By Jamie Hill
It's been quite a few months here at The Link.
It's always busy here but that busy-ness has been heightened during the summer months.
Not least because we launched our news subscription service The Ink at the start of July.
The Ink is a whole new concept for not only Swindon, but also for us as writers.
It's a different type of writing than you see here in The Link. A bit more longform and indepth than we can fit in these pages and it's proving pretty darned popular, with hundreds of people already signing up to see what the fuss is about.
That's not to say that we're ever going to let The Link slide as we believe wholeheartedly that the Swindon community benefits from what we do by doing what we do bestinforming you.
But The Link and The Ink (I now regret the fact they rhyme) are different beasts and you can subscribe yourself by scanning the QR code below.
In late 2021 one of the biggest archaeological finds that the UK has ever seen was revealed to the world - a huge mammoth graveyard discovered on Swindon’s doorstep. The find was so significant it became the subject of a massive BBC documentary called Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard. In September, Hills Quarry Products, who own the site at Cotswold Water Park, revealed that it hasn’t stopped there and that digging has continued in a project named Mammoth 2.0.
It does make you feel a bit small and in awe.
At the moment I’m sitting in Old Town in Swindon, writing this, but in this spot where I am right now a woolly mammoth was probably hanging out, maybe rubbing itself against a prehistoric tree or something, as mammoths are known to do (we think!)
Obviously, I’m talking about 215,000 years ago. There’s no mammoths now unfortunately. I don’t trip over them on my way to the Co-op to buy milk.
You might think me daydreaming that mammoths once frolicked where I now sit is a bit of a flight of fancy (do mammoths frolic? I like to think so). But it’s not as far from reality as you might think
especially as a huge mammoth graveyard was discovered not far from where I am right now.
It was in 2016 that Sally Hollingworth and her husband, Dr Neville Hollingworth, were searching - with permission - in the ancient silt and gravel of a quarry operated by Swindon firm The Hills Group near Latton for Jurassic fossils such as ammonites.
What they found is credited as one of the most significant British archaeological discoveries in decades. The site eventually yielded the remains of five Steppe mammoths, ancestors of what we know as woolly mammoths, and a flint hand axe.
The discovery was the basis for BBC documentary Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard, broadcast in December 2021.
Laboratory dating of soil samples suggests the site dates back to around 215,000 years ago - a time deep in the Ice Ages.
The newest phase of
palaeontological activity called Mammoth 2.0 has seen further exploration of the site carried out by Neo Jurassica, working in conjunction with leading universities, museums and experts.
Palaeolithic finds at the site include the remains of steppe mammoth tusks, a pygmy mammoth tooth, several bison vertebrae, a rib and jawbone, wild horse ribs and a partially complete tooth from a cave or brown bear.
And apparently they're going to keep going with another phase of the dig.
The whole thing is very hard to get your head around.
It does make you think about what our descendants (or maybe not our descendants but sentient ducks or some other species, who have taken over the earth as the dominant species) will find in 200,000 years time.
My betting is they will be just as confused by The Magic Roundabout as we are right now.
Group Editor and Owner: Jamie Hill
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Contributors: Tyler Ody, Becky Cox, Maurice Spillane and Alfie Howlett
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New recycling containers are being delivered to the majority of households across Swindon – which residents will need when food waste collections begin later this year.
The additional food waste bins and recycling bags shouldn’t be used just yet. Affected households will receive a letter with more information before the changes are implemented.
To roll out food waste collections, changes need to be made to the council’s other recycling collections. When the changes are implemented, households will need to use their new and existing containers as follows:
- Plastic and metal recycling in new weighted blue bag
- Food waste in large outdoor food waste bin
- Paper and card in one of their existing black/ orange recycling boxes
- Glass recycling in one of their existing black/ orange recycling boxes
- General waste in existing wheelie bin or blue bags
The council’s garden waste service will continue in the same way. Some properties, such as flats, won’t be affected by the changes just yet.
Further information, including a set of FAQs, can be found at:
swindon.gov.uk/recyclefaqs
A leaflet with further information is also being delivered with the new containers.
For tools and advice on how to play your part to address the climate crisis visit: www.swindon.gov.uk/BetheChange
Swindon Borough Council has outlined its ongoing work on the borough's potholes.
A team of five highway inspectors regularly check the borough’s entire road network to identify potholes and other problems on the roads and pavements.
They walk all 522 miles of Swindon’s roads, 646 miles of paths and pavements and 76 miles of cycle paths at least once a year. The team also inspect busier routes such as A or B roads in a slow-moving
vehicle on a monthly basis.
Residents can also report a pothole online – however, around 30 per cent of these reports actually fall outside the criteria for a pothole.
