Friday, August 12

1950: A Swindon monumental mason, Mr R Barkham of Cricklade Road, had a theory on the discovery of the casket found in the spire of Salisbury Cathedral. He believed that it was placed there by stone masons, either those engaged in the original building, or in a subsequent restoration of the spire. Mr Barkham sites his own experience where following the traditional practice of the craft, souvenirs of the work have been left by him or fellow masons.

1950: The mayor and mayoress of Swindon, Alderman and Mrs J Bond, greeted Miss Inge Lomfordt, visiting from Copenhagen, accompanied by youth members of the Wiltshire Detachment, British Red Cross Society. She arrived on the steps of the civic offices in Swindon as guest of the mayor.

1960: Sir Anthony Eden will make one of his rare official public appearances, in fact the first one since he moved to Fyfield Manor, Pewsey, when he visits Marlborough Young Farmers Club. Sir Anthony is no stranger to young farmers in Wiltshire as earlier this summer he visited their county rally.

1960: A record entry of 80, kept judges busy for three days visiting gardens of Swindon Council tenants before they awarded trophies to the five best. Many of the entries were people who had recently come to Swindon and never had a garden before. Mr F N Hill, the Parks Department Horticultural Assistant, was a judge along with Mr V O Wicks, foreman of Queen's Park 1971: Nine journalists including the Evening Advertiser diplomatic correspondent, Peter Longworth, were present at the first ever Press audience given by a Japanese monarch. The meeting was with Emperor Hirotito in Tokyo and it has heightened the excitement of the impending Imperial tour of Europe. During the visit at the Imperial Palace the topics discussed were plants, fish and pollution.

1971: Work should start on the new Highworth scout hall in two weeks. This will be the first time in the troop's history that they will have a hall of their own. For the last 60 years they have been using the old school. The plans went before the Highworth Rural Council. There are about 60 cubs and scouts who will be using the new hall which will cost £2,700. They have so far raised £1,010.

Saturday, August 13

1950: Mr J M Cockell, a members of the Swindon Sketch Club, who took up water colouring about a year ago, has had one of his pictures called Low Water On The Avon, near Avonmouth, accepted for hanging at the summer exhibition of the Royal Institute Galleries, Piccadilly, London. This is the first time he has entered any water colour with the Royal Institute Galleries.

1950: Miss Marion Binks of the Southern Electricity Board demonstrated to members of the South Marston Women's Institute, the technique of electric cooking. A gift of fruit from a Women's Institute branch in New Zealand was distributed.

1960: Coun Miss E C M Millin, the mayor of Swindon, gave her backing and encouragement to Swindon's Jubilee Carnival organised by the Round Table. The carnival will start with a queen dance at McIllroys when girls from all over Swindon will be under the eyes of special guest Rosemary Squires, star of TV and the entertainment world.

1960: Members of the Swindon Park 60 Club had an outing to the Stroud Valley. In spite of bad weather they had an enjoyable afternoon and stopped off on the way home for a visit to Stratford Park in Stroud.

1971: Footballer Michael Coxhead gave the Wanborough Carnival Queen, Margaret Barnes, some tips on technique before she kicked off the football match between Wanborough past and present football teams.

1971: Fred Hayward, the longest serving members of the Borough Press, Swindon, completed 50 years with the same firm. Mr Hayward of Alvescot Road, Swindon, started with the company when he was 14. During his 50 years he has seen it grow from a staff of eight to 58, and change from newspaper publishing to general publishing and then to lithography. He now operates the firm's letterpress machine.

Monday, August 15

1950: The first sign of the refurbishment of Swindon, in readiness for the visit of Princess Elizabeth, are to be seen in the neighbourhood of the Old Town Hall, where the lamp standards are being repainted light blue and cream above, the town colours. The lamps along the route the princess will take are being painted first, but all Swindon lamps will be repainted in due course.

1960: A record number of Swindon Scooter Club members visited Mudeford near Christchurch. They enjoyed a day on the beach with a picnic lunch. On the outward journey a stop was made at Salisbury and on the way back at Amesbury. The run was led by the club captain Harold Webb who had just returned from a scooter tour of France, Germany and Switzerland.

1970: The dig at the 13th century pottery and kiln in a field at Naish Hall Farm, Lacock, has met with immediate success. Once the top soil had been removed by excavator, red traces of stone dust led to the discovery of hundreds of pieces of medieval pottery. Sixteen volunteers including some from Swindon took part in the dig under the leadership of Michael McCarthy.

Tuesday, August 16

1950: Swindon scholars have gained 15 of 52 scholarships awarded by Wiltshire County Council. In addition a Swindon girl already attending university has been awarded a scholarship, another local girl has won an honorary scholarship. There were 130 candidates from all over Wiltshire. The decisions were made at a special meeting of the Wiltshire Education Committee.

