Swindonian Blog Posts
Swindon news, views, history and culture
Swindon Arts Centre: The Bradford Hall
Last night I was in the Arts Centre for the first time in ages for a Swindon Festival of Literature event. And I haven’t attended anything in that for 3 years as it’s always clashed with summer exam time. But having sat my final, final exam the previous day I was up there! As ever, when I visit either of the theatres in Swindon, the Wyvern or the Arts Centre I have cause to reflect on how fortunate we are in Swindon to have two such fabulous theatre venues.
Hagbourne Copse West Swindon
I’m lost for words. Well okay, that’s never going to actually happen but the expression gives an indication of my surprise at finding out about this delight tucked away behind a busy main road, an industrial estate and the Holiday Inn Express. Well, I’ve only lived here the twenty years so how could I possibly be expected to know eh? Even worse, Hagbourne Copse West Swindon is only 15 minutes walk from my home in Grange Park.
Artiste and the Postmodern
“Artsite is an artist led group and has studios and a gallery complex in Theatre Square Swindon. They are developing a creative hub in Number Nine, with a variety of workshops, events and Handmade Swindon.”
For more information see their website.
The Seven Wonders of Swindon
We are most of us familiar with the 7 wonders of the ancient world:
1.The great pyramid of Egypt
2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
3. The statue of Zeus at Olympia
4. That well-known temple of Artemis at Ephesus
5. One mausoleum at Halicarnassus
6. Rhode’s Colossus …
7. .. and the lighthouse of Alexandria.
Only one of which – the pyramid – still remains.
Portrait Bench South Marston Cycle Path
I just love social media! One of my Twitter and blog followers sent me this photo,which is great, as being a non-driver and bogged down in studies I don’t get to all four corners of our town.
What you are looking at is piece of public art that is also a handy bench: a perfect marriage of form and function indeed! But not just any old bench.
This here is a Portrait Bench. So now, not only do I know about this lovely bench, I also know about the concept of portrait benches and a little bit more about Swindon’s history. And it started with a Tweet!
A Mini Adventure in Public Art
A Mini Adventure in Public Art – Alexander House Minis public art
Coate Water diving platform Swindon
The now-defunct 1935 Art Deco style diving platform at Coate Water invokes a fair amount of nostalgia in me. As a child I was sometimes taken to Langold Lake (5 miles the ‘other’ side of Worksop). This was a large country park thing – my memories are hazy as it was MANY years ago now. But I recall a swimming lake with a diving platform in it.
Swindon Town FC: Come on you reds!
Swindon Town FC: Come on you reds! “My name is Lee (@Leefer3 on twitter)…and I have been watching Swindon Town since 1975, so it’s close to forty years now.
Retro Swindon Roadsigns
A largely pictorial post featuring various Retro Swindon roadsigns. Some are in Swindon and some are somewhat further afield.
I’ve featured them here for not much other reason than that they have lasted this long and it feels like a nice thing to have some pictures of them here. Seems like a good enough excuse to me.
Swindon’s Jubilee clock
A wee post about Swindon’s Jubilee clock. Moved from its original town centre home, it now resides outside Swindon’s railway station.
Swindon in 50 more buildings
West Swindon – What the eye doesn’t see
Swindon – A Born Again Swindonian’s Guide
We Are Swindon
