Monday December 12

1950: To the delight of scores of children Father Christmas arrived at the All Saints Church Bazaar in Swindon in the traditional manner - down the chimney. After which he distributed presents from a big Christmas tree. There were gaily coloured stalls, sideshows, Punch and Judy and a concert in the evening.

1960: The climax to the fourth anniversary celebrations of the Queen's Drive Methodist Church, Swindon was a civic service at which the Mayor of Swindon, Miss E C Millin, and members of the Swindon Town Council, were present. The service was conducted by the Rev Paul Kimber who preached on the subject of the Burden of Responsibility.

1970: Among the RAF personnel at Fairford, who are helping with the Concorde test programme, is Sgt Joe Casterton of Stapleton Close, Highworth who is one of the fire section team. The RAF fire tenders are in close attendance as soon as Concorde is towed out of the hangar.

Tuesday, December 13

1950: A cup, to be awarded each year for Best Club 100, was given by Ron Kane at the 19th annual dinner of the Swindon and District Road Club. Visitors among the 50 diners present were from Bath Cycle Club, Frome and District Wheelers, Oxford CTC, The Swindon Wheelers. M Rabbets was the Master of Ceremonies.

1960: A full length ballet entitled Pictures At An Exhibition, with choreography by Miss Audrey Salmon, principal of Rosmar Ballet School, occupied the entire second half of the display given by the school. It had marked the fourth anniversary of the Queen's Drive Methodist Church in Swindon.

1970: The newly remodelled Sir Daniel Arms in Fleet Street, Swindon, was reopened with a ceremony and a lunch. The first pint was pulled by Miss Watney 1970, Miss Lyn Marks, 22, from London. Swindon businessmen were among those invited guests who attended the lunch.

Wednesday, December 14

1950: Husband and wife Mr and Mrs C H Willcocks of Devizes Road, Swindon were each honoured at their respective retirements. Members of the South Ward A Swindon Conservative Women's Association presented Mrs Willcocks with a dressing table set for her 15 year service as president. Mr Willcocks was presented with a heat preserving tea service as he retires as Inspector of Taxes at a farewell dinner.

1950: George And The Dragon was presented by first formers at Faringdon County Grammar School For Girls as part of a Christmas Miscellany. The school hall was the scene of plays, dances, Carols and songs and a collection was taken for the school funds.

1960: Gordon Lindsley of Green Meadows, Granham Hall, Marlborough, senior English master at Marlborough Secondary Modern School has been successful in a recent photographic competition. He has been awarded the first and second prizes in the Lakeland Regional Group Youth Hostel Association 1960 annual photographic competition open to all visitors in the area.

1960: Members of the Ridgeway Townswomen's Guild were entertained at the Town Hall, after their meeting, by pupils of Mrs Olive Love. They then saw the first performance of a nativity, Star Over Bethlehem, which had been written for the guild music and drama group by member Miss HJ Nockold. The nativity was performed by members in biblical costume.

1970: Swindon Orpheus Choir gave a traditional Christmas concert to the Princess Margaret Hospital patients and nurses. While, at the Park North Secondary School Carol service there was a very different take on the Christmas story. The birth of Christ was treated as a modern day event including TV broadcast and interviews with the witnesses at the birth. The words of the Prophet Isaiah were spoken by an astronaut instead of an angel.

1970: At Evensong at the Wroughton Parish Church the Rev J Haughton became Youth Chaplain for the Diocese of Bristol and Warden of Lesse House. The ceremony was attended by the Bishop of Malmesbury and the Arch Deacon of Swindon the Venerable F S Temple.

Thursday, December 15

1950: More than 200 people attended the fifth birthday party of the Swindon Silver Threads Club, making their way through the rain and sleet to the town hall. The mayor and mayoress of Swindon were guests. The oldest member of the club, 90-year-old Mrs E Jones presented the mayoress with a bouquet. The choir sang, and members performed a sketch they had devised themselves. There was country dancing around a Maypole and Mrs Cripps and Mrs Waldron sang songs.

1950: The Green Road Baptist Church in Upper Stratton has been without a minister for 60 years. Now a grant has been authorised by the Baptist Union for the appointment of a new minister and a committee has been charged with the task of buying a manse.

1960: The Bull Memorial prize for members doing most for the club was presented at the annual meeting of the Marlborough and District Group of Dairy Students to John Harding. The meeting held in Marlborough Town Hall was attended by the County Adviser Mrs Bull and 40 members. It was followed by an illustrated talk by George Wells on his visit to Finland.