Potholes are classified as being at least 40mm deep in the road surface (roughly the height of two 20p coins). This is a standard measurement used by many local authorities.
More information about potholes and repairs can be found at www.swindon.gov.uk/ potholes
New foster carers are urgently needed in Swindon to open their hearts and homes for vulnerable children in the town.
There are currently more than 300 children - from small babies to teenagers - being looked after by Swindon Borough Council because they can’t stay at home.
Foster carers provide a lifeline for them, providing stability, support and kindness while helping them stay close to their families, friends and schools.
But the council desperately needs more.
Everyone has different life experiences and skills that they can bring to fostering. There are a few requirements that ensure children and young people are always provided with the best care:
- You must be at least 21 or over – there’s no upper age limit
- You must have a spare bedroom
- You can be married, single or living with a partner
- You’ll need to be in good health to meet the needs of a child placed with you
- The council welcomes people regardless of their sexuality or gender
- You can either live in your own house or be renting
- You can be in work, unemployed or retired
Many children who live in foster care do so temporarily while the Children’s Services team work with their parents to try to help resolve any family issues so their child can return home.
Anyone who is interested in becoming a foster carer should visit www.swindon.gov. uk/fostering or call 07917 503447 to arrange a home visit and learn more about the role.
A special cost of living advice event will be held at Swindon's Central Library in Regent Circus from 10.30am to 4pm on Monday, 16 October.
A borough council spokesperson said: "This session follows a series of events which took place across the town earlier this year.
"Local residents can head to the library to get expert advice and guidance on how to reduce debt, maximise income, and tips to make healthy meals on a budget.
"Organisations that specialise in providing advice for the cost of living crisis will be there for residents to chat to and get advice from.
"Warm and Safe Wiltshire and the Centre for Sustainable Energy will be on hand to help people with ways to save energy as well as providing tips for getting their homes ready for the winter ahead."
Citizens Advice Swindon will
have its Advice and Financial First Aiders available to advise people on ways they could reduce their outgoings or increase their income.
Other organisations such as Thames Water, the Swindon Food Collective, Acorn Community Bank, Victim Support, and the Health and Wellbeing Team from Swindon Borough Council will also be at the event.
The Independent Food Aid Network will launch their ‘Worrying about Money’ leaflets during Challenge Poverty Week, which will be available to pick up during the roadshow.
These information leaflets will also be available across many of the Swindon Libraries and Welcome Spaces.
A list of 20 things residents can do to see if they’re entitled to financial support is available at www.swindon.gov.uk/ costofliving
On Monday 6 November, Swindon's news subscription service The Ink, which was launched in July, will be holding the first of its quarterly community events.
This first event will feature Roger Ogle, Swindon Link founder and former publisher, to talk about 45 years of the Swindon Link magazine and all that has changed in the town since its inception in Toothill in 1978. The talk will be called 'Back to the Future'. It will be held upstairs at The Hop Inn on Devizes Road from 7.30pm and will be a chance for readers to also meet the journalists and contributors who have been making The Ink what it is.
The event will be free to enter for whoever wants to pop along to listen to the talk and then have a chat with us all.
Ink and Swindon Link editor Jamie Hill said: "Since its launch in July, The Ink, which is put together in association with Swindon Link, has been going from strength to strength with hundreds of subscribers already.
"It was always our intention to create
a community around The Ink with people being able to interact with us and talk about the issues that count.
"It is only fitting that our first Ink event will feature Roger Ogle who made Swindon Link what it is today and has been at the centre of the Swindon community for 40 years."
The Ink is a new concept where curated news gets sent directly to a reader's inbox. The paid-for version, at £5.99 a month, sees four briefings a week sent to your inbox whilst the free version is sent once a week on a Friday.
The concept of The Ink favours long-form insightful articles that really get under the skin of what's happening in Swindon.
It also has a growing team of writers including Link stalwarts Jamie Hill and Barrie Hudson, Angela Atkinson, Jessica Durston, Bert's Books, Adam Wilson, Fiona Scott, Dave Franklin and Ed Dyer as well as the autistic journalist Tyler Ody.
To sign up scan the QR code to the right.
Highworth Warneford School, an 11-16 secondary school, has formally joined the growing Swindon-based Multi Academy Trust, The Park Academies Trust (TPAT).
Warneford has become the third secondary school in the trust, which now runs six schools plus the Trust Sixth Form, and also becomes the second Swindon area school to join within 12 months.
The successful process of joining TPAT started earlier this year
Swindon Borough Council has teamed up with Wiltshire Police and GLL to offer 400 children at risk of substance misuse a free six-month gym membership.
