm (term-time only). New venue: Gorse Hill Community Centre, Chapel Street, Swindon SN2 8DA (previously in the Pattern Church Swindon).
‘We like to empower our teens to help them through the years of secondary school. And to also have a safe space to attend every week and build friendships for life through a non-elitist, young person led performing arts class,’ Laura added.
Our sessions provide a mix of acting, dance, music, stage management and echnical theatre with the young people leading in which areas they want to further explore.’
Children may attend one free session to see whether they would like to continue. Sessions cost approximately £35.37 a month (term-time only). A subsidy is available for families on low income and the company accepts child care vouchers for this setting. Rapport also offers free places to young people affected by domestic abuse. Referral is directly through the website and is confidential.
Revolution Performing Arts was set up in 2007 by Fiona Da Silva-Adams as a drama group for toddlers and preschool children. Before long, exceptional demand led to its expansion to cover school-aged children. Fellow director, Laura Barnes run Rapport.
You’ll find Pour Bois downstairs at the back of the Oink Gallery on Victoria Road. It’s a small but cosy space. You can also get in via the back way if you find your way through the building site by the old Adver building on Albert Street.
It opened at the back end of October in 2022. It’s owned by Tom Beau Smith and Corey Colar. They both have several year’s experience in the coffee business and a strong passion for coffee.
When they opened, their ambition was to make Pour Bois like a wine bar for coffee lovers. They were also hoping, post-pandemic, to create a community space for coffee lovers.
About the coffee
But this should be about the coffee. The Bois have been sourcing their coffee from both the UK and places in Europe like Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Krakow and Warsaw.
Tom told me that it was important for them to only serve coffee that they would drink themselves. Like a wine bar has a wine list, at Pour Bois there is a coffee menu. A typical offering is a choice of around ten coffees.
Grinding the beans at Pour Bois Pour Bois coffeeThe pour over coffee
The pour over
A pour over is like an individual filter coffee made for you by the barista. They grind the beans when you order it.
I suppose you could considered the whole thing to be a bit like the Japanese tea ceremony. I wasn’t feeling that daring so I didn’t go far down the menu. I chose a Santa Rosa Honey from Chalatenango in El Salvador. The beans are dried on a bed of honey then roasted by Right Side Roasters in Barcelona. The tasting notes talked about cherries, dried peaches and Champagne. As a wine drinker, I am used to strange descriptions of flavour profiles. I reckon I got the cherries and peaches but I was less sure about the Champagne – although there was some acidity. In spite of that, it was a lovely cup (glass actually) of coffee, and I’ll definitely be back to explore more of the menu.
You don’t have to be a coffee nerd to enjoy Pour Bois. They make a fine range of espressos, lattes and flat whites as well as serving up vegan cookies and donuts.
Swindon Coalition Challenging Barriers to GPs. Swindon Equality Coalition is asking Swindon residents to talk about barriers they face in trying to see a GP or family doctor. A new survey aims to raise awareness of the extra problems that people from certain groups face.
Reports of people having difficulties seeing their GP have become widespread since the lockdowns. And the new survey aims to highlight the people and groups being hardest hit.
The Equality Coalition came into being in 2010 with a view to being a focus for action around the Equality Act. It came into law that same year.
Coalition Chair, Michelle Howard, says that disability, age and ethnicity can all make things especially difficult for people. ‘There are nine ‘protected characteristics’ listed in the Equality Act. They got included because there clear discrimination existed against people in those groups’ she said.
‘What we’re doing today is asking people to look again. And then to be honest where barriers are bigger because someone has one or more of those protected characteristics.’
Coordinated by Voluntary Action Swindon, the Swindon Equality Coalition currently has over twenty members. The members include:
Longstanding coalition member Judith Furse, who’s registered blind, says that having a disability can make talking to your GP very difficult.
Challenging Barriers to GPs – Michelle Howard, Chair of Swindon Equality Commission
A clear message
‘The message is clear that barriers to GPs have become bigger over recent years. This new campaign aims to get people to talk about why it could be harder for some people to get a GP consultation than for others’ Furse said.
The survey consists of a single question: ‘What was hard about getting to talk to your GP?’
You can fill in the survey online at www.vas-swindon.org/gp, by calling 07912 487608, or write to GP Survey, 1 John Street, Swindon SN1 1RT
