Monday, October 10

1950: Fifty acres of corn stubble were ploughed in a match arranged by Fairford, Faringdon, Filkins and Burford Farmers Clubs. Thirty-nine tractor-drawn and hydraulic ploughs and six pairs of horse teams took part. The tractor section open championship was won by I G F Underhill.

1960: The Methodist Local Preachers Mutual Aid Association was formed in 1849 to stop preachers dying in poverty and being buried in a paupers grave. In Swindon preachers from the General Committee gathered from all over the country at a public rally in the Regent Assembly Hall at Queen's Drive Methodist Church. The Mayor of Swindon, Miss E C M Millin, herself a Methodist, welcomed the delegates.

1970: Fifty Swindon schools are closed and 16,000 children are on holiday now that all the Corporation NUPE workers are on strike. Even burials are being held up as the gravediggers have joined the stoppage. Volunteers are manning the Swindon sewage works. Pickets - some had not slept for days - kept warm around a brazier outside the works.

Tuesday, October 11

1950: The all-women contribution to the Swindon Jubilee celebrations was held at the Arts Centre and organised by the Swindon Standing Conference of Women's Organisations to which 16 bodies are affiliated. A pageant opened the celebration depicting the work of women in the past half century. A buffet tea and entertainment from a combined choir followed.

1960: The spirit of rivalry between modern and trad jazz may at last be ending. Paul Henry, promoter of Club 60 and leader of Club 60 Quintet and John Cole chairman of Swindon Trad jazz Club and leader of the Ray River Jazz Band have been cooking up a little plot. Paul will stand in with the River Ray Jazz Band at Walcot and play tenor sax, and reciprocating the gesture John will play trumpet with Club 60 Quintet at The Deer's Leap.

1970: An RAF Flying Officer at Lyneham admitted that she had entered beauty contests under a false name and address because she did not want to bring the service into disrepute. Sue Paton of Bath Road, Wootton Bassett, was runner-up in the Miss Swindon contest at Swindon Expo. She has now resigned from the RAF but says its because she is getting married and wants to go to Cyprus with her new husband who is also in the RAF.

Wednesday, October 12

1950: Housewives, office girls and more than a sprinkling of school girls were at the new Antiss Store in Regent Street to welcome actress Cherry Lind who was cutting the silk ribbon to open up the fashion salon. Miss Lind last visited Swindon for a Workers' Playtime broadcast.

1950: Mrs H C Preater, newly appointed chairman of the Women's Branch of the Swindon Division Conservative Association spoke to the Tea Club on her visit to the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.

1960: Once again Swindon has been chosen as the scene for the next divisional night in The National Festival of Community Drama. The event will be staged by Mr A W J Peck of St Margaret's Road, Swindon, secretary of Swindon and District Theatre Guild who has been appointed secretary at the Central Division of the Western Area. Mr Peck has been associated with amateur stage for more than 55 years.

1960: Swindon Model Railway Club's seventh annual exhibition was opened at the St John Ambulance Hall, Corporation Street in Swindon. Enthusiasts of all ages gathered outside the hall early. The exhibition was opened by Mr W Clifford and had layouts covering the popular gauges from TT to O gauge. On one of the static stands there was a live steam model built by club members Mr C Laurence.

1970: The pumps at Swindon sewage works started up again after the strikers voted to let five men back to operate emergency shifts. If national negotiations over the council workers pay claim have not been reopened, the Corporation will start local pay talks with union representatives.

1970: A talk about the Citizens Advice Bureau was given to members of Swindon Worker's Education Association meeting, by a Swindon Borough Magistrate, Mrs B Stanfield. She said there was a shortage of helpers and with more volunteers the bureau could open for longer hours and provide a better service, which has been given free since 1939.

Thursday, October 13

1950: Three American soldiers from the US Army engineering battalion at Fairford will be spending 24 hours 'on Swindon.' The visit has been arranged by the manager of the Savoy Cinema in Swindon, Mr R J Crabb. The cinema is showing On The Town, a film about three American servicemen spending 24 hours in New York. The Americans coming to Swindon are Master Sgt Ralph German, Sgt Carman Renna and Cpl Frank Romomawfski. They will have lunch in the Mayor's Parlour, have a guided tour of BRWR works and visit the Savoy cinema.

1950: At a recent meeting, the Swindon Film Unit accepted the Home Cine Club as a sub section and is now therefore responsible for the amateur film shows held at the Junior Library. Mr D Bowles has been re-elected as the Hon Sec of the Cine Club.

