Monday December 28 
1948: The traditional appeal of pantomime and fairy story embellished with ballet, spectacle and speciality acts, remains a magnet for a Swindon family's Boxing Day party, as was shown by the Empire Theatre in Swindon being full to capacity for Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
1958: Arnold Darcy, Swindon Town Football Club's left winger, will be out of action for another month, after breaking his left collar bone for the second time in just over three months and, the inside left, Bob Edwards, will be out for three weeks with pulled ankle ligaments. That is the price Swindon have to pay for two Christmas draws with Brentford.
1979: Sales fever hit Swindon today only days after the Christmas spending spree. Queues built up outside some stores before they opened their doors to the eager bargain hunters. Debenhams had 450 people queuing and Supreme Discounts had a run on washing machines.


Tuesday December 29
1948: Swindon Town Football Club's new board and reception room will be ready for the amateur international between England and Wales at the County Ground, in January.
1958: Alex, a nine year old orangoutang, tried to become president of the Zoological Society, at a lecture given to children at London Zoo, by Swindon's Dr Desmond Morris. Alex was brought into the lecture room, where he picked up the president's gravel and waved it in the air. "He wants to be president,'' said Desmond, to the delight of the children.
1979: A cracker of a Christmas present was delivered during the festive period to Kevin Satchell, Wiltshire's top table tennis player. It was the news that he had rocketed to the number three slot in the English Table Tennis Association ratings. Kevin's rapid rise was due to his outstanding performance in the English Junior Closed Championships at Oxford.