The council’s Youth Justice Service successfully applied for £20,000 from Wiltshire Police’s Drug Forfeiture Fund and has worked with GLL, operator of many of the borough’s leisure centres, to offer the gym memberships.
The fund will target the most vulnerable children who are currently supported by council services such as Early Help and Child Protection.
The North Swindon Good Afternoon Choir held their first concert this year in June as part of a Community Choir Day and have chosen to support the Open Door Charity as their charity of the year.
More concerts are planned in the run-up to Christmas including an open Christmas celebration which will take place at St John’s Haydon Wick on Thursday December 14 and feature favourite carols.
Across the West of England the 24 Good Afternoon Choirs have already raised £14,415 for many local charities.
A much-loved Swindon skate park has closed.
The park near the ATBShop on Newcombe Drive welcomed skaters for a last weekend session, but had to close because it needed a roof replacement and the project was not financially practicable.
However, the shop itself remains very much open as owners Diana and Stuart Kirk search for new shop premises.
The park opened 11 years ago and has seen generations of skaters enjoy its facilities, and has been the location for countless skate and scooter lessons and competitions.
The owners said in a message on social media shortly before the final weekend: "The roof has now called time on this amazing journey. The roof at the warehouse needs replacing which will cost £££ and everything needs to be
stripped out costing £££. This is the right time to say farewell and thanks. It’s a heart breaking decision, and one that we’ve not taken lightly.
"ATBShop will continue as a shop in another location. There will be a massive relocation sale. The skate park will even be up for sale if anyone’s interested!
"Next weekend the 10th of September will be our last weekend if you’d like to say goodbye?! Please book on line if you’d like to attend?!
"Then the huge sale begins!
Lots of second hand items, parts and equipment will be up for sale! Just come in and make an offer!
"There will be huge savings on stock as we relocatemoving will be costly so please come in and make an offer.
"We are still hunting for the next location but will remain at the warehouse for the next two months. The skate park will be sadly closed during this time but the shop still open. Please follow us on Facebook and social media as we venture into our next chapter."
Ofsted inspectors have delivered a damning verdict on Swindon Borough Council's children's services.
They found, among other issues, insufficiently effective help for children at risk of criminal and sexual exploitation.
Following an inspection which took place from 17 to 28 July, the effectiveness of the services were rated inadequate overall. Specifically described as inadequate were the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families, the experiences and progress of children who need help and protection, the experiences and progress of children in care.
The experiences and progress of care leavers was described as requiring improvement in order to be good.
The inspectors noted in their report: "Since Ofsted’s last inspection in 2019, there has been a significant deterioration in the quality and impact of services for children in
Swindon.
"There are pockets of strong practice, notably with disabled children, those on the edge of care, those who are privately fostered and by the virtual school.
"However, too many children are left with unassessed needs and risks and plans that drift, and they experience too many changes of social worker."
Swindon Borough Council's ruling Labour Group said in a statement: "The Labour Group are very disappointed that OFSTED has rated Swindon Borough Council Children's Services department as Inadequate, however we are determined to focus relentlessly on improving the support for young people in the town. Reducing inequality is one of the council's key missions for the town and supporting children and young people sits at the heart of this.
"As a new administration taking control in May, we were dismayed to learn of
the full extent of the lack of oversight the previous political leadership had given to the service. The first action taken by Cllr Jim Robbins after his appointment as leader was to contact OFSTED to raise the concerns that we had around the delivery of Children's Services. Subsequently, Cllr Robbins and Cllr Dixon, the new Cabinet Member for Children's Services, spoke to OFSTED Regional representatives to ensure that we were taking the right action.
"As the report makes clear the council hasn't been delivering consistently acceptable services for children since 2019 and we are clear that we need to improve."
The statement added that, as with the other challenges the council inherited as a new administration, it would face the issues highlighted in the report head on and deliver the best possible outcomes.
The Swindon Trauma Group 12th Annual Conference will take place from 9am to 5.15pm on Friday 6 October.
The conference will be hosted at the Hawksworth Suite at Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, just off junction 16 of the M4, with the dress code casual but smart.
Tickets cost £55 per delegate or £30 for a Swindon Trauma Group member.
The theme of the event will be The question remains is there treatment and support for the Invisible Injuries PTS/PTSD.
The programme talks, which are subject to change, include-
- Psychological support for the Ukrainian Population by Dr Justin Havens Fda BA BEng MSc PhD MBACP (accred).
- A Modern Approach for Natural Living - redefining health and fitness and looking at all things that make us healthy human beings - talk by Chris Martin BSc (Hons), MSc
- Falklands the Realities of War - a talk by Mark ‘Splash’ Aston - author of the Sunday Times best seller SAS Sea King Down. The extraordinary true story of the SAS at war in the Falklands.
