Our Meetings

September’s meeting brought several new beginnings - a new chair, some new committee members and a new venue. Despite a few initial hiccups, once underway David Bedford’s talk was as entertaining as ever. David noted that Commonweal School was his fifth venue since joining the Society - I suspect he holds the record! This dip into David’s collection began twenty years ago, with panto posters from the Wyvern Theatre. The production had to be postponed for a year following the discovery of asbestos in the building. David then reminded us of prices in 2006 - a pint of milk cost just 35p - before taking us on a photographic tour of a changing Swindon. Among the images was the former hothouse at Queen’s Park, shown covered in ivy but only very recently demolished. We also saw the Destiny and Desire nightclub on East Street (locally known as “Desperate and Divorced”) boarded up and awaiting demolition. Regent Street featured next, with the former Thomas Cook, Swiss Chalet and other shops being demolished and in the background was Aspen House, once home to Heath Lambert, which has itself also been demolished. Nearby were the former Tourist Information Centre (prior to its move into Central Library in the 2010s) and Prospect Hospice shop. Further afield but in a similar state was Moredon Infants School on Akers Way, built in 1952, but awaiting demolition following its merger with the Junior School in a new building. In contrast, the Old Town Railway Path showed the still-standing Westlecot Farm cottages, with the white lines marking the future Wichelstowe development. We also saw the old Walker Jackson garage site on Marlborough Road completely cleared. We then moved onto the redevelopment of Cavendish Square - beginning with a photo of Newsdesk, one of the few shops still in operation at the time. David told us that the square was opened in April 1964 by a government minister and we then had a quick run-down of what used to be available (with contributions from the audience!) - dentist, shoe shop, banks, etc. We then saw a photo of The Ring Coffee Bar (which was a later casualty of the redevelopment) and Park Library - one of my favourite childhood places. We also had a view of the Ken White mural which was lost to the demolition. Moving on into 2007 we saw photos of the Swindon Half-Marathon - firstly the children’s fun run, then the luggage lorries for the runners’ personal items and lastly, the extraordinarily long line of Portaloos along Pipers Way. A few weeks later Ken White was pictured at the Wroughton Christmas Market - which took place on 26th October! A year on from our earlier photos of Cavendish Square and we have The Ring with notices in the window that “everything must go,” the Post Office and Pop In shop closed and the square half-demolished. Moving into November and it was the first Remembrance event at Radnor Street Cemetery. Then back to Cavendish Square with the first shops opened there - King Balti, the chip shop and a newsagent. Then over to West Swindon for a photo of Fusion - a restaurant that has undergone many name changes over the years, including Pinkertons and TGI Friday. More new buildings were shown at Brunel Crescent - a block of flats that was on the site of the old laundry, which initially belonged to GWR but then changed hands over the years. We then saw an image of the first Santa Run to take place in the town and in the background was the Town Hall, covered in blue sheeting - Central Library was being built. The final photo of 2007 was Winter Wonderland, a fairground and ice-rink on of the site of the former main Post Office and which is now the Fleming Way Boulevard. We then moved on through a series of images from 2008 - the empty Swindon College building with a huge North Star campus banner on it; “Cotswold Gate” signage - the early name for the development on the old Walker Jackson site; Townsends on Cricklade Street with “new show apartments” being advertised; and Priory Road Medical Centre at the new Cavendish Square with the houses built on the site of the old surgery. Amusingly, there was signage up later in 2008 about the Regent Circus development that was on its way (we all know how well that went!). Then it was onto Buckhurst Park, where the familiar face of a society member was shown at the SBC Challenge roadshow as part of the Afro-Caribbean Festival. We then saw the Brampton Pie Company shop, which opened in the town centre in August 2007 but had closed by September 2008! Onto the best bit (I am, of course, heavily biased!) and it was the new Central Library in September 2008. The building itself appeared to be finished but there was still work continuing outside ahead of the October opening. We later saw a photo of the temporary library which was located on the ground floor of the Paramount building whilst the building work took place. Other images from 2008 included the first building stages of the Jury’s Inn (now Leonardo’s) at Whalebridge; an Angel Ridge show home on Curie Avenue; and the Battle of Britain commemorative march outside Bath Road Methodist Church. Moving into 2009, we had a view of Woolworths taken from Edgeware Road, with only 3 days left before it closed for good (incidentally, there was also a branch in Cavendish Square for many years). Also, the signage for their distribution centre at Dorcan Industrial Estate which closed a few days before the store. David then quoted founder member of the society Brian Bridgeman - “history begins yesterday” and then showed us a few changes that had happened this year. Briefly this included - the graffiti tribute to Ken White on the corner of Swindon Road; Regent Circus in January before it was demolished; the building of a new swing-bridge over the canal; the pile of rubble that was the bus station; the Queens Park hothouse, now flattened; the McArthurGlen signage covered up at the Outlet Village before the Frasers Plus signs were installed; the Paraamount building without scaffolding - it having been in place since 2024; the Raging Bull statue outside Bravus Churrascaria on Westcott Place (formerly La Carbonara); the XTC monument in Queens Park; TG Jones closing signs; and the closure of the Kembrey Inn. Many thanks as always to David for sharing his photos and knowledge with us last month and we look forward to another dip into his collection in the future. Kelly Blake - September 2026