June 22-27 , 1980

STATE-of-the-art technology, a garden full of sewage and the world beyond the veil of death were just some of the items on the Adver’s news agenda this week in 1980.

Big changes were afoot at Swindon Magistrates’ Court, with debate raging over whether one of those newfangled computers should be installed.

“Last year,” we said, “the bench dealt with 22,810 cases and this, claims Wiltshire County Council’s chief executive, Mr Robert Harries, is enough to justify spending £66,000 on a computer.”

For a little financial perspective, in 1980 £66,000 was enough to buy a top-of-the range Rolls Royce Convertible, three terraced houses or a couple of large bungalows – or a huge computer with far less processing power than a modern low-end laptop.

We added: “The steadily increasing number and complexity of the cases dealt with at Swindon has resulted in major difficulties for the court clerks.

“A computer will relieve the clerks of the burdens of routine work and will, says the county hall chief, produce summonses, court lists, magistrates’ rotas, cheques and accounts, accurately, speedily and economically.”

Not everybody believed the move was necessarily. County councillor George Jamieson, hearing there would be no cash saving for three years, wondered aloud whether the authority was being conned by computer salesmen.

He added that county hall’s own computer wasn’t fully utilised.

Elsewhere in Swindon, a young family called the Roziers had more pressing issues to deal with.

“A sea of sewage is making life a misery for a Swindon family,” we said.

“It surrounds their house and forms a foot-deep foul-smelling moat. They have to wear Wellington boots to cross it, and the milkman won’t come any nearer than the top of the drive.

“Six or seven times a year for the past seven years, Mr and Mrs Rozier, of Arlington Close, Nythe, have found themselves in the middle of the mess.

“Yesterday they were flooded again as a drain at the side of their house pumped up gallons of evil-smelling effluent. It is the third time it has happened in the last couple of months.”

Complaints to officialdom produced the same sort of response as it often does today. Mrs Pamela Rozier said: “It’s like banging your head against a brick wall. Everyone says it’s not their responsibility and passes the buck.

“All we have been told is that it happens when a pumping station in Park North breaks down. It can’t break down that often.”

A spokesman for the old Thamesdown Borough Council said equipment was being overhauled.

The week also saw Swindon Spiritualist Church hold a sort of outreach service at Cricklade Youth Hall, and we sent a reporter to hear what the dead had to say.

According to him, there was one surprising moment when a medium correctly said a member of the audience once knew a man known as Old Snuffy.

Our reporter added: “Genuine evidence of spirits? I wasn’t able to decide, but the thought that it might have been a genuine message from a spirit made me shiver.

“Other messages were routine. Telling old women they had aches and pains; telling old men they had nice gardens; messages from Bob – well, everyone knows a Bob.”

Church member Phil Scott said: “I think if people haven’t been convinced tonight of life after death, at least we’ve given them something to think about.”

Other stories included one about a threatened feature of Old Town.

We said: “Alarmed residents are opposing plans to demolish one of Swindon’s oldest buildings for a new office block.

“They claim the 300-year-old building is part of Swindon’s heritage, and say it should be renovated instead of being knocked down to make way for another ‘faceless’ office.

“A petition with nearly 1,000 signatures will be handed to Thamesdown Council protesting against the demolition plans for 4 High Street.

“Said Clare Hannant, 18, who started the petition: ‘I was appalled when I discovered they were going to knock it down.’”

At the time of our story, the building was derelict, its boarded windows flyposted with adverts for a concert by punk band Sham 69. It had started life as a 17th Century Tavern called The King of Prussia, then spent 100 years as a butcher’s shop. In 1977 it was bought by the Midland Bank, and the applicant for demolition was a company called Hannick Homes and Development.

If Clare Hannant is reading this all these years later, we salute her, as the building is still very much in place, and is home to solicitors Charles Lucas & Marshall.

In a complete change of pace, Swindon found itself at the centre of Cold War intrigue that week, thanks to a couple called Krzysztof and Barbara Kryszkiewicz.

The couple were among a 21-strong group from Poland visiting Glasgow’s shipyards as part of an exchange trip. They managed to escape from their hotel and defect, which would have earned them a one-way ticket home and probably a jail term had their handlers caught up with them.

Fortunately, they had relatives in Swindon, and headed here straight away. Their location was kept a secret by fellow members of the town’s Polish community, who were hiding them.

The two were understood to be seeking political asylum. Perhaps they are still here in Swindon.