- Combat Stress: Psychological issues - through the ages. A talk Anthony P Hopkins ARRC MSTJ BA (Hons) MA
The day also includes lunch as well as tea and coffee during breaks in the talks as well as a set three-course meal in the dining area of the hotel at 8pm for delegates, speakers and STG members who wish to stay at a cost of £32 per person. Please let Swindon Trauma Group members know if you wish to dine.
Proceeds from the conference, after expenses, will go to the Swindon Trauma Group plus a donation to Combat Stress. www.swindontraumagroup.org.uk
Wroughton charity Prospect Hospice unveiled a poignant and touching 'Remember Me' roses display at its annual garden fete, held in September in its gardens.
The event witnessed the first look of a breathtaking river of a thousand hand-crafted metal roses, each a tribute to the memory of people who are no longer with us.
The 'Remember Me' roses display in the gardens serves as a beautiful and enduring way to honour and remember loved ones who have died.
The popular garden fete attracted over a thousand people to the Wroughtonbased hospice.
Carolyn Bell, director of patient services at Prospect Hospice, said: "I am delighted that this year we introduced the 'Remember Me' roses display at our garden fete. This colourful installation is a poignant
marker of how many people our community have loved and lost and how their memory still lives on.
"As a charity, we wanted to create an opportunity to bring people together to remember the lives that matter to them. The stunning display has been appreciated by our patients and their families too as an additional temporary garden feature.
“We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our supporters, especially as times are difficult for so many. Every penny raised will help us to continue running the hospice’s vital services, providing care for many people at home and in the hospice, all free of charge to patients and their families in Swindon and north
east Wiltshire.”
There are still a limited number of roses available to purchase for a suggested minimum donation of £30 until the end of September. The cost of crafting each rose has been kindly supported by the team at Arval UK meaning that all donations will go directly to caring for people living with a terminal illness.
Everyone is welcome to come and see the display which will run until the end of September. Afterwards, the roses will be collected by those who dedicated them to cherish in a special place of their own.
For further information about the 'Remember Me' roses display, please visit www. prospect-hospice.net/roses
Hartford Care’s state-of-the-art new care home, Cotswolds Rise in Swindon will open its doors to new residents this October, with prospective residents and their families welcome to view the new home, by appointment from Monday 25 September.
Occupying a prominent position at the Ridgeway Farm Development on The Buffer, adjacent to Ridgeway Farm CE Academy, Cotswolds Rise is close to parkland and just a short distance from all the local amenities of the town.
Cotswolds Rise offers dementia care, residential care, day care, respite breaks and end of life care across its 66
en suite bedrooms. A newly built home, it benefits from an abundance of natural light in its spacious rooms, along with several lounges, dining rooms, a lifestyle kitchen, a salon and a shop. It also has a fully accessible and enclosed landscaped garden, with patio areas and sun terraces. Designed with sustainability in mind, Cotswolds Rise has many significant renewable energy elements including solar panels, heat pumps and battery storage systems.
Ben Chance, Group Commissioning Manager at Cotswolds Rise, said: “We’re looking forward to opening
the doors of Cotswolds Rise to our new residents. Our main objective – as with all of Hartford Care’s homes – is to enable our residents to live their lives to the fullest by continuing their hobbies and interests and getting to spend time with their friends and family, alongside a full activities programme including visits to the local area and beyond.”
To book an appointment to view Cotswolds Rise or for more information, please call 0800 324924, or email: cotswolds.
rise@hartfordcare.co.uk
"My dad and his dad were both carpenters," said Mike Bowden.
"My father instilled the work ethic in me. We weren't well-off but Dad used to work Saturdays and Sundays on overtime.
"Mum used to take me for swimming lessons but I don't remember Dad at weekends because he was always out working.
"The more interesting story, possibly though, is my grandfather, Charlie Bowden. He was a carpenter in Kent. I did meet him a few times when I was a young lad. By all accounts he was a very fine orator of the old school. He used to stand on a box and was a fierce trade unionist. His employer, a local builder, said to him, 'Charlie, you've got a choice: you can keep your job and shut your mouth or you can lose your job and keep on with your noise'.
"I do reflect on that story a great deal. To enormous criticism within the family he was sacked from his job and had no income for 18 months. That meant my Dad went to school without shoes for 18 months. If there is a story in my family background that has made me, I guess that's it, really.
"That's the story I dwell on."
Throughout the interview, Mike heaps praise on others - teachers, colleagues, fellow volunteers, the hauliers and other business people who stolidly help Swindon Humanitarian Aid Partnership.
