Monday, September 12

1950: A parade was lead by the RAF Band, Yatesbury, along Groundwell Road, Swindon on the way to the Country Ground for the official opening of Swindon's Battle of Britain Week. The Mayor of Swindon Ald J Bond opened the ceremony before a crowd of 14,000.

1960: Thirty-five members of Swindon Branch of the RAF Association, including some RFC members, visited RAF Lyneham to tour the station. They went up on an hour and a half flight in a Comet 1V and were then royally entertained in the Sergeant's Mess.

1971: Motor racing at Castle Combe is to go out with a vroom. The chequered flag was lowered on the circuit by Motor Circuit Developments and the last event to be held there will be the penultimate round of the Shell Super Oil Formula 3 Championships with a prize money of £48,000 for the winner

Tuesday, September 13

1950: Miss Molly Godsell of Cornwall Avenue, Swindon and Mrs Kathleen Smith, of Princes Street, Swindon, joined hundreds of people visiting the House of Commons. The Swindon delegation were hoping to see MP Tom Reid. Parliament had opened its five day emergency sitting to discuss defence.

1960: An Avebury man is one of eight selected to play a central part in the development of a massive American radar system, which will eventually give the United Kingdom, Southern Canada, and the US advance warning of ballistic attacks. Dennis John Hallett of Truslo Avebury, has been selected by Radio Corporation of America (Great Britain) Ltd as a future instructor.

1970: The Mayor of Swindon Ald John Pass opened the town's new £200,000 head post office. He became the first customer when he went to one of the counter position and was handed a premium bond by officer Mr D L Franklin. The mayoress was presented with a bouquet by counter clerk Lesley Davis.

Wednesday, September 14

1950: Swindon Chamber of Commerce was asked by an officer of the Divisional Commercial Superintendent's office, British Railways Bristol, to express its views on the possible closing of the branch line from Swindon to Highworth, which is one of those under review by the Railway Executive.

1950: With the increasing interest being taken in television in the Swindon area, the attitude of the Town Council towards the installation of aerials by council house tenants, was raised by Messrs Teesdale and Jones, electrical contractors of Fleet Street. Several application have already been granted.

1960: Raymond Beatty, 13, arrived home in Swindon after a six-week Italian holiday. Raymond travelled twice across Europe alone and was full of tales for mum and dad when he got back to Horace Street in Swindon. Raymond's grand tour, included swimming, walking and ice cream. He left from Swindon Junction and travelled to Paddington, Victoria, Folkestone, Calais and then on to his mother's one time home on the Adriatic. On the journey his train broke down by a vine yard but he arrived safely and stayed with Mrs Beatty's uncle.

1960: Swindon Film Unit's drive for new members received a tremendous boost at a meeting in the Arts Centre, attended by 70 people, when 34 members were recruited. A flood of entries has been received for the BJ Martin Cup Competition for the best amateur film. The films will be shown over two evenings as there would not be time to show them all in one.

1970: Miss Jose Chequer of Wroughton won the Class Two prize at the Wiltshire Constabulary Road Safety Rally at Devizes. Jose is a member of the Highworth Accident Prevention Team which won the team event.

1970: Entries at British Railways Staff Association Athletics and Sports Club Horticultural Show were far higher then last year totalling more than 270, compared with 195 in 1969. The show was held at the club premises in Shrivenham Road and the prizes were presented by Mr H Garrett, assistant works manager at Swindon Railway works.

Thursday, September 15

1950: Swindon volunteer Private Ernest Quince, 22, of Laburnum Grove, said his Korean trip would be a change and something to do. Private Quince and 66 men from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders took off in two Hastings aircraft on the first leg of their eight-day trip to Japan. They flew from RAF Lyneham. Private Quince volunteered for service in Korea so was transferred to the Argylls. He worked at Vickers Armstrong before signing up.

1950: Explosives were let off outside the Communist Party offices in Bridge Street, Swindon, and a plate glass window was broken. Two people dashed out of the building and chased after a group of soldiers spotted outside. An eyewitness told the Evening Advertiser that glass was strewn around the ground floor and a picture of Stalin stared down from the walls.

1960: For jazz saxophonist Don Rendell the first concert of the newly formed Club 60, Swindon's first modern jazz club, would bring back memories. Don was evacuated to Marlborough in 1939 and would come to Swindon to see the jazz films. Don's father was a musical director and produced many shows for the Swindon Amateur Operatic Society at the old Empire Playhouse.

