OUR big story this week in 1971? There was only one contender.

At the end of a rainy Friday, November 5, we reported: “The Queen today inaugurated the first stage of Swindon’s new £7 ½m Civic Centre.

“The first stage, which has cost about £1 1/4m, includes the Wyvern Theatre and Arts Centre, a Technocentre, a citizens’ information bureau and exhibition centre as well as a bar/discotheque, sub-Post Office, shops and offices.”

We revealed – wildly optimistically, as things turned out – that future additions would include a £1m civic hall, a new central library and extensions to the civic offices.

Our story continued: “Torrential rain and cold winds didn’t stop the Queen talking to the crowds when she arrived at Regent Circus.

“The Queen was wearing a pale lemon princess-line wool coat and a white hat with a lemon-edged brim and large gold buckle.

“She wore a large gold and diamond brooch on the lapel and large pearl earrings.

“The Royal carriage slightly overshot the red carpet when it arrived at Swindon station, which, until moments before the Royal arrival, was still being vigorously vacuum-swept.”

There to greet Her Majesty and Prince Philip were dignitaries including Lord Margadale, the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire.

Outside the new theatre, at the raised area in Theatre Square which would later become popular with skaters, the Queen unveiled a plaque and said: “Considerable imagination has been shown in the design of this project and Swindon can rightly be proud of it.”

Among the many local people Her Majesty spoke to that day was one who said she was glad to see the Royal Family “growing up so well.”

The person in question was more than qualified to offer an opinion.

Earlier in the week we had written: “A 92-year-old Swindon woman who was a housemaid to King George V and Queen Mary will be getting a special view of the Queen’s visit to Swindon on Friday.

“Her wheelchair has a space reserved for her near the spot where the Queen will go into the Wyvern Theatre.

“Swindon-born Miss Rosa Christelow is now a patient in St Margaret’s Hospital, Stratton St Margaret.

“She returned to Swindon after her 21 years in Royal service when her father died and has lived in the town ever since.

“Miss Christelow went into the Royal Household at Windsor through her sister, who was also in service. Her sister is now dead.”

Miss Christelow told us: “I love the Royal Family. King George and the Queen were always very good to me.”

Another visitor to the town that week was a celebrity of the era who is now little remembered.

Actor Ray Barrett starred in a BBC drama called The Troubleshooters, which was set among the intrigue and ambition at the heart of an oil company.

The show, which had begun in 1965 and would run until 1972, also featured Robert Hardy, later of All Creatures Great and Small, and Barry Foster, who would go on to star in iconic detective series Van der Valk.

Ray Barrett’s mission in Swindon was to open the new food hall at the Bon Marche department store in the town centre, which later became Debenhams.

The Swindon branch of an organisation called the Electrical Association for Women held its 21st anniversary celebration at the Great Western Hotel.

The national association had been formed by female engineers in the 1920s to educate women about electricity, reduce risks and promote new technology.

Its Swindon gathering was addressed by prominent engineer Mary George, the association’s national director.

She said: “Electricity is doing more to liberate women from household drudgery than any other single factor.

“We all share the same enthusiasm for electricity and the belief in the great contribution it can make to the economy and social welfare of the country.”

In another story with an engineering slant, a 75-year-old Drove Road pensioner called Job Harvey had built a back garden windmill to replace one which was stolen.

He planned to have it move the wheels of a model locomotive he planned to attach to the frame.

Decades before most people even heard of wind farms, Mr Harvey revealed that before mains electricity became widely available he had used a windmill to power his radio.

We also tantalised readers with visions of the latest in gadgetry, courtesy of an advert placed by AE Lavers and Company of Cricklade Street. The firm specialised in office supplies and was pushing new lines of calculators. They were so expensive that customers were invited to lease them for between about 60p and about £1.10 a week.

Models ranged from the pocket-sized – assuming one had a pocket measuring eight inches by four – Monroe 10 to the much larger Olympia International CP 600 which came with a percentage function and decimal places.