Originally from Epping in Essex, Mike studied Law at Nottingham University and subsequently qualified as a solicitor. He was the first graduate in his family.
"That comes with pride and
pressure. Pressure because things are expected of you, and also because you get some criticism - 'Who the **** does he think he is?' I've never thought who the **** I am, I just try hard."
Initially working for a high street solicitors' firm, he moved to London and growing success, but there came a time when the morals instilled in him by his background saw him facing a dilemma.
"As a professional person, particularly a lawyer, I believe you give everything for your client, but I discovered I was working for landlords - there's no problem being a landlord and making profit, but there are rules and lines, and some of this lot crossed it, not legally but morally."
The landlords in question were buying properties and finding ways - albeit legal ways - to make tenants leave so they could sell the properties on at a profit.
Mike joined what was then the Central Electricity Generating Board, a nationalised organisation, becoming a
corporate specialist.
"With my Dad's work ethic, my Mum's dogged determination and my will to win, that becomes quite a potent force, and over the years I crept up the hierarchy and made it to the main board of Innogy Holdings plc, a FTSE 100 company. It was a very proud moment."
When privatisation came, Mike was effectively able to retire at 47.
"I remember the first day I had off. I owned a racehorse called Generous Lad, and I went off to see it training at five in the morning and had a bacon butty on the gallops around Bath. I thought, 'This isn't too bad, I can handle this.' But of course, you quickly come to realise that as lovely as that is, you can't do that seven days a week.
"I have never been a person that will tolerate or contemplate boredom or lethargy, and so I started casting around for things to occupy me."
The first thing he found in a voluntary sector stint which
has persisted ever since was Swindon Mediation on Milton Road, helping people involved in disputes try to reach compromises.
He was among a group of people who tried valiantly to turn around the fortunes of Swindon Speedway, and candidly admits that his failure to do so made him ill.
He has no time for certain people he holds responsible, but refuses to name them.
"People are entitled to disagree with everything I say; not a problem. They can even be rude to me, but I cannot bear people who say one thing and do another."
It was while at Swindon Speedway that he encountered Phoenix Enterprises, an organisation which helps people with learning difficulties and mental health issues. Swindon speedway helped to replace computer equipment stolen from the group in a burglary, and ended up spending many years as a volunteer support worker and trustee.
He was also a major figure in the successful opposition to the planned leasing of Lydiard Park to the private sector.
Mike's immense loathing of injustice and equally immense desire to help those who suffer at the hands of the unjust informs his work with Swindon Humanitarian Aid Partnership.
"I try so hard to keep my feet on the ground. Charlie Bowden would expect my feet to be on the floor - he doesn't want me to be a flash bastard. He wants me to do stuff that I believe in. But you've got to keep your feet on the floor and recognise that you're not bigger than an organisation. We're a a tiny contributor to the consequences of war, but if everyone tried as hard as we do here, then the aggregate would be quite impressive."
We provide a secure and happy environment where the work is varied and challenging and every child and adult is valued.
We set the children and ourselves high standards to enable every child to develop his or her potential to the full and become confident learners.
All parents are very welcome at Haydonleigh, and we see home and school working together as very important for your child.
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Enthusiasm
- Unity
- Creativity
‘I am talented together, I am amazing!’ underpins our philosophy.
We believe in nurturing our individual skills and working together to enable everyone to meet their full potential.
This issue: Haydonleigh Primary School
Address: Haydon Court Drive, Swindon SN25 1JP
Contact: 01793 700 443
Website: www.haydonleighschool.co.uk
At Haydonleigh, our united vision was created by our pupils, parents and staff alike.
Our school is committed to working in partnership to ensure every child achieves their best.
High expectations in learning and behaviour are maintained throughout our school.
We believe that learning should be active, so our staff and governors work hard to ensure each child is offered a varied and exciting curriculum, whatever their ability.
We pride ourselves on providing our children with a stimulating education. The school was visited by Ofsted on 19 January 2019 and was judged to be “good”.
We are a three-form entry school with a capacity of 630 children, made up of 90 pupils in each year group. Our school has amazing facilities including a dance studio, theatre, pastoral room, award-winning kitchen and a purpose-built Early Years Foundation Stage “nest.”
Our large grounds boast playfields, a wooded wildlife area, large outdoor gazebo classrooms, a number of trim trails, a kitchen garden, a London bus library and a role-play caravan.
We are holding Open Afternoons for children starting school in September 2024. We welcome you and your child to come along and discover our fantastic school.
