Monday, October 3

1950: Following in his father's footsteps, Esmond Greening, 20, of Swindon Road, Wroughton, joined the Navy in 1948. He has been on board the HMS Jamaica all through the Korean campaign. Before he joined the Navy he worked at Wills Tobacco Factory in Swindon but always wanted a life at sea. His father served as a Chief Petty Officer in a submarine.

1960: Patricia Daniels of Crombey Street, Swindon, has been awarded first place, with 92 marks, in the Solo Singing Class for entrants aged 14 years and under, at the Longwell Green Bristol Eisteddfod. In gaining 88 marks in the class for 19 years and under, she gained second place and she won third place for the 16 years and under class with 89 marks.

1970: The re-opening of Old Town Railway Line in Swindon is giving residents in the area sleepless nights. They say the line is in use day and night bringing in limestone for the M4 and the noise is intolerable. Residents of St Margaret's Road have written to Swindon's MP David Stoddart for help in rescheduling to more normal working hours.

Tuesday, October 4

1950: Aircraftsman Ivor John Gillett RAF of Manton, Marlborough, has been posthumously awarded George Cross for an incredible act of heroism. Ivor was a member of the crew on board a Sunderland flying boat which blew up at its mooring at RAF Boat Base Selectan. A safety belt was thrown to Aircraftsman Gillett who, ignoring his own injuries from the blast, immediately threw it on to a corporal who was seriously injured and in danger of drowning. The corporal was a great friend of Gillett's and he survived but the brave aircraftsman was washed away and drowned.

1960: Football triumphed over toughness at the County Ground when Swindon Town defeated Bristol City, l3-1 in the first round of the Football Association Youth Cup Competition. Ernie Hunt scored two of Swindon's goals from penalties, after Mike Summerbee had given them the lead in the 13th minute. John Trollope did a splendid captain's job.

1970: One of Swindon's oldest bowling clubs is extending its grounds and premises at at cost of £11,000. Most of the money to improve the Westlecot Bowls Club has been raised by loans and gifts from members. A new green is being laid a a cost of £4,200. More than 13,000 pieces of turf have to be laid.

Wednesday October 5

1950: After four years with the J Arthur Rank Organisation, Miss Dina Dors, the Swindon-born screen actress is to become freelance. Since her contract ended she has signed up for two films and will begin work on Worm's Eye View immediately.

1950: Children from the Stratton Secondary Modern School visited the Gipsy Lane Gasworks, Swindon to study the practical aspect of coal gas production. The girls were conducted around the plant by Mr L Owen, a master from the school. They were met be Mr M J Sanders who explained how the gas was distributed. They spent two hours touring the plant.

1960: Mr Samuel Mostyn, who was bombed out of his home and factory in London, has spent 20 years in Swindon, but is now to retire back to the city. During the war he was bombed three times in three months and his factory was destroyed by an aerial torpedo. He moved to Swindon and became known as the areas only manufacturing furrier. He was based in Commercial Road, Swindon. Both his sons were musical so in post war years he started the Johnnie Moss Dance Band Orchestra and was the agent of Rosemary Squires.

1960: St Catherine's School in Bath Road, Swindon has been picked out as the ideal building to become a hostel for British Rail trainees and apprentices. A British Rail spokesman said that a hostel would provide a need. It could also accommodate adults attending diesel courses at the works. Swindon Town Council has granted permission for the change of use.

1970: Three hundred people followed the Mayor of Marlborough on the Grand Beating of the Bounds. The Mayor Coun Bill Gordon was dressed as the Pied Piper along with his daughter, Fay, also in costume. But Coun Gordon wore a big pair of gumboots in case it turned wet. Borough Councillor Noel Wade went armed with a big bamboo pole and large pair of sunglasses. Coun Gordon, on his own, was sponsored for £54.

1970: Three years hard fundraising at Churchfields School, Swindon came to an end at their autumn fayre which raised the funds needed for a minibus. The fayre was so successful it passed all expectations by raising £370 for school funds. The mayor of Swindon Ald John Pass launched a giant rocket to open the fayre.

Thursday, October 6

1950: In response to a radio appeal by Wilfred Pickles for donations to the Cresswell Colliery Disaster Fund, nearly £9 was collected at the main office of British Railway Workers Western Region Swindon. The collection was made by Audrey Stacey who will forward the money to Mr Pickles.

1950: For four years a resident of Highworth during the war, Miss Margaret Thomas, has an oil painting in the summer exhibition of the Royal Academy, now showing in Swindon's Arts Centre. Called Chloe the painting is a picture of her mother and is priced at £35. Miss Thomas came to live with her aunt in Highworth when her London home was bombed.

