Tuesday, December 27

1950: For the majority of people in Swindon and district Christmas followed the traditional fireside and family lines. In the morning the streets were deserted apart from those attending church services, and later a few more families ventured out with armful of gifts for other members of the family. In the afternoon of Boxing Day the supporters of Swindon Town v Torquay football match went to the County Ground,where there was a gate of about 7,000.

1960: Thousands of people began Christmas in church. There were more than 1,000 communicants on Christmas Day at different churches in Old Town. Children attended a Carol Service with readings. Canon W J Cratchly celebrated a Midnight Mass at St Mark's in Swindon on Christmas Eve and bellringers rang a festive peal on Christmas Day. Swindon hospitals held Carol singing processions through the wards.

1970: The mayor and mayoress of Swindon had a busy time over Christmas visiting the town's cinemas on Christmas Eve and hospitals on Christmas Day. At the cinemas the mayor collected cheques from the managers, donations from the public towards the work of the Swindon Council for Social Services in response to the mayor's appeal fund.

Wednesday, December 28

1950: Swindon Railway works will build 85 of the 40 locomotives planned by British Rail stock-building programme for 1951, also 287 of the 2,440 carriages and 1,530 of the 39,975 wagons in the programme. Of the 85 locomotives, 40 will be of the new standard type, the first to be built, and 45 will of the present regional types. They will all be used mainly on the Western Region system.

1950: With Old Year's Night falling on a Sunday many of the traditional ceremonies associated with the ushering in of the New Year will be lacking in Swindon, including the pealing of the church bells. But the unfailing greeting to 1951, as is appropriate for a railway town, will be the shrieking of the innumerable train whistles. All down the line from every siding blasting out at midnight and passing trains respond.

1960: Although the Swindon men were at their work the shut down at the Bristol depot meant that normal services could not be operated. The strike was over the company not respecting December 27 as a holiday. As a rule two buses, one from Bristol and the other from Swindon make the trip, five journeys each way, but only one and three quarter trips were made on strike day. All other services operated normally.

1960: At lunchtime on Christmas Day, doctors and surgeons went into many of the wards of Swindon hospitals, some of them in masks and gowns to carve the turkey. Visiting hours were extended on Christmas afternoon and relatives were able to have tea with patients and stay to tea again on Boxing Day. Breakfast at Princess Margaret and Victoria Hospitals on Boxing morning were accompanied by Carols from Salvation Army Band.

1970: Snow may have disrupted traffic on the roads but it did not discourage competitors in Marlborough's Boxing Day pram race. The race arranged by the Marlborough and District Old Folks Association is an annual event. First across the finishing line was Brian Bower and Royston O'Sullivan who receive the Challenge Cup.

1970: Mrs Gillian Walsh of Greenham Walk, Park North whose baby girl was the first baby born on Christmas Day at the Princess Margaret Hospital maternity unit in Swindon received a visit from the Mayor and Mayoress of Swindon Ald and Mrs John Pass, as well as her husband Thomas and other daughter Jill.

Thursday, December 29

1950: The Ministry of Town and County Planning has dismissed the appeal made by Messrs Bradley and Sons Ltd against the refusal of the Wiltshire report on their building estate at Okus, the site the Oxford Regional Hospital board has ear-marked for a 750-bed hospital. The inquiry into the appeal was held at the Swindon Civic Offices.

1950: Mr H T Clissold, of Station Road, Swindon, retires after 18 years in the pattern shop of the Swindon Rail Works, where he has been foreman since 1931. He followed a family tradition when he entered the patten shop as an apprentice at the end of the last century, for his father and grandfather had been working in the factory before him.

1960: Tied up with Calne's new school building project is the mystery of the Wessington Hut. The building made of wood that sits on land at the site of the Trinity Church School is known to have come from the 1914-18 war camp at Yatesbury and was for the use of the community. A search for the deeds has proved of no avail and efforts to find the original donor of the hut have also been in vain. The hut needs to come down to enable the £25,000 building project to go ahead - but the mystery remains as to who owns it.

1960: At their weekly meeting, members of Maxwell Street Swindon Silver Threads were entertained by a programme of dancing by the pupils of the Maureen Cockram School of Dancing. The Misses Pauline and Joy King were at the piano and refreshments were served my members of the committee.