Tuesday 17 October 4-5pm
Wednesday 22 November 4-5pm
Friday 5 January 2-3pm
Please contact the school office to register your interest on 01793 700443 or office@ haydonleighschool.co.uk
"Create
Business Type - Gym and health club
Established - 2014
Location - Holiday Inn Swindon, Marlborough Road SN3 6AQ
Telephone number - 01793 817012
Website - youfitclubs.co.uk/club/swindon/
By Barrie Hudson barrie@positive-media.co.ukThe philosophy at You Fit Health Club Swindon is a simple but effective one which manager Tom Weston is happy to sum up.
"It's mainly about making our guests and hotel guests feel that they're at home while with us in the club.
"It's our home values - we make sure everybody feels at home when they come to use the club.
"That's what we strive for. It means we talk to every customer when they come inhave a chat with them and get to know them."
People joining the club can choose either to pay for three months at £39 per month or 12 months at £34 per month.
There are currently 425 members, ranging from keen gym-goers to people simply wishing to improve their general fitness, and also people taking exercise as part of rehabilitation from injury.
They can choose to use the extensively-equipped gym, the modern swimming pool, the spa pool, the saunas or whichever combination of these things they prefer.
A major You Fit Health Club promise is that staff will always
be on hand to offer friendly and well-informed advice.
As the club says on its website: "If you’re looking for a gym in Swindon or a swimming pool in Swindon we have the health club for you.
"Join You Fit Swindon today to start your fitness and wellbeing journey. Our team will ensure you always feel welcome and inspired by providing you expert advice whilst guiding you through your workout, whether that be in our fully equipped gym, in one of our exercise classes or whilst you relax in our swimming pool, sauna and spa pool."
The club offers a broad range of exercise classes, and promises on the website: "Our exercise classes are open to
all members and cater for all fitness levels, allowing you to workout at your own pace and within your own comfort level."
During one recent week alone, there were three Aqua Aerobics classes, a Stretch class and a Pilates class.
The club offers tours to prospective members, and details can be found on the website, which also has a special members' area and information about special offers and prize draws.
The benefits of membership include the use of You Fit Club branches throughout the country, keenly-priced exclusive hotel staycations, 25 percent off food and drinks and discounts at online shops including Cotswold Outdoor.
You Fit Health Club Swindon manager Tom Weston studied Sports Coaching and Physical Education at university. He worked part time in the sector but has made it his career since 2020 and been in his role at the helm of the Swindon club since November of last year.
Interested in the vacancy as soon as he heard about it, he was happy with the friendly and professional atmosphere he found.
Something else he greatly enjoys is the sheer diversity of the clientele.
"We like to make it so you make friends here and want to keep coming," he said.
"We get people coming in to get fit, to rehabilitate and also for the social aspects of coming to a leisure club."
Mr Weston added that the club was open to all, irrespective of whether they were just beginning their fitness journey or were well along the road.
Listening to the feedback from Ofsted before they published their report on the council’s Children’s Services department was the hardest part of my new role as the council’s leader so far.
It was hard to hear how the service hasn’t been consistently keeping children safe as the inspectors set out the reasons that they had decided that they rated the department as ‘Inadequate’.
As a new administration, we were told as we took over that there were serious issues with the department and we needed to make sure that we got a grip of the situation quickly.
Along with Cllr Paul Dixon, who is the Cabinet member with responsibility for the department, I contacted Ofsted
and spoke to their regional representatives to get their advice.
We were told to trust our new Director of Children’s Services who started earlier this year and give her the support that she needed.
We have done this, and I’m pleased that the feedback from Ofsted included sections detailing that she had understood the challenges facing the department and set in place an appropriate action plan to deal with them
As an administration, we will be implementing the action plan and working closely with Ofsted and the Department for Education to ensure that we are making the necessary improvements.
We are 100 percent committed to making sure the service returns to delivering a good service to children and families in Swindon and
will make sure that we have enough money to invest in the department.
This won’t be easy in the current financial climate, as the national Government is set to cut our funding once again next year, but we have made it clear that the safety of children is our number one priority.
There are some very clear changes we need to implement as quickly as possible, such as a new computer system which is fit for purpose, but some of the other challenges will be trickier to overcome.
There is a national shortage of social workers and a shortage of appropriate, affordable placements for children in care.
We are being charged over £10,000 a week for some placements, which simply isn’t sustainable. We will be lobbying the town’s MPs for action on this.
We also know that we can’t make all of the changes that we need on our own, we need to work effectively with partners to keep children safe, and we really need more local residents to consider being foster carers, supporting us to look after local children in the local area. You can find out more about fostering in Swindon by Googling ‘Foster with Swindon Council’.
I’m delighted to see one of the most significant projects of the Conservative administration continues to move forward with the redevelopment of the former Honda site by Panattoni which will create around 7,000 jobs for Swindon.