1960: The annual dinner of Cricklade and Wootton Bassett Rural Council was held at the Angel Hotel in Wootton Bassett. It was attended by guests, councillors, staff and others connected with the Rural District Council. Miss Dulcie Dunne of SALOS presented items from the musical comedies and the accompanist Mr G W Hunt also gave several items.

1960: Swindon has now got the go ahead for the new machines for dispensing two shilling books of stamps. The town will, however, have to take its turn in the scheme of fitting out the whole county with the machines. They will join the 3p machines already installed outside Swindon Post Office.

1970: The chairman of Calne electronics firm Kode Ltd is on his way home following a dramatic rescue as his £45,000 cabin cruiser caught fire off Portugal. Colin Brooks, 39, was rescued by a trawler. Mr Banks is a former naval Petty Officer who bought himself out 11 years ago and founded his firm on £150 borrowed capital.

1970: The Rodbourne Sewage Works at Swindon was shut down due to a strike by workers, but continued to discharge effluent at the rate of 7m gallons a day. The Corporation took no action to man the works and said it would only make a move should any danger arise. A Thamesdown Conservancy spokesman said this state of affairs created a dangerous situation.

Friday, October 7

1950: Tony Vernon a nine-year-old Swindon boy had a miraculous escape from serious injury when he fell from a moving Bristol-bound train between Little Somerford and Hullavington station. He clung to the carriage door before falling on to the line, from where he was rescued by his father, who pulled the communication chord to stop the train. Tony from Rolleston Street had just pulled his sister back from the door when it swung open and caught him. He was not seriously injured.

1950: Twin nephews of Mr and Mrs E Zebedee of Broome Manor Lane, Swindon, Ian and Murdock McKay, who had attended Swindon High School as boys, were capped at the same spot where 26 years ago their father, now a medical officer, had received his doctor's degree. The twins, who studied together, were capped together at Aberdeen University.

1960: Swindon is growing so fast that the population of 96,000 forecast for 1967 will probably be achieved by 1963, says the Medical Officer of Health Dr J Urquhart in his report for 1959. The population of Swindon was estimated at 82,680 in 1959. That was an increase of 2,400 over the previous year, due to the expansion of the town and its high birth rate.

1960: Members of the Clyde Valley Stompers went to town during a Swindon Oriental Jazz Club session at McIlroys. The Oriental Jazz Club is one of three jazz clubs in the town - two of them are devoted to trad jazz and the third is modern jazz.

1970: Swindon British Rail Engineers Works is to get a visible record computer system to speed up its stores control and accountancy procedures. It will form part of a £127,000 order for 20 visible record computers. At Swindon and Crewe, the two largest works, there will be three machine installations.

1970: Visual comments on Our Town were shown by members of the Swindon Public Library Film Unit in a film contest held at the Arts Centre. Four entries, films made by members during the summer, showed originality of approach. Mr Nobby Clarke's entry examined Swindon as a traffic warden and gave a folksy commentary that reminded adjudicators of Johnny Morris, but the trophy went to Mr R Leighfield, the Unit's chairman, for the Alan Whacker's Walkabout film with its ironic tilt at the double yellow lines of Swindon.

Saturday, October 8

1950: The newly formed Swindon branch of the Empire Cancer Fund is now getting into its stride. A whist drive has been arranged to start Swindon's contribution to the fund. Commander Pelly from the fund's headquarters visited the town to address a women's meeting.

1950: An 11-year-old, Eleanor Wilks of Bruce Street, Swindon, scored another success as a singer when she came first at the Reading and District Eisteddford in the class for girls under 12. The adjudicator Leslie Regan commended her.

1960: Marlborough Mop Fair closed the town's High Street, the second widest in the country, to accommodate its sideshows, roundabouts and dodgems, making the road impassible for traffic. The Little Mop Fair is to be followed by the Big Mop Fair, both are legacies of the old hiring fairs when labour was taken on for the year.

1960: Members of Swindon Inner Wheel celebrated their club's birthday and to help them with the celebrations, the Swindon Goddard Townswomen's Guild gave a variety entertainment, lead by Mrs Doris White, chairwoman of the Goddard Townswomen's Guild. There were 40 members and a birthday cake was given by Gladys Mills.

1970: A well 37ft down was uncovered by a bulldozer working at Skurry's in Newport Street, Swindon. The well shaft lined with Cotswold stone and covered by a slab was in an excellent state of preservation, and Nigel Wheatley, the bulldozer driver, said the water was quite pure. A florin bearing the date of 1874 had been found at nearby cottages.

1970: A total of 17 Corporation buses were cancelled in Swindon as a result of the trade union's national ban on overtime and standing passengers. The situation was described as constantly changing. Godfrey Gould, Bristol Omnibus traffic superintendent for the Swindon area, said that there was no change in the attitude of the union. The ban was still receiving 100 per cent support.