Swindonian Blog Posts
Swindon news, views, history and culture
David Bent: choosing Swindon
David Bent: choosing Swindon
Long time and regular listeners will know that when I first began this blog I conceived my personal list of ‘Ten things to celebrate about Swindon’.
I’m actually not at all sure I ever got that list finished – so much is there here in Swindon that is blog worthy.
Christ Church Old Town Swindon
Yesterday I paid my first visit to Christ Church Christ Church Old Town Swindon – known also as the Lady on the hill for the occasion of the Autumn fair. It was a really smashing event and, I have to admit, a notch or two up from the autumn/summer/Christmas fairs I used to attend back in little old Whitwell when my daughter was small.
The Purpose of Art
Well listeners, if we stretch that analogy a little further and consider the wealth of art – and even architecture -of all kinds that we have here in Swindon we can find ourselves washing the dust off our souls in a veritable ocean of creativity. Much of which has featured at various times on Born again Swindonian.
Going around Swindon’s Roundabouts
Hello listeners. Here we have the second instalment of posts featuring a few of Swindon’s roundabouts. And the reasoning behind their names.
Swindon Roundabouts: Part 1
Swindon, as we know, is famous – even infamous – for its roundabouts. Of course there’s the grand-daddy of them all, the Magic Roundabout. Such a rich vein of material is that particular jewel in Swindon’s roundabout crown that it has its own category on the blog.
Ralph Bates Swindon Writer
Ralph Bates Civil War Chronicler
Some time ago, in the tourist information centre in Bristol, I saw an information sheet on a literary trail round the city. And that got me thinking that Swindon could surely have such a thing here what with Richard Jefferies and Alfred Williams – neither of whom I knew much about until recently. No sooner had I had this thought than, in one of those curious coincidences that punctuate our lives, what should appear on my social media stream than a piece from the Swindon Link magazine publicizing a forthcoming talk at the Museum and Art Gallery about Ralph Bates. No – I’d not heard of him either. And in his day he was rated as better than Hemingway. Who knew?
The Western Flyer
So what is the Western Flyer then? It’s an upgrade of an existing cycle and pedestrian route that goes from West Swindon to the town centre via Barnfield, Bruce Street Bridges and North Star, bringing you into town across from Holbrook House on Station Rd. It incorporates National Cycle Network Route 45 . The National cycle network is a ‘series of safe, traffic-free lanes and quiet on-road routes that connect to every major city and passes within a mile of 55 per cent of UK homes. It now stretches 14,500 miles across the length and breadth of the UK.
A West Swindon Sculpture Trail Travelogue
I’ve written about the West Swindon sculpture trail in several different ways in this blog. This West Swindon Sculpture Trail Travelogue though is a bit different. It’s a more literary piece that I wrote as a piece of coursework for a trave lwriting module I took as part of my degree level English studies.
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.
Swindon in 50 more buildings
West Swindon – What the eye doesn’t see
Swindon – A Born Again Swindonian’s Guide
We Are Swindon