We worked closely with Panattoni and our MPs to secure both the investment and the planning consent, with much behind the scenes assistance from Sir Robert Buckland in managing complex issues with the Environment Agency. This will be one of many ongoing legacies of the Conservative Administration.
We have always been proactive on economic growth, and I am therefore enjoying contributing ideas to the council’s new ‘Building a Better Swindon’ policy committees.
At the recent meeting I suggested that Swindon Borough Council be the catalyst of change with its own estate holdings within the town centre (and elsewhere).
There are many pieces of land, car parks and buildings owned by SBC, and we should be more proactive with these whether using our own Swindon Housing Company or in joint ventures.
It may be advantageous to have an external company review our property portfolio as I previously held discussions with national housebuilders who were keen to find town centre sites, but nothing was offered. We are in danger of missing opportunities.
Workshops have been held with First Investments who own the Brunel Centre, but we need to push them much harder to ensure that viable proposals are made to get redevelopment under way.
I suggested they be asked to
talk to us.
We should also be talking to Aberdeen Standard who own the Regent Circus development which is now largely unoccupied (apart from the cinema) about what we can do to help rejuvenate that relatively recent development. I appreciate they are still receiving rent from Morrisons but one day that lease will end, and it needs a fresh approach.
I held workshops with town centre stakeholders over the last couple of years and these were an opportunity to discuss how we could help and explain what we are doing. These discussions should be started again.
I also asked that these Policy Development sessions are held in public so that residents can better understand the issues that SBC faces and be part of the search for ideas.
Finally, I want to pay tribute to my hard-working
Conservative councillors who strive all year around for our residents.
They have been supporting residents over the missed waste collections, damaged roads, speed limits, vermin issues, school admissions, planning and enforcement, broadband and a range of other issues.
This goes on behind the scenes all year round.
The 35th Swindon Beer Festival will be held at Steam from Thursday 19 to Saturday 21 October.
Visitors can look forward to at least 90 beers plus at least 25 ciders and perries.
There will be four sessions:
- Thursday 19 October 6-11pm, admission £10
- Friday 20 October 11am4pm, admission £10.00 (including £2 in beer tokens)
- Friday 20 October 6-11pm, admission £15 (including £5 in beer tokens)
- Saturday 21 October 11am7pm, admission £5
It is the 16th time Swindon's museum of the Great Western Railway has been home to the festival, which is organised by the real ale enthusiasts' group
there.
"They look forward to hosting our beer festival as it is one of their biggest events of the year. The location is good as it is within easy walking
up, and as well as local favourites from Arkell’s, Ramsbury, Hop Kettle and Broadtown breweries, will feature real ales from as far away as Penzance, North Wales and Orkney.
Richard James added: “We like to have a mix of local beers for visitors to Swindon to sample as well as many from around the country to bring something new to Swindon regulars.
"We are also making a big effort this year to support ‘real’ cider with a selection that we think cider drinkers will find interesting."
CAMRA.
Branch chair Richard James said “We have a great venue at STEAM and over the years have built up a good working relationship with the staff
distance of the town centre and Swindon railway station, so we are very pleased to be there again.”
The beer list is being drawn
People can pay at the door for each session apart from the Friday evening one, for which admission is by advance ticket only. The Friday evening ticket includes £5-worth of beer tokens, and are available from The Glue Pot, 5 Emlyn Square,
available in advance for all sessions. For more information, people are asked to visit swindon.camra.org.uk
The admission fee includes a souvenir glass and programme. There will be £3 of free beer tokens for CAMRA members, and all sessions will have food available.
is back and as packed as ever with the best brews in Britain
She’ll go far.
I was on a hike with three grandchildren when I asked them to stop.
“I’m sorry,” I said, “you’ll have to speak up louder. I can’t hear you.”
“Why not?” asked Luke.
“I’ve only one hearing aid in my ear. The other one’s faulty and has gone back to the factory.”
“What difference does one hearing aid make?” asked Dara, suspiciously.
I teased them: “It means I can only hear every second word.”
There was a pause. Sian chipped in.
“Grandad Grandadwhere where - are are - we we - hiking hiking - to to??”
I love anaphora, the concept of word repetition, in a poem. When you get the rhythm right, it has the powerful effect of pulling the audience with you. In Shakespeare’s “Richard II” for example, John of Gaunt’s monologue hits the spot:
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.
Maya Angelou used “you may” to great effect in her poem “Still I Rise”:
You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Another of my favourite poets, Robert Frost, used repetition in “Fire and Ice” discussing the end of the world:
Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice.