1960: Civil Defence workers clambered over piles of rubble to rescue 'dead and injured' after an 'explosion' rocked Swindon. The incident was in Savernake Street. It was part of The Association of Civil Defence Officers' Government Department's National Competition, the second of its kind. During the exercise the four teams went in to the shattered building to rescue realistically made-up casualties.

1960: Mr J S Bothwell, Assistant General Secretary for the TSSA was the guest speaker on a controversial subject at the meeting of the Swindon Number one Branch of the Transport Salaries Staffs' Association. He spoke on the question of British Rail Superannuation funds in relation to the State Graduated Pension Scheme, a matter which is causing grave concerns among British Rail employees.

1970: A sponsored walk along the M4 a week before it opened to the traffic was one of the fundraising activities discussed buy the Swindon Committee of the British Heart Foundation. The committee also discussed plans for a grand ball, Christmas bazaar, carol concert and a spring barbecue.

1970: Barry Lingard, accompanied by Ada Fisher, sang two song cycles at the Swindon Music Club programme held in the Arts Centre, Swindon. Jane Morse accompanied by Alan Wicker sang a group of Schubert lieder and Clifton Graham played Tchaikovsky on piano.

Friday, October 14

1950: Swindon Fire Brigade demonstrated a 60ft turntable ladder to Regent Cinema Juniors at Regent Circus. Leading Fireman A E Erring and Firemen L Hunt and H Horn operated the machine. The demonstration was in conjunction with the cinema that was showing the film Arrangement With Fire.

1950: Three pupils from Swindon Dance School gained bronze medals back in the summer and now they have gained silver medals and were all commended. The dancers were Pat Woodcock, Pearl Norman and Rosemary Goddard.

1960: Miss F J Eastaugh Matron at Princess Margaret Hospital, Swindon will be visiting Australia to attend the Congress of the International Congress of Nurses in Melbourne. At the meeting of the Swindon and District Hospital Management Committee it was decided to approve the action of chairman of the Management Committee, Mr H Dimment, in granting Miss Eastaught 16 days study leave to attend the Congress.

1960: Swindon and District Hospital Management Committee decided that Oxford Regional Hospital Board should be asked to recommend that the Ministry of Health purchase the ambulance station for Swindon Isolation Hospital and convert it into a work shop and store for group maintenance and engineering staff.

1970: Blunsdon Parish Council was given the go ahead for the village hall. After eight years of discussion the parish meeting gave their council the power to deal with the legal side of building the village hall. The council can now lease the site for the hall, which was bought several years ago, to the official custodian of charities who in turn can set up a management committee to orchestrate the building of the hall.

1970: The director and general manager of Wiltshire Newspapers, Stanley Clayton, is to retire for health reasons. Mr Clayton joined Westminster Press in 1929. He left to become circulation manager of The Observer and then after the war, in 1950, he came to the Evening Advertiser in Swindon, also part of Westminster Press. He will be succeeded by Mr Francis J Wilcox.

Saturday, October 15

1950: With his championship Yorkshire canaries Mr A Reed of Cricklade Road, Swindon won cups at the Bath Open Show. He won the award for Best Canary in Show, three specials, three firsts, one second and one third prize. Mr R T Ricketts of Exmouth Street, Swindon, Secretary of Swindon Cage Bird Society, won the Foreign Bird Championship.

1950: Soldiers from two wars paraded and marched to St Augustine's Church, Swindon for the dedication of the standard of the reformed Swindon Branch of the Royal Engineers Old Comrades Association. The salute was taken by Major-General C G Woolner. The Mayor and Mayoress of Swindon Ald Mrs and Mrs J Bond attended the dedication service.

1960: Swindon Orpheus Choir under its conductor Ewat Hill gave a concert at Sanford Congregational Church in aid of the church organ renovation fund. The organ itself figured in the concert being played by Mr Berkeley Hill. The guest artist was the Rev Paul Kimber on violin.

1960: Walcot Secondary Modern School held its annual Harvest Festival Thanksgiving at the school. Parents as well as pupils attended. The service held in the assembly hall was conducted by the Rev Paul Kimber. A display of farm implements were on show along with the donated fruit and vegetables.

1970: During the year it has been open the Oxfam Shop in Faringdon Road, Swindon has raised £2,500 and another £500 has come from donations and events such as coffee mornings. Supporters met at St Aldhelm's Church Hall in Swindon to celebrate the first birthday of the shop and Oxfam's 28th anniversary.

1970: The Student of The Year Award of the Wiltshire Branch of the Institute of Works Managers was presented by Swindon Town footballer Don Rogers. The shield and a cheque went to N G Blair-Jones. He was successful in the two-year certificate course at the College, Swindon.