SOME of Swindon’s most famous people made headlines in their hometown newspaper during a single week 14 years ago.

There was a long-awaited new album from XTC, a record-breaking single for Billie Piper and a record of a different kind for David Hempleman-Adams.

Having conquered the North and South Poles, climbed the highest peaks on each continent and achieved plenty of other feats, he’d set his sights on being the first to fly solo over the North Pole in a balloon.

The previous year saw him and fellow adventurer Phil Dunnington from Bristol become the first balloonists to cross the North West Passage, the fearsome Arctic Ocean sailing route.

David’s previous ballooning experience included the first solo trip over the Andes back in 1998.

Now, his balloon at the ready, all he had to do was wait for a break in the weather and take off from a base in Norway.

And wait.

And wait.

We wrote: “David Hempleman-Adams has two and a half weeks to start the world’s last great challenge.

“The Swindon-born explorer has been playing a waiting game since the end of March.

“Since then the weather conditions have not been right for his trip over the North Pole in a helium balloon.

“There is a small chance he may be able to set off from Norway tomorrow morning, but he won’t know for sure until the day dawns.”

As things turned out, David had to wait until the Sunday before taking off. He came within 13 miles of the pole as he crossed the icy continent, making his mission a success.

There were no real hitches – apart from the moment when he tried to sleepwalk out of his basket more than 4,000 feet above the ice.

Three years later, David became the first to cross the Atlantic in a balloon with an open wicker basket.

Firmly on the ground but still among the stars was Billie Piper, the Swindon star who’d been touted Britain’s answer to Britney Spears since her debut single, Because We Want To, went to number one in 1998.

Another number one, Girlfriend, came in October of that year while fifth single Day & Night completed a hat-trick in May of 2000.

Still only 17, the former Bradon Forest School pupil told us what a difference two years had made.

“I have got a hell of a lot more to write about now,” she said. “Back then I was only 15, but now I have experienced so much more I have been able to put some of those experiences into my songs.”

The young star said she enjoyed coming back to Swindon: “I enjoy spending time with my family most of all when I am home.

“But now work has kicked off again I haven’t had much chance to come back. I did come home a couple of weeks ago, though.

“It’s harder keeping in touch with friends because a lot of them are at university and so on. But I don’t have any regrets about what I’ve been doing – never.”

Turning to the future, Billie said she might return to acting, her favourite discipline at school.

As we now know, she turned out to be rather good at it.

Swindon musicians of a different genre were also in the news that week, with the announcement of a new XTC album by Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding.

Wasp Star: Apple Venus Two was a sequel to the first Apple Venus volume, which had been issued the previous year and was the first XTC album since 1992’s Nonsuch.

We quoted an interview Andy had given to another publication, in which he’d complained: “We’re always patronised as yokels from Swindon.”

The album would reach number 40 in the album chart and remains a favourite among fans all over the world.

Final preparations, meanwhile, were under way for the opening of Steam, the museum of the Great Western Railway. It was just three weeks until the Prince of Wales was due to come for the launch, and we reported: “Taking centre stage will be a simulator with a moving platform, showing what it was like to drive a coal-hungry loco.

“There will also be other models for visitors to touch, such as signals which can be pulled, in the £10.6m museum.”

Another Swindon institution, the County Ground, was also in the news thanks to talk in the council of selling it and building a new one on the so-called Front Garden, where Wichelstowe now stands.

Anti-development campaigners said they’d raise no objections so long as house-building plans were dropped, while council chief executive Paul Doherty claimed the club wouldn’t survive without a new stadium.

IN OTHER NEWS...

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2000: “PLANS are under way for the first Swindon City Festival. And the organisers aren’t going to let a small thing like not being a city get in the way. Complete with street entertainers and a procession celebrating Swindon’s past, present and future, Swindon City Festival 2000 will be held on the weekend of July 29 and 30. The name of the celebration was chosen quite deliberately – even though Swindon’s ongoing bid for official city status has suffered setbacks in the form of critical comments from civil servants.”

TUESDAY, MAY 23, 2000: “THAMESDOWN Ladies’ Choir may be 25 years old but it is not too old to move with the times. The choir has officially changed its name to TLC to reflect its modern approach. But the group is not following in the footsteps of American girl band TLC, famed for its erotic clothing. The Swindon ladies prefer to don long skirts and sing show tunes as well as Christian music. Director Pat Langley-Poole said: ‘Thamesdown Ladies’ Choir always sounded a bit fuddy-duddy and dowdy, and for years we have been thinking of changing the name.’”

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2000: “MUSIC fans will be crossing continents for a taste of the tropical this weekend at the first of the Swindon Bowl Concerts 2000. On Saturday evening the Town Gardens in Old Town will play host to a cocktail of Caribbean and African bands who promise to have audiences on their feet and partying the night away. On stage first, Zimbabwean band Chimanimani, followed by a colourful performance from Yvonne Curtis and Wavet.”

THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2000: “SWINDON businessman David Pedley has returned from a mammoth expedition jubilant and proud, having reached the top of two mountains and raised £6,000 for charity. David, the commercial director of Cheney Manor-based Great Western Packaging, achieved the feat of a lifetime when he spent 30 days trekking in the Himalayan mountains. David scaled the heights of two towering peaks, Imja Tse and Mera Peak, both of which were well over 20,000 feet high. As if the Himalayan challenge wasn’t enough, the father of three collected £6,000 in sponsorship for Swindon charity Therapeutic Working in Gardening (TWIGS).”

FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2000: “YOUNG people in Swindon have been building a wildlife pond in the rain as part of a Prince’s Trust course. The pond, which is being constructed from scratch by 16 to 25-year-olds, is being built on the Cheney Manor Industrial Estate. It is the culmination of a 12-week course the trust offers young unemployed people. The pond project was chosen by the participants as their community project.”