I love a trigger which sends me searching favourite poems. Triggers, for some reason, happen a lot with grandchildren. They, hilariously, spent the rest of the hike giving me grief with their repetitions. In a café for lunch, I noticed people around me whispering, probably wondering what was wrong with the old guy.
www.mauricespillane.co.uk
A column by Drove Vets
As any cat owner knows, each cat has their own unique personality.
Where some are curious and into everything, others can be timid and nervous.
Either way, most cats find visits to the vets' stressful, which is why, at Drove Vets, they’ve put extra measures in place to keep their patients purring!
In the waiting areas at Drove’s main hospital on Croft Road, and at their Stratton branch, they use partitions, blankets and pet friendly aromatherapy products to limit what patients can see, smell and hear, reducing their exposure to external factors that might increase their stress levels.
Drove also have many cat advocates working across their branches who take great
care every day to ensure their surgeries continue to meet the standards set by ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine) and maintain their official Cat Friendly Clinic status.
Veterinary Surgeon, Kiri Brown, who has been part of the Drove team for nine years, has now introduced Cat Only clinic times at the Stratton branch. Kiri’s love of cats has been the driving force behind her gaining an additional qualification in Feline Care and her years of experience, as well as sharing her home with her own feline friends, has helped her better understand cats and what can be done to make their visits to the vets less stressful.
Drove’s Cat-Only clinics are appointment times during which only cats will be seen at the branch. This means there will
be no dogs, or other non-feline pets, in the waiting area, which is a great way to help our more nervous patients remain calm.
If you think your cat would be more comfortable attending
one of our Cat-Only clinics, please contact a member of our Client Care Team. Text or Whats App us on 07700 160175. Call 01793 522483. www.drovevets.co.uk
A team that scores goals will often win more games than not. It’s a simple formula and for Michael Flynn it’s an effective formula. To date, Swindon are the highest scorers in the EFL, having already hit five or more goals on three occasions this season.
Town’s prowess in front of goal has already seen many people revalue Swindon’s promotion credentials. It might be too early to think about promotion. But one thing is for sure, Swindon will be leading the way when it comes to entertainment.
After suffering in the dreary silence that was the 2022/23 season, Swindon have been revived and revitalised under the guidance of Flynn. His heavily attacking high pressing football has lifted the dark cloud which was setting over the County Ground. Sporting a
three-five-two system, Swindon have been flexible in attack. One of three defenders, usually Frazer Blake-Tracy or Udoka Godwin-Malife, have license to roam in the attacking half. The wing backs Hutton and Uwakwe take up incredibly high positions on the wing. Then the number 10, Dan Kemp often makes runs into the box in order to make it a three-man attack. Clearly these tactics have been too much for teams to handle.
However, the attacking focus has also seen Town neglect their defensive capabilities. At times Swindon have been easily picked off after getting the balance between attack and defence wrong. And yet I don’t want them to change a detail. This Swindon side is one of the most exciting going forward in recent memory. Sure, it can cost them
defensively at times. And make no doubt about it there will be games where they could get blown away by higher quality opposition. And yes, Town will drive you mad at the inconsistencies of passages of play during games.
But if Town were to change, I’m confident their attacking play would suffer and as a result they would become less of a scintillating watch. I understand the argument that being enthralling doesn’t necessarily secure your passage out of the league. However, I don’t mind because football in my mind is an art. And right now, Town are putting on an exhibition.
In the current exhibition the main attraction of the gallery is Jake Young. The 22-year-old forward has already become the main marksman of this Swindon side. At the time of
writing Young has a startling nine goals and three assists in just six league games. Form which has seen him race to the top of the scoring charts and earn the League’s player of the month award in the process. Swindon haven’t seen this form from a striker since Eoin Doyle.
And here is the coincidence - like Doyle, Young joined Town on loan from Bradford City. Now the myth goes that lightning never strikes twice. Yet Swindon will be hoping that this myth is busted, because the last time they had a centre forward on loan from The Bantams they of course won the league. Understandably, you can be assured that Bradford will want Young back in this form come January. But that’ll be a bridge navigated at a later date while in the meantime Town benefit from his rich vein of form.
• Block Paving, Resin Bound, Tarmac Driveways
• Natural Paving & Patios
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• Fencing & Gates
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www.loveridgelandscapes.co.uk
loveridgelandscapes@outlook.com
07884 303651 / 0800 0076421
Est. 1990 35 Spencer Close, West Swindon
❖ Fences, gates & sheds supplied and erected
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❖ And all aspects of garden maintenance
Tel: 01793 875451 or 07940 247152
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installed for hard to get at or seized stop cock
• Disabled extra high toilets fitted
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Tel: 01793 324116
Mob: 07788 621772