1960: From scouting to scholarships seems to be the trend among members of the 11th Swindon (All Saints) Scout Troop. William Croft and Colin Shell have been awarded state scholarships to Cambridge University. Also scout Mervyn Pugh has been awarded a scholarship to Sheffield University.

1970: Two girls from Swindon were successful in competitions at the Butlins Camp on Barry Island. Pauline Grenell, 18, of Shakespeare Road, Wootton Bassett, and her best friend Christine Dyke, 20, of Toothill entered Miss Chukka Personality contest and Pauline won followed by a win in a beauty contest. Christine came second but then won first prize of £2,000 in Miss She Fashion Contest.

1970: The freshness of children's art and the strong colour sense of young artists made the collection chosen by Swindon's Art Gallery and Museum in Bath Road for their current exhibition. The paintings were chosen by a commercial television company from 5,000 that were sent in. The children had to base their work on the daytime programme.

Friday, September 16

1950: Mr W Morten, managing director of four businesses including Southern Laundry, Swindon, gave a talk to a hall of women belonging to the Swindon Inner Wheel. He spoke of the history of laundry and how it went back 6,000 years to the time of the Pharoahs.

1950: Entries were almost double those of last year for the annual Cricklade Horse Show. Nearly 200 entries were recorded from as far afield as Warwickshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Berkshire and Gloucestershire, as opposed to 103 last year. Judges were Messrs G Dibble and E Goddard. The veterinary surgeon was Mr J H Hewer of Swindon. Mrs G S Hanks won the H Stevens' Challenge Cup in the Farmers' Hunter Class.

1960: 500 trad jazz fans in assorted costumes queued impatiently outside McIlroys Ballroom for the gala opening of Swindon's new Oriental Jazz Club. The Micky Ashman Ragtime Jazz Band opened the concert. Beatniks and conventionally dressed jazz fans all let themselves go.

1960: Swindon pianist Alan Wicker and the Swindon Male Voice Choir are to be broadcast on the BBC West Home Service. The choir recorded songs with Janet Baker, contralto as the guest soloist.

1970: Post Office workers in London have won a battle for more information on plans to move a postal complex to Swindon. The advisory committee keeping an eye on the Swindon move has been shaken up to make room for the rank and file representatives of the workers involved. The post office supplies department plans to come to Swindon by 1973. 700 jobs would be available in Swindon.

1970: A talk on psychical research was given by Canon C F Harman to members of the Ridgeway Townswomen's Guild at their meeting in Swindon Town Hall. He described forms of Extra Sensory Perception and evidence that life exists after death, when our physical bodies decline. The Canon said that he had seen 40 apparitions.

Saturday, September 17

1950: Swindon Book Week has given readers a real treat. The choice of lecturers was catholic, ranging from local to famous novelists, from popular writers to mystery authors. In between was the Children's Hour man. Book week coincided with the centenary of the public library and the town's jubilee celebrations.

1950: Miss Marion Skinner, one of Swindon's youngest bell ringers, was making her first attempt at a quarter peel when she rang the number two bell in the Battle of Britain Commemoration before the service at the Parish Church Swindon.

1960: Celebrations to mark the 29th anniversary of the Battle of Britain took on a special note at RAF Station Compton Bassett when the station commander Group Captain G F Corden welcomed the Mayor and Mayoress of Calne. The ceremonial parade included 400 RAF and WRAF personnel.

1960: Patricia Esther Bennett, Principal of the Estelle School of Ballet and member of Swindon Minstrel Society Ballet Group, was married to an opera singer at Immanuel Church, Upham Road, Swindon. Patricia married David Kingsley Rebbeck a member of the Swindon Male Voice Choir and Pinehurst Youth Centre Opera Group.

1970: Swindon Swindon Council's recreation manager, Maurice Williams, presented prizes at the Best Kept Garden Competition organised by Broad Street District Old People's Welfare Committee. The winners were Mr and Mrs Albert Curtis of Gooch Street.

1970: Penny Hinksman of Greenbacks, Hinton Parva, performed a 12-minute magic act at the annual conference of International Brotherhood of Magicians in Hastings. Penny, 23, has been interested in magic for 18 months. She now performs at charity shows in Swindon and she practices for an hour a day.