1970: The Army's School of Artillery at Larkhill in Wiltshire, becomes Royal on New Year's Day. It is merging with the School of Artillery, Manorbier, from Pembrokeshire and the new combined school will have the title The Royal School of Artillery. It will be located at Larkshill and the present commandant Brigadier G de E Collier will be the first commandant of the combined unit.

1970: The traffic wardens are spreading out from the borough of Swindon into Wroughton, Covingham, Nythe and Stratton St Margaret to enforce parking restrictions already in force. A spokesman for Wiltshire police said it would mean that waiting restrictions will be enforced with fixed penalty parking tickets issued by the wardens in the same way that they issue parking tickets in Swindon at present.

Friday, December 30

1950: A party of 14, made up of deaf children from Swindon and District and their mothers, were entertained at the panto and with a tea by members of the Swindon Rotary Club. After the matinee performance of Cinderella at the Swindon Empire the children enjoyed games and tea.

1950: In an attempt to improve car parking in Swindon's Old Town, the Finance Committee of Swindon Council has decided to bring the entrance of The Lawn into use. It will be used by a limited number of traders. The decision has been deemed a temporary measure to provide immediate relief, said a Council spokesman.

1960: The Swindon Corporation's Lydiard Mansion at Purton is listed among Britain's most famous houses in the 1961 issue of Historic Houses and Castles. The mansion, which dates back to medieval times and was reconstructed in 1743-49, has outstanding mid-Georgian decoration, says the publication.

1960: Kim Colyer's Jazz Band attracted an enthusiastic crowd of over 500 people at Swindon Oriental Jazz Club. Ken Colyer himself has been described as the most sincere jazz man in the country.

1970: Wootton Bassett County Secondary School is to be enlarged to take 1,050 children at a cost of almost £250,000. The school which at present has 705 places will become and all-through comprehensive school. The extension project is in Wiltshire County Council's 1970-71 major building programme.

1970: Wiltshire County Council has had to buy 2,500 tons of salt from the Continent this year because ICI has been unable to supply all the salt ordered, In February 15,000 tons of salt for clearing roads were ordered from the ICI plant in Cheshire. But only 6,000 tons have been delivered and the rest of the order will not be delivered until February or March.

Saturday, December 31

1950: A giant Christmas tree bearing a gift for each of the 150 children present, was the centre of attention when Upper Stratton labour party entertained members' children at the Junior School. Father Christmas visited and MC duties were shared by Mrs Sanders and Mr E Bull 1950: A Swindon girl recently wrote a description of her first meeting with her fiancee and submitted it for a competition sponsored by the Savoy Cinema and local traders. Dulcie Leeson was awarded the first prize and she married Kenneth Diamond at Wesley Church, Faringdon Road. She received £50 worth of gifts for her story.

1960: The wedding of two Wiltshire Newspapers Ltd employees, Montague Hopper and Sally Hayden took place at the Christadelphian Hall, Eastcott Hill. Both are members of the Advertising Department. After a reception for more than 100 guests at the Rodbourne Community Centre, the couple, who were the first to be married at the newly registered Christadelphian Hall, left for honeymoon.

1960: Nearly 300 people danced to the music of Harry Smith and his Band at the annual New Year Ball organised by the Swindon branch of the Barnardo Hoppers League in aid of Dr Barnardo's Homes. The ball has been held for 15 years consecutively. A bottle of champagne was won by Mr G Cameron of Faringdon. Special guest was Mayor of Swindon Coun Miss E C M Millin.

1970: Swindon's Hospital Broadcasting Society is three years old and to celebrate it put on a birthday show for patients in the area's hospitals. The programme, put out from the society's studio in the cellars of Toc H, High Street, Swindon, was made up of records, interviews, guests and announcements by producer Bob Good and engineers Mike Cleverly and Mike Uzzell. Special guests were Mr Chris and Mrs Sheila Harrod.

1970: A Swindon soldier Pte James Gavison is to receive a passing out prize as the best physical training recruit of Imjin X1 Platoon at the Wessex Prince of Wales Division at Exeter. Pte Gavison, 19, of Wigmore Avenue, Lawn estate was educated at Park Senior High School.