1960: Swindon Rocket Battery and MU Wroughton each lead two divisions of the Wiltshire Small-Bore Rifle Association Winter League. Wroughton team lead Division 3 and 7 and the Rocket Batter are at the top of Division 4 and 6.

1970: Swindon's Christmas Cattle Show Supreme Champion was sold for the record price of £237 and ten shillings. Reared by Mr T J E Handy of Greenway Farm, Wootton Bassett, the animal was sold for £25 per cwt. The animal was bought by the butcher C H Palmer and Son of Market Street, Swindon.

1970: The film Love Variations has been approved for showing in Wiltshire cinemas including Swindon with an X certificate. The County Council Public Protection Committee reached the decision within a few minutes without seeing the film. Two members voted against. Ald Frank Day said many authorities had approved the film so anything done to interfere with that decision would give added publicity of the unwanted type.

Friday, December 16

1950: Twenty-seven choirs will sing round the Swindon Rotary Club Christmas tree outside the Public Library on different evenings, but more are needed to complete the programme. The opening ceremony, with the tree brightly lit, will be performed by the Mayor Alderman J Bond. The choirs will be accompanied by the Salvation Army Band.

1950: As the Stratton Cross Roads bus waited at the traffic signals at the Junction of Manchester Road in Swindon, passengers saw a golden coach without a footman, without horses or even a Cinderella. It seemed to glide, phantom-like across the snow. It was actually being towed by a British Rail lorry in time for this year's pantomime of Cinderella.

1960: No electric lights were used at Butterworth Street Methodist Church, Swindon when each member of the congregation brought a candle to light up the church. The Light of the World was the theme of the service and a sermon was preached on this subject by Mr F Moss. The service was arranged by the church youth club.

1960: Frederick George Hills, 87, of Thomas Street, Swindon has been portraying Father Christmas in a toy department of a store on Bridge Street for the past eight years, but 1960 will be even more memorable as he and his wife Maud, 88, will be celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary. He told children from Swindon to tell their fathers to sweep their chimneys before Christmas as he didn't want to get his beard black, much to the delight of the youngsters.

1970: The show flat of a new Bradley Estates development was being opened by Miss Sweden, Mai Johannsson a finalist in the recent Miss World contest. Bradley Estates is a division of Edwin H Bradley and Sons Ltd, the Swindon builders and building materials producer.

1970: Guests reflected many facets of Swindon life when they gathered with Wiltshire Newspapers' executives at a lunch given for Mr Stanley Clayton retiring director and general manager of Wiltshire Newspapers, and Mrs Clayton at the White Hart in Cricklade. Mr R Campbell-Preston chairman of the Westminster Press, of which Wiltshire Newspapers is a part, paid tribute to Mr Clayton's work since he first came to Swindon in 1950.

Saturday, December 17

1950: Mr A Reed of Cricklade Road, Swindon won a first, second and two third prizes with his Yorkshire canaries at the national Show at Olympia in London.

1950: A party of deaf children living within a 12-mile radius of Swindon were invited to the pantomime by Swindon Rotary Club. The visit was in response to an appeal by the Rev ST Blakeman, chaplain and secretary of the Salisbury Diocesan Association for the Deaf and Dumb. The children will see Cinderella and then have a tea party.

1960: A Swindon woman, Mrs Beryl Doreen Smith of Bessamer Road, has been notified that the Queen has admitted her into the Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem at the grade of Serving Sister. The news came fortuitously on her birthday. The honour has been for her services to St John Ambulance Brigade.

1960: A representative of a shoe-manufacturing firm speaking to members of the Swindon Westlecot Townswomen's Guild declared that pointed toes of the present fashions in women's shoes were not damaging. He said that providing shoes with points were properly designed they should not push toes down in to them. Mr Underwood was talking about shoe fashions and feet. He showed members a replica of a Roman children's shoe found during excavations at the Somerset site.

1970: Aircraft from the 1939-45 war era landed at RAF Keble, three Spitfires of RAF Historical Flight escorted a Hurricane into Keble for a major maintenance service. They took the opportunity to flypast 12 aerodromes on their way from Coltishall, Norfolk, with Sqd Ld Ian Thompson leading the formation.

1970: The building which houses Purton's new library may look rather grim and old fashioned to some from the outside but it was a complete contrast on the inside. The building, previously the workingmen's institute was officially opened today. It is home to more than 6,000 volumes of books.