1960: Swindon yachtsmen have complained to the Corporation that having sold them £3 and three shillings worth of licence to sail on Coate Water, the Corporation have now lowered the level of the water to such an extent that sailing was impossible. An 18-ton traction engine called Mavis was set up at Coate Water ready to dredge the lake.

1970: For the second year running some of the fun was taken out of the Plessey's Gala Day by fickle weather. A chilly wind and showers put a dampener on attendance - 1,000 down. Some of the big attractions included a personality girl contest, talent competition, flower and dog show, Punch and Judy, mini circus and funfair. Special guest was Bob McShocker, Britain's Mexico Olympics men's team captain and Commonwealth Games sprinter.

Wednesday, August 17

1950: Confirmation of the safety of her sailor husband has been received by Mrs Vera Nock at her home in Tismead Crescent, Swindon. She received a telegram from Bangkok in which Capt Clifford Nock skipper of the oil tanker Caltex ll said: 'Arrived safety after 10 days late'. Mrs Nock read in the Evening Advertiser that shipping, in the typhoon-ripped South China Sea, had been asked to look out for the overdue tanker. An Evening Advertiser reporter had been able to allay Mrs Nock's fear when the Caltex ll was sited in the Gulf of Siam.

1950: The most unusual feature at the Wiltshire Constabulary Swindon Division annual Fruit, Flower and Vegetable Show was a mahogany box, 17" by15". On it was a metal capstan, a spool entwined by wire, dials switches and knobs. It was a wire recorder, probably the first to be seen and almost certainly the first for Swindon. It was made from Government surplus radio parts. Recordings can be played back 1,000 times.

1960: The crowning of the 1960 Aldbourne Carnival Queen took place in the Memorial Hall. The ceremony was the highlight of a concert given by the Aldbourne Silver Band under its conductor Mr R Barnes. Anthony Brown, vice chairman of the carnival committee was the MC. Miss Ann Veronica Jones was pronounced carnival queen and her two attendants were Gillian Doone and Phyllis Johnson.

1960: A landscape in oils by Ruth Williams from Swindon is to be exhibited in a London art gallery. Mrs Williams, 52, from Penfold, is one of 700 pictures chosen from among the thousands of entries submitted for a national housewives paint for pleasure competition from all over Britain. Her painting entitled Groundwell Farm will hang in the Walker Gallery, New Bond Street.

1970: The 1st Royal Hampshire Regiment Minders Company which includes several Swindon men have returned to base in Colchester following a spell in the Malayan Jungle. The company has been on a course at the Army's Jungle Warfare Training School at Jahore. Taking the course was Private Derek Cox, whose parents live in Percy Street, Swindon, Roger Powell, whose parents live in Sadlers Walk, Walcot and Barry Jessop whose mum lives in Pinehurst. They came back with stories of elephants and wild pigs invading their camp.

1970: After heavy showers Wanborough Carnival ended with a fine evening when the procession lead by visitors, Wroughton Silver Band, went round the village. The tableau class was won by Wanborough Keep Fit Club. The parade was followed by a carnival dance at St Andrew's Hall.

Thursday August 18

1950: Swindon Labour League of Youth has entered two teams for the public speaking contest in Taunton. The South Western Region and the Swindon teams have all been coached by Ald A M Bennett and are all hoping to bring home awards.

1950: There is a man in Swindon who will soon be walking with the aid of matchsticks. He has not injured himself and can walk as well without them. His aid is a walking stick which he has made with 1,600 matchsticks and some glue. He is Constable T Midgley and his walking stick won a prize at the Wiltshire Constabulary Swindon Division Fruit, Flower and Vegetable Show at Gorse Hill Police Station.

1960: Preliminary work is well underway to provide perfect television viewing for Marlborough. Marlborough Vision Ltd formed by a group of traders has been given the go-ahead by MarlboroughTown Council, and has attained 90 per cent of wayleave necessary for installing the network for the TV aerial cables that is called for.

1960: The last of nine heats in the Swindon Carnival Queen Competition will be held at a dance in the Goddard Arms Hotel, Old Town, when 10 competitors will vie with one another for the title of Miss Gorse Hill. Trumpeter Kenny Baker and Guy Thomas the Independent Television newscaster will be the guest celebrities.

1971: RAF Lyneham gave a flying display as part of their contribution to the Swindon Royal British Legion special Jubilee event at Swindon's Polo Ground. There was a formation flypast by Hercules aircraft during the opening ceremony by the Mayor of Swindon Coun Arthur Palmer.

1971: Several hundred men are to lose their jobs at Pressed Steel Stratton St Margaret factory including 271 in the next few weeks. The shop stewards have been told that the 271 will include 140 on the assembly areas. This is because of ' killing off' of the 1100 and 1300 lines in C building. After rumours of more redundancies, workers at a mass meeting agreed